A team of seven swimmers from the CNMI and Guam will attempt to cross the English Channel next month and in the process become the first swimmers from this part of the world to accomplish the feat.
Participants of the relay range in age from 18 to 51 years old and all belong to Sakman Chamorro, Inc., a non-profit organization based on Saipan whose mission is to revive the art of building and sailing the large open ocean sailing canoes known as “Flying Proas.”
Fittingly, members of the group, made up of Emma Perez, Pete Perez, Mark Perez, Fred Perez, Tim Cespedes, Trisha Perez Peringer, and Alison Perez, have dubbed themselves The Chamorro Fly Proa Relay Team.
The husband-and-wife team of Pete and Emma Perez, the prime movers of the English Channel crossing project, said they hope that the swim will encourage people to get involved and help Sakman Chamorro as well as the San Diego Chamorro Cultural Center with personal donations to fund the Flying Proa project.
According to Pete, Sakman Chamorro plans to build 40-foot Flying Proas (called “Sakman” in Chamorro), based on a detailed drawing made by Lord Anson's expedition draftsman in 1742.
“We will do more fundraising activities, but this (English Channel crossing) is the big one and we hope to reach a lot of people and get them excited about bringing back the large sailing canoes. It is amazing how many people have never heard about these beautiful, fast canoes. When they hear about it, when they see the 1742 drawing, most people get very excited-the Flying Proa is like a long lost national treasure,” he said.
Pete said his group has been training in cold-weather swimming since 2005 to prepare for the English Channel crossing.
“We began in the [San Francisco] Bay two years ago. The first swim is always memorable since it is absolutely, shockingly cold. But through regular exposure, meaning at least 20 minutes every other day, the body learns to adapt,” he said.
Pete added that swimmers based in San Francisco have gotten used to cold-water training and are required to complete the “Polar Bear” swim, which entailed swimming a total of 40 miles during winter in San Francisco Bay-without a wetsuit-when the water is in the 46-52 degree range.
Along the way, members of the The Chamorro Fly Proa Relay Team set two new Dolphin Club records. Alison Perez, at 18 years old, became the youngest person in club history to finish the swim.
Peter, for his part, broke the record for the fastest to 40 miles by finishing in four days and four hours.
“Since then, we've done two Alcatraz swims, a swim across the span of the Golden Gate Bridge, a three-mile swim from the Bay Bridge to Aquatic Park, plus numerous other swims, including fresh water swims in Folsom Lake, Donner Lake, and Del Val Reservoir. We also swim in pools and compete at U.S. Masters swim meets,” he said.
Pete added that while the team will deem a successful crossing of the English Channel a great achievement, what is more important to them is for Sakman Chamorro to finally able to see one of the Flying Proas built and operational.
“A lot of people are rooting for us, but even better, they're starting to visualize what it will mean to get the Flying Proas back in regular use again. Just imagine looking out past the reef and seeing these beautiful sailing canoes racing in the distance! We'll be very proud if we can get a Chamorro relay team in the book of successful English Channel attempts. But we'll never be happier than when we see the lateen sails of Chamorro Flying Proa speeding across the horizon again!” he said.
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