Calvi-Monaco swimming: Berrichon Rémi Camus’ ecological-scientific challenge falls into the water for 2022
The disappointment is commensurate with the challenge he set himself: immense. The Berry adventurer Rémi Camus will not start next week, as planned for several months, crossing the Mediterranean by swimming, in total autonomy and without assistance, between Calvi and Monaco. This project, on which he had been working “for two good years”, and which was to materialize with a departure scheduled between September 5 and 7, depending on weather conditions, has fallen through in recent hours.
Last minute defection of the accompanying skipper
“There will be no crossing. It was a decision that was very hard to make, but I have no other choice, slips Rémi Camus. Everything was set, everything was planned, except for the serious fall on the bike which the skipper of the sailboat suffered a week ago, who was to follow me throughout the crossing to ensure my safety and transport a videographer in particular. In terms of liability and safety, I couldn’t afford to throw myself into the water with a replacement skipper found at the last minute and who didn’t provide all the guarantees for that. In this kind of adventure, you cannot take the slightest risk. »
In this kind of adventure, we can not take the slightest risk
Designed to meet extreme challenges, such as crossing Australia from south to north, i.e. 5,400 km running, descending the Mekong River in hydrospeed over 4,400 km or even a Tour de France swimming down 2,650 km between Dunkirk and Monaco, the 30-year-old from Berry had this time planned to spend “between 8 and 15 days” at sea to reach the principality from Corsica. All this while towing a 160 kg floating platform with a watermaker on board, water and everything you need to spend the nights there: “As the crow flies, it’s 180 km, but in reality, with the currents, swell, wind, it’s 200 to 220 km, at the rate of eight hours of swimming a day. »
Educational and scientific components
Beyond the capital sporting challenge that he was about to take up – after a physical preparation made up of three daily hours of sport “at the gym or in the river”, at the rate of six seven days a week for two years -, Rémi Camus wanted to use this new adventure as a support “to make the youngest aware of the protection of the environment and the dangers encouraged by the planet”.
A scientific component was also planned, in collaboration with the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Grenoble. Saliva samples should be taken for analysis in order to learn more about the reactions of the human body in a hostile environment.
I have to give myself time to digest because, psychologically, this setback was hard to take after so many investments. This Calvi-Monaco, it will be for June 2023.
The type to never give up in front of an obstacle, the eco-adventurer, a native of Saint-Doulchard, refuses to use the term “cancellation”. “I prefer to talk about a report,” he says. All partners are ready to continue to follow me. I have to give myself time to digest because, psychologically, this setback was hard to take after so many investments. This Calvi-Monaco, it will be for June 2023.
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Benjamin Gardel
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