The countdown is on to the 2017 Caldey Swim. The endurance event, in aid of the RNLI, is scheduled for this Sunday, August 6, and will cover the 2.5-mile distance between the monastic island and Tenby.

Around 100 swimmers have signed up for the swim, which starts at Priory Beach, Caldey at 11.30 am. They will accompanied on their crossing by a fleet of safety craft.

Swimmers will leave Tenby’s Castle Beach in three of the Caldey boats at around 10.30 am.

The first swimmer should be back on the mainland in under an hour, with all of the shoal expected within two hours.

The Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane and the chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Clr. David Simpson, will be presenting medals at the finishing line on North Beach, between the quay and the old lifeboat house.

Water, sponsored by Princes Gate and bananas, provided by Four Seasons, also await each finisher.

The swim is also sponsored by the Port of Milford Haven; FBM, which is sponsoring the medals and Tenby House which is sponsoring the swimmers’ hats.

Martyn Fisher, of Tenby House, was the youngest-ever swimmer to make the Caldey-Tenby crossing when he was a nine-year-old in 1991.

Swimming from the island to the mainland has been a long-established tradition for individuals and groups for many years, but 2013 was the first time the distance was covered under the umbrella of the Tenby Sea Swimming Association (TSSA), which has organised the town’s legendary Boxing Day Swim for over 40 years.

Said TSSA chairman Chris Osborne: “The swim is a very special event - a real challenge, a spectacular sight and a great fundraiser. We are looking forward to another successful event on Sunday, weather conditions, of course, permitting.”

A spectator boat will be closely following the swim, and anyone interested in being on board should contact Val Coates Rees on 07473 178701/01834 843951.