From London, my last day here and celebrating with Rhys before our return. Yesterday July 6,  the team from the Sunrisers, South End Rowing CLub, crossed the English Channel with a time of 13:03 hrs. from Shakespeare Beach to the beaches of France.

We had good conditions all the way and for the English Channel Swimming Assoc. a first time ever sightseeing a porpoise near my swim. I wonder if the the dolphins follow me around the world.

Tomorrow from home - California, USA, I will send a detailed e-mail about the crossing. After being in the water all this time, and in my way to the airport, we are all very exhausted but happy to have accomplished this feat, first ever a full SERC team accomplishing this great swimming.

Thanks to each one of you for your great support. The whole team felt that this was possible because of your well wishes and love.

See you very soon and I can't wait to be back home.

Pedro on behalf of the team, Steve, Rhys, Dan, Jim Eddie (on his way to Brazil)

  The 6 Sunrisers

South End Rowing Team - English Channel Crossing 5th report

Frustration starts to feel.

This is our 6th day of waiting and conditions in the Channel has not improved. Yesterday it was sunny and beautiful here but later in the day gust winds started to feel later. Our Pilot was right once again. Today it has been rainy and windy and a bit cooler.

The forecast is showing a bit of break tomorrow Saturday. This will be our last chance. The whole team is willling to extend the wait one more day to Sunday if necessary. The other two teams from Oxford University and Cambridge teams were told the same thing. Saturday is a small break in the weather. We will be starting at 4 a.m. and we are all pretty positive that this time will happen.

Yesterday 4th of July the team and the solo swimmers, Colleen and Elizabeth we all celebrated the U.S.A. day in style. We swam and dumped tea in the Channel. We had fish and chips, but unfortunately didn't find firecrakers. Thanks for all your support and e-mails. They really help us to keep the spirits high and alive.

Lynne Cox and our own Channel Lady Kristin "Bucko" keep sending us the right advise and we all feel like we are doing the right thing, to be patient and learn from this what it takes to prepare to cross the English Channel.

While sending this e-mail I can see other swimmers here in the internet cafe also sending e-mails and showing the frustration produced by this long waiting.

So if tomorrow is the day we will send a short e-mail letting you know if we did it or not, otherwise we are going to see you back in our homes sometime next week.

Pedro on behalf the rest of the team.

4th report South End Relay team English Channel Team

Today has been even more frustrating. Beautiful sunny day here in Dover and no swim. They announced gust winds more than 40miles per hour near the coast of France.

But we all got together with the solo swimmers and went with the U.S. Flag and a pack of tea and we swam in Folkestone, dumped the tea and had fish and chips and few pints. All with the U.S. flag standing tall. Once again it may be tomorrow. So we are all getting nervous but learning to be patient. The team is healthy and still smiling. We all got together with the pilot Reggie and he is talking of extending a bit the window due to favorable currents starting next week. So we may all delay our return just to have the chance. The team spirit still high.

Unfortunately they are closing the Internet cafe but we all say hi to you all and I hope you all celebrate 4th of July on our behalf. Specially we are all missing you a lot. Hoping we will be done tomorrow, until then VIVA EL 4 de JULIO or VIVA the 4th of July.

South End Rowing Club Relay Team.

We are still waiting today at Dover. Winds got stronger today 35 miles per hour,  and I still believe that our pilot is the best in the area to execute this crossing to France as the other team unfortunately got an unsuccesfull crossing. It has been very cold compared to last week nice warm weather.

Yesterday the other team from the Dolphin Club started the crossing and after 12 hours and almost there just 3 and a half miles short as  they had to quit as they all got pretty seasick and the winds got worse.

So we trust our pilot from our association to pick the right day. There are some nervousness but we are handling ok.  Kristin, we are still talking about you and your bravery of last year. This morning the whole team had a great practice under the rain and wind. Everybody is pretty healthy now.

Now after a day in London we will keep waiting and the team keeps bonding.

with many thanks for your great support and e-mails. Keep sending them.

We thought that if we end up crossing on the 4th, we will throw some tea in the Channel and think of you all to help celebrate our day in America. We have the U.S. flag ready to take it with us.

Love and until our next report

Pedro, on behalf of the rest of the team, Rhys, Eddie, Jim, Dan, Steve

English Channel South End Rowing Club Relay Team

Today Sunday June 30th, 2002 it didn't happen again. Winds have been pretty strong again in the Channel, lots of white crests and we must be patient. The Team is relaxed and Rhys the last one arriving yesterday had the chance to recover.

Fast Eddie, watching the game with our pilot at the main pub in Folkestone, probably celebrating as Brazil just won the the soccer  world cup.

Steve "Ray" , Rhys and I will go to London to try to watch a tennis match at Wimbledon and be ready to call if the swim is tomorrow. Team captain Dan Needham and Jim Miller will be waiting by the phone for the pilot call.

Last night we got together with the solo swimmers, Colleen and Elizabeth. Had dinner together and they are also patiently waiting and resting until their turn. More and more I believe that Kristine Buckley is our truly Iron Serc Lady. With all my respects, amazes us to know that last year, she came by herself, and started the swim in the middle of the night with nobody supporting her in the water. Last night while we walked to relax the nerves and stomach butterflies, we reflected on Kris last year feat. Amazing,

Those are the things that are keeping us inspired. We sincerely think that for Drew and Steve is going to be a piece of cake. France will be waiting for you both

Well thats all for today and our best wishes to all that have been sending us their support and love.

We' ll make it on behalf of the South End , San Francisco, and the U.S.A.

Love

Pedro.

English Channel Relay Report

Saturday June 29 - 2002

After spending some days in Paris and London waiting for the rest of my team to get to Folkstone, finally we are all together and ready to go. Between Sam's unfortunate attempt on the 19th and now feels like an eternity. Rhys was the last one in arriving to town just an hour ago. Yesterday I picked up Stevie Ray at the airport in London and we decided to go for few pints and touring in a double decked bus and ride boats at the Thames until his eyes and jet lag caught up with him.

We took the train to Folkstone and met with Fast Eddie, Jim Miller and Swim Commish Dan Needham. This morning went to Dover to meet a rep from the Channel Swimming Association and got all our gear ready to wear for the swim accross.

Dan Jim and Eddie met with  our pilot Reggie and brother and set up all the details for when the swim will happen. After these meetings, we went for our first practice together in Dover. It was quite nice to see the team together practicing again. Winds picked up once again, and even though we can see accross to France, conditions don't seem too fair. We have our first call for tomorrow Sunday at 2:30 a.m. to start the swim accross the channel If winds subsize and there are less strong currents.

We must wait patiently but just in case we all are going to sleep early tonight. Colleen is close by us and also waiting for her turn. It suppose to be right after us. The Channel Swimm Association Observer gets tonight to meet and be ready for us just if we are going.

Tomorrow with the  results of go or not go, we'll keep reporting.

Our best to all swimmers and friends from the Bay area.

Pedro H. Ordenes

Rhys Ludlow, Jim Miller, Dan Needham, Stevie Hurtwitz, Eddie Peinado- THe SOuth End Rowing Team-