Traversata 2010

The finishing line is blown up...

Canoes are ready... to catch any drowners, dawdlers and my husband if he again tries to leg it to Italy... Ready and in position
My better half is ready and promising to keep a straight line this time and to leave the canoeists alone.

Just waiting for the official times of the 2 and a half kilometer crossing of the lake to be added online, between clicking refresh button time and again, I thought I should use the time wisely instead and show off some of the photos I snapped today of my wonderful husband, and some other swimmers that took part in the 78th crossing of Lake Lugano.

This is how it starts, we don't get to see it as we are waiting on the finish line, so I took this image from the newspaper online clipping (they are fast) of Ticinonews. So about 500 swimmers (530 this year record) go in water on the other side of the lake and proceed for 2,5 km in vague direction of the opposite shore in the hope to arrive to the public beach, or as it would be better known by Italian speaking public Lido of Lugano.

They are coming! I can see them with my bare eye... All 500 odd of them.
And here is my husband, and still despite his promises he ended up tangled up on the floats to the side of the finishing line with people pictured here in the boat shouting themselves hoarse "To the LEFT! Keep to the LEFT!" Except of course, when you are swimming with the face in the water it must be hard to hear...
He made it anyway, and in comparison with last year took 20 minutes off the time. This year he did the 2500 metres in 59 minutes according to the date stamps on the photos. I am so proud! The whole family is very proud! And now off to check the official times... again.