THE annual Solent Swim was a resounding success at the weekend, raising more than £30,000.

Organised by the West Wight Sports and Community Centre, swimmers crossed 1.2 miles, from Hurst Castle, near Lymington, to Colwell Bay.

The challenge had been expected to take place on July 4, but was postponed on account of the weather.

On Sunday, July 18, 56 swimmers met at Yarmouth Harbour in the morning, and were ferried across to Hurst Castle aboard Yarmouth Rose.

At 4.45am they departed on their swim across the Solent to Colwell Bay, accompanied by 33 kayakers, a small flotilla of powered boats and two Freshwater lifeboats.

This year was the 11th annual swim, and among the swimmers were the oldest and youngest ever participants ­— veteran and accomplished swimmer, Jenny Ball, aged 83, and 17-year-old Lucy Isaacson.

Swimmers raise funds for the community centre ­— a registered charity providing community support, health and physical activities.

In 2020, the centre also led the local response to the pandemic and formed the West Wight Hub, coordinating hundreds of volunteers across the West Wight.

Swimmers were invited to also raise funds for charities of their choice, and this year looks set to be the biggest ever, with more than £30,000 raised.

The cash will support the charity to continue providing services to the community and get activities back up and running again post-pandemic.

Organisers have thanked the many individuals who helped to make the swim possible, from the kayakers and boat skippers to the lifeboat and beach crews.

They also thanked IslandFX, who generously sponsored hot dogs for all at the end, and most of all, the swimmers and their sponsors.

Isle of Wight County Press: The Solent Swim, 2021. Picture by Lee Argyle.

“This year’s swim was rearranged after strong winds two weeks ago made it unsafe” said Clare Griffin for the centre.

“But it turned out to be possibly the best ever, with absolutely ideal, calm conditions, and swimmers starting as the sun rose on Sunday morning.

“As always, it was a tremendous community effort, and we are very grateful to all the volunteer teams for keeping everyone safe, and to Needles Pleasure Cruises for transporting swimmers to Hurst.”