Strait Of Messina
TBA 2024
Ready to dive into water heralded in legends for centuries? You’ll swim across the Messina Strait from Punta Faro in Sicily, to Cannitello, Calabria in Italy with strong currents in your favor. With water at 73-77 degrees Fahrenheit, you can shed that wetsuit and soak up the blue Mediterranean – and the delicious food and wine in the region! You’ll be joined by our Italian Coaches Alessandro, as well as Coach Pedro.
Details
- Only approved swimmer applicants
- $550 (U.S.Dollars) per swimmer (non-refundable)
- After January 1st $625 (U.S.) Dollars
- Water World Swim crossing on Summer 2024
- Day of swim to announced end of January 2024
- Applicants must be 14 years old on swim day.
- Limited to 30 swimmers
- Mandatory briefing
- You’ll get a high tech finisher’s tee, certificate of completion!
Included
- Mandatory briefing Place and Time TBA
- Certificate & Finisher’s Tee
- Optional Award ceremony lunch Place: TBA
- Your name immortalized in our finisher list
AFTER THE SWIM: There will be a get together at LA PUNTA. We will have a small ceremony where certificates will be given to all finishers (and non-finishers). Additionally, we will be joined by the pilot and record holder Giovanni Fianaca!
Recommendations
- We recommend staying either at Hotel or B&B near the start of the swim.
- We recommend swimmers go in the morning, the day before the swim, to Torre Faro Beach at la Punta to try the waters in The Strait of Messina.
- Call the hotels directly about discounts for swimming Messina with Water World Swim
- Fly into Reggio Calabria Airport (REG) and take the ferry to Messina
- Or fly into Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) and take a bus or rent a car
Your Boat
You’ll be on the Colapesce, named after Messina legend Nicola “Cola” who turned into a fish and carries Sicily on his shoulder. When he switches shoulders – earthquake!
Your Pilot
Giovanni Fiannacca will pilot the swim. He holds the record for swimming the strait – 30:50 – and has held it since 1975!
2023
Angelique Mortensen AUS · Lynton Mortensen AUS ·Arina Danilina Russia · Pavel Danilin Russia · Victoria Zarella USA · Cian Duggan Ireland · Paul DeMuro USA · Kate Bull UK · Richard Swallow UK · Andreas Tjirkalli UK · Jesse Berg USA · Cheryl Berg USA · Erica Hruby USA · Katherine Sixt USA · Dave Wurts USA · Blanca Cebollero USA · Michael Costner USA · Nathaniel Prestridge USA · Sydney Herr USA · Nicholas Gockerman USA · Robert Lynch USA · Jinwah Lau USA · Chris Neely USA · Melissa Neely USA · Matthew Neely USA · Steve Neely USA · Chloe Otten USA · Natalie Gockerman USA · Kacper Kustron USA
2022
Laura Alexander USA · Lisa Hughes USA
Scott Sympson USA · Abdullah Paksoy Turkey · Halit Babucci Turkey · Rob Meyer USA · Jane · Dominic USA · Bruce Belfiore USA · James Boggs USA · Madeleine Bronstone USA · Isabella Chavira USA · Calum Hudson UK · Jack Hudson UK · Robbie Hudson Slovakia · Drew Waldbauer USA
2019
Emily Abernathy Austria · Carlos Alcantara Peru · Demetrio Babul Chile · Pia Chang Chile ·Tim Cowdrey USA · Wendy Davies UK · Paulina Echeverria Chile · Virginie Eskenazi USA · Richard Fria USA · Alberto Intebi Argentina · Carola Khouri USA · Annika Khouri USA · Paul Mason USA · Adam Mays USA · Tom Mcguire Canada · Michael Montgomery Chile · Luis Noriega Peru · Jerry Orten USA · Jamie Orten USA · Ruben Perez Diego Spain· Douglas Preisse USA · Marcos Quiros USA · Matias Reyes Chile · Gary Smith USA · Sofie Vandeputte USA · Clare Whitelam UK · Amy Whittaker USA · Nazar Zhdan USA · Yuliya Hungate USA
2018
Joseph Dieber USA · James David Ireland · Denise Carr USA · Fernando Boeri Chile · Carolina Calleja Rosas Mexico · Anthony · Rowedder USA · Andres Isaias USA · Kevin Hayes USA · Francis Grillo USA · Tom Parette USA · Irene Pietropaoli UK · Almer Agmyren UAE · Felicia Agmyren UAE · Micheal Manno USA · William Schabas UK · Robert Roos USA · John Perkins Jr. USA · Vytas Sliesoraitis USA
2017
Angela Andelson USA · Bradley Albert USA · Ricardo Arenas Ecuador · Elisabeth Berge Switzerland · Fannie Berge Switzerland · Francois Berge Switzerland · Hugo Berge Switzerland · Laura Berge Switzerland · Alan Coleman Ireland · Steve Fillipow USA · Alban Fleury Switzerland · Dominic Gallelo USA · Annika Khouri USA · Carla Khouri USA · Mitali Khanzode USA · John · Newbury UK · Trevor O’Shea Ireland · Patrizio Tomada USA · Roberto Tjandra UK · Andrea Vuturo USA · Peter Weyrich Switzerland
2016
Richard Cipolla USA · Francesco Gastaldi Italy · Damian Matich UK · Lenonid Neganov Russia · Luisa Pavia Italy
You must be at least 14 years of age to swim the Strait of Messina or the Bonifacio Channel. In addition, you must have a Stress test performed by a doctor, valid within one year of your swim date with letter of doctor certifying you are in the right physical conditions to perform a swim of this distance and level.
We highly recommend travel insurance – and not just for your stuff! Swimming in the open water can be dangerous. While we haven’t encountered any, there are jellyfish and you want to be covered in case the unexpected happens. We are not responsible for any swim or open-water related injures.
Before completing your International Application, please take a moment to review our Confidentiality & Minors policy, as well as our Required Supplemental Documents expectations. Thank you very much!