Cool choppy seas provided a stern challenge for the swimmers taking part in an open sea charity event on Sunday.

The event had to be rescheduled date after being cancelled two weeks prior - the first time in 12 years the swim has beaten by the weather.

And despite the testing conditions, some 43 swimmers embarked on the coach and ferry transfer from Largs Yacht Haven to Cumbrae Watersport Centre to take part in the swim back to Largs Sailing Club.

With the water temperature being quite low as a result of poor summer weather and slightly choppy sea conditions it proved a challenging event for participants. The fastest swimmer was Scott Deans, who crossed the river in just over 36 minutes and finished some 9 minutes ahead of second place Evan Clark and third place Graham Bell.

Scott is an experienced Open Water Swimmer who regularly competes in long distance events and has previously taken part in the Cumbrae to Largs Swim, although this is his first time of lifting the trophy. All the swimmers who took part were doing so to raise funds for the locally based charity Gillian’s Saltire Appeal, which provides short breaks by the sea to cancer sufferers, their families and carers in their properties based in Largs and in Millport.

The charity motto is “making a real difference” and the efforts of all those taking part in the swim certainly will make a difference – having helped to raise in excess of £5,000 for this wonderful cause.

The event organisers would like to express their thanks to Largs Sailing Club, Largs Yacht Haven and Cumbrae Watersport Centre for providing facilities and safety boats, to Clarkes Coaches and to CalMac for providing transport, for Wrightsports for providing swim caps, to the volunteer kayakers who paddle alongside the swimmers, to EFAR Scotland for First Aid Services as well as to the shore based volunteers assisting with running the event, but especially to the swimmers and their sponsors who did just a fantastic job to raise funds. Fingers crossed for better weather in 2018.

To find out more about the charity please visit their website at www.gillianssaltireappeal.org.uk. Photos and video footage from the event will posted to the facebook page Cumbrae to Largs Swim in Aid of Gillian’s Saltire Appeal.

See the results in the Sport Compendium.