All UltraSwim 33.3 eDITIONS at a glance

It is a timed open water swimming challenge covering the English Channel distance of 33.3km, spread over four days and five to seven swims, in locations such as Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and the Caribbean. A point to point format (we hate laps), an epic adventure swim race that brings like-minded determined swimmers from all over the world together, all chasing the same 33.3 Finisher droplet.

No, not as fast as you probably think. The cutoff is based on never more than 2km/h, eased further for the conditions on the day if logistics permit. As a guide, you should be able to swim 2.5km in a one hour pool non-stop swim and have completed at least one 4 to 5km open water swim in training. If you don't complete one of the swims, you can still carry on and finish the rest of the event.

Most of our swimmers have never taken on anything like this before. The distance is split across five to seven swims over four days, building step by step to a 10km day when you are stronger and more confident on day 3 normally. With good preparation in the months beforehand, and the collective energy of the 33.3 family around you, any competent swimmer is capable of it. A majority of participants have never swum more than 4 or 5km in one go before attending.

Wetsuits are permitted but not required. You can switch to a wetsuit during the event, though your ranking category will stay as wetsuit from then on even if you return to skins. About half our swimmers wear wetsuits, depending on the venue and the water temperature, but we do not put restrictions on when you must or must not wear a wetsuit. Long endurance swims cannot be treated like short course triathlon swims (where the rules dictate whether you wear a wetsuit or not)

Your entry package includes a lot, even at our entry level ULTRA package you get four nights accommodation at the host hotel, early morning race day breakfasts, a refuel lunch on each race day, full safety cover on the water and professional support throughout, a prizegiving on final day. There are options for extra nights, upgrades and single occupancy, as well as our Friends and Family Supporter Package (they will feel totally part of your team and the event - without being bored by it!). Secure your place with a 500 euro reserve payment, fully refundable for up to 30 days, no questions asked.

Safety is the paramount consideration throughout. Alongside transfer boats that stay with the swimmers, kayaks and paddle boards accompany you and wait at key turning points, so you can usually see one ahead or behind. There is a Race Director, RIB and a dedicated medical support boat, and every swimmer carries a tracker so we always know where you are. Of course by its very nature open water swimming in a point to point format is not without risk - but we work hard to make sure you are both safe AND feeling safe at all times. Careful weather monitoring, flexible course plans pre-authorised with authorities, and race marks all help you navigate safely - we also start early mornings on purpose to be swimming with the minimum of boat traffic in the vicinity of the racecourse.

Yes, and they are very welcome. There is a package built for non participating partners (we call them NSP - Non-Swimming Partners) that makes them part of the experience without watching too much swimming, with options for your partner or family alongside your entry. Many swimmers come as a couple or a family, and most say the trip ends up being about far more than the race. The Supporter and Activity package for F3 (Family, Friends and Fans) is an add-on package that pretty well everyone signs up to as accompanying partners. It includes boat and land transport to starts and finishes, welcome drinks and prizegiving, post swim refuel lunches with your partner when timing permits, and even at most events swimming the final few hundred metres together (if they are planned as untimed).

33.3 CLASSIC is the full English Channel distance of 33.3km across the four days, the big monster option. 33.3/2 BUILD is the half channel option, covering half the distance (around 17km) a strong choice if you are building towards the full challenge. Daily cutoff times apply to both, both based on 2km/h. The 33.3/2 BUILD option is a non-competitive format, without podium prizes or rankings (although where the swims are the same as the CLASSIC, you will get a time to compare with others). Places on the BUILD are limited to 10 per event usually.