RNLI Castle 2 Castle swim the biggest ever!
The event continues to grow, and this year’s swim which took place on Sunday June 22 was the biggest yet with 552 participants.
The annual 1-mile swim between Pendennis Castle in Falmouth and St Mawes Castle on the Roseland Peninsula is a fundraiser for the RNLI, with over £107,000 raised so far and that total set to increase once all sponsorship has been collected.
Approximately 120 volunteers from RNLI lifeguards South Cornwall, RNLI lifeguards Penwith, RNLI lifeguards Perranporth, Hayle SLSC, Gyllyngvase SLSC, Falmouth SLSC, Falmouth lifeboats, local boat owners, Falmouth and St Mawes Harbour Masters were involved both onshore and afloat to ensure that the event went off smoothly and safely.
First across was Felix Hinton-Smith with a time of 21 mins 31secs, beating his time of 24 mins 15 secs last year and ensuring he kept his record of being the first to finish every time he has taken part in this event.
Felix was followed by Harry Roche with a time of 23 mins and 34 secs, he was also the first U18 swimmer home.
Having raised over £11,000 for the RNLI at the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival last weekend, Fred Thomas (aka Betty Stogs) took on the swim and completed it in 52 mins 58 secs, raising nearly £700.
Dave Nicoll event organiser and Fundraising and Partnership Lead, South West said: ‘The swim is all about the community with people from all over the country taking part – each one has their own story, many of them quite moving – for many it is personal challenge, for some it's in memory of a loved one, for others it’s about taking part in a mass participant event with their friends and family – but the one driving force is the desire to raise money for the RNLI and the lifesaving work of our volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards.’
Adam Harris, Lead Lifeguard Supervisor for South Cornwall, said: ‘It was amazing to see so many swimmers take part in this year's Castle to Castle, our largest participation yet. We had 552 swimmers start the swim. With a moderate westerly wind, it did make some parts of the harbour crossing challenging, however all 552 crossed the finish line in what was an amazing effort by all. Well done to all it truly was an amazing thing to see.
‘A special thanks must go out to our dedicated team of volunteers who worked tirelessly over the last few months and on the day to make this happen. From our amazing registration teams, shore team members, medics, water safety boats, local surf clubs, divers and of course our team of RNLI lifeguards and lifeboat crew. We thank you!’
The RNLI’s next Open Water Swim is the 1.6 mile RNLI Around the Mount Swim which takes place at Marazion on Saturday 12 July – there are still places available – to sign up visit https://RNLIAroundTheMount2025.eventbrite.co.uk
Media contacts
For more information, please contact Adam Cleary on [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on [email protected] or 01202 336789. Alternatively, you can contact Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, [email protected] or 07786 668847; Amy Caldwell, Regional Communications Lead, [email protected] or 07920 81880.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.