Palm Beach Start at Midday

Conditions are looking favourable for a north-south swim. We have a small SE swell running but all anecdotal evidence we can muster (lacking hard data) suggests there is a good north-south current running. We may have to head a way offshore to find it but swimming north would mean we'd have to hug the coast to avoid swimming against the current. Plus, the winds will be swinging round to the nor-east Saturday afternoon so we'll have them slightly behind us and hopefully giving us a good run down the northern beaches while I'm still fresh.

I've been lucky enough to have the expertise of Matt Hayes from Sydney by Sail on the team. Matt has done numerous Sydney to Hobarts so he knows a thing or two about currents (though I did stress that I'm built slightly differently from a maxi yacht and probably not equipped to head out to the continental shelf...)

The finish will be on Horderns Beach at Bundeena, near the ferry wharf, some time on Sunday morning. The hour goes back at 3am, so it will be groundhog day for the crew, while I remain completely oblivious. Hopefully we can benefit from this current and arrive some time mid-morning.

And yes, I'm nervous. The cold overnight, bluebottles, sharks, possibly in that order. Oh, and the 'chance of a thunderstorm' tomorrow afternoon. Lightning is never a good thing when you're swimming. 

Here's hoping it will all be.