A 26-year-old Quebecer sets out to complete one of the most difficult and fascinating open water swimming races in the world, in which athletes must cover 36 kilometers in the unpredictable waters of the Gulf of Naples, risking the path of Freighters cruise other giants of the seas.
The prestigious Capri-Naples crossing in Italy, like the International Crossing of Lake Saint-Jean, is at the top of the list of open water swimming marathons.
With the exception that it takes place on the open sea and maritime traffic is not interrupted for the passage of swimmers. The port of Naples remains one of the most important in Europe.
Therefore, it is not uncommon for athletes to stop to let a cargo ship pass or change their running line to avoid the waves they create. A “small detail” that adds spice to a legendary race in the water marathon community.
“If I have to go around a boat, I’ll go around it,” says swimmer William Racine enthusiastically.
The athletes have to travel 36 kilometers in the Gulf of Naples, where maritime traffic is not stopped. Therefore, it is not uncommon for swimmers to stop to let cargo ships pass. Photo from the Capri-Napoli Marathon Facebook page
At the end of the line, this soldier, a member of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment, shows unwavering confidence in the face of the challenge that awaits him on Saturday morning. And that even if he comes across this floating monument for the first time in his life.
A tourist”
Because it is mainly the luggage that Racine is looking for, since he is less experienced than his competitors. In the fight against the elite of the discipline, he is looking for “valuable experience” that will serve him in his future races.
He also won’t have the luxury of relying on his coach on board like his rivals. Rather, his wife Rachel will serve as a motivator.
“Of course I look like a tourist compared to the others, that’s for sure,” he says half-jokingly, noting that he will be in “constant contact” with his coach. But I trust Rachel and myself. I know we can do it. Besides, it will be our honeymoon!”
Photo provided by William Racine
No, it’s not the outcome that motivates William Racine to embark on an ordeal he knows is “extremely difficult” and “unpredictable.” Last year the event was even interrupted mid-race by the organizers due to poor weather conditions and then canceled.
“Outdo yourself”
Above all, the Quebecer strives to “exceed himself,” as he “learned to do in the army.” “I don’t particularly like suffering. But I’m not afraid of pain. I have pain with arthritis anyway. At this point I just want to push myself and take part in big events,” summarizes the man, who suffers from Bechterew’s disease.
While William Racine knows little about what to expect, former open water swimmer Marc-André Leclerc has a very good idea. He took part in the Capri-Naples crossing twice and was a trainer there a third time.
“It’s a race that’s terribly difficult because it’s an ocean wave. It’s not a sea wave. And unlike Lac Saint-Jean, which, as we’ve seen this year, is relatively cold, it’s extremely hot there. That doesn’t make any sense,” recalls the man who is now responsible for communication for the Traversée du lac Saint-Jean.
He is threatened with hyperthermia
It was the cold that had prevented William Racine from reaching Roberval that year. The medical team forced him out of the water when his body temperature was 27 degrees. We recall that in preparation for the final crossing of Lake Saint-Jean, Racine had purchased, converted, and then installed a freezer in his kitchen to acclimate to cold water.
In preparation for the final crossing of Lake Saint-Jean, William Racine had purchased, modified, and then installed a freezer in his kitchen to acclimate himself to cold water. The Beauport jock had taken to building a Rubik’s Cube at the same time to keep himself occupied. Photo from William Racine’s Instagram account
The waters in the Gulf of Naples will be warmer, but that’s not all good news.
Marc-André Leclerc will never forget the moment he suffered from hyperthermia upon his arrival in Naples fifteen years ago. When the outside temperature felt like it was 40 degrees, I was sitting in a tent in the clinic. I shiver. Not because I was cold, but because I was hot. “I had never experienced that in my life,” he remembers.
But whether it’s hot or cold, William Racine has no intention of being imposed once the gun is fired. “[Les autres nageurs] started somewhere too. If you want a resume like hers, you have to push yourself.