Support Crew memories

When asked to contribute to this website, this is what Julian's crew had to say:

Crew Member 1 (Tracey Rawlins: nurse)

"What website? What boat? All I remember is a yellow bucket"

Crew Member 2 (Liz Denbigh: feeder)

When Julian first started talking about swimming the channel I casually remarked "oh that sounds fun, can I come on the boat?" (any excuse for a day on the water I thought). Little did I know I was about to enter the alien world of sports nutrition: electrolytes, sodium, osmosis etc - and to make matters worse I had to taste weird drinks too (something about "team bonding").

After a few weeks worrying about powder : water ratios, frequency of feeds, duration of feeds, HOW to feed, I had the good fortune to meet Freda Streeter..."Oh don't worry, I'll write it all down for you"...and there my worries ended.

I followed her instructions to the letter; turned up at Dover in the middle of the night, got into a boat, passed warm drinks on the end of a pole to a mad bloke in the water, took photos and video recordings, wrote in a log book and even squeezed in a quick sunbathe on the top deck.

It was fascinating to be part of the channel traffic for a day, exhilarating to witness Julian's outstanding achievement and a privilege to be involved in the fulfilment of his dream. Neither of us would have missed it for the world.

Crew member 3 (yellow bucket)

"I've never been in such demand. A busy day but satisfying to play such a major role within this highly professional team."

Quotes from the team

Julian to Tracey as they board the boat in the Marina: "Have you taken your sea-sickness tablets?"

Tracey to Julian with typical professional aloofness: "Don't you worry about it - it's all under control"

13 and 16 minutes later, support crew discover sea sickness in a big way

Motto: Never be your own nurse!