KEY STATS! 114 entered, 103 on the startline, 79 Finishers.

Founder Mark Turner often says he’d planned Croatia as the first venue for UltraSwim 33.3 - a favourite sailing ground of his - it turned out to be the second destination, but it was no less fabulous for it! Stormy weather the day before the event kicked off played havoc with travel plans, but the 4 days of racing in the end were held in fantastic conditions just as you’d hope for on Europe’s ‘sunniest island’. The point to point course took the swimmers from Stari Grad to Hvar Town via the magical Pakleni islands.

A new scratch winner surfaced around the island of Hvar, Lausanne based Frenchman Vincent Gremeaux completing the 35km course just a few seconds ahead of Belgium’s Olivier Delfosse - who nonetheless took the skins category prize. Portugal’s life and soul of the party Mariana Santos took the female wetsuit category, just a few minutes ahead of Croatia’s very own Dina Levacic - famous in her homeland for completing the tough Oceans7 challenge. 79 Finishers out of 103 starters this time around, with the longer than usual 11.6km marathon swim day to the Pakleni Islands taking its toll on the Finisher numbers.

Three swimmers would receive here their 3rd Finisher droplet - Kamal Nasrollah and Younes Marrakchi from Morocco, and Becky Frankel from the UK - the only 3 to have done all 3 first editions and finish them fully. Ingrid Verdonck was awarded the Selkie robe prize - in 79th position, the swimmer earning their Finisher droplet, but in the longest time - working hard in the water for a full 10 hours longer than Delfosse - respect! And with severe back pain to contend with too.

The event had some amazing Ambassadors attend as well as our Global one Andy Donaldson. Barry Murphy Triple Crown swimmer from Ireland, Sweden’s Anna-Carin Nordin 2nd ever (and 1st woman) to swim the Oceans7 Challenge, and French ‘prison-break islands like Alcatraz’ specialist Jacques Tuset to mention just some of the amazing swimmers in Croatia.

Our first amputee competitor, Stephen White would nail the event, (and we’d manage to get his hi-tech and very expensive non-watertight artificial leg back to him at every finish line intact!) and go on to be nominated for Adaptive Athlete of the year at the WOWSA Awards 2024.

Mexico’s Jose Salas would get a Special Award too - having just a few years ago survived a diving accident (where he was left in the water as the dive boat returned home, as a non-swimmer), he fully embraced open water swimming and completed his first big challenge (and what a first challenge to take on!)

But it would be Nikki Meijers who would steal the organisations’ hearts - struggling on day 1 from the go, recent family loss overcoming her efforts to swim. Through a combination of grit, determination, her swimming friends (old and new) and passionate support from the on-water team, each day she got stronger and completed more and more - finishing the final days stronger than ever! What emotions for everyone on the finish line!