On the first of May, we held an amazing event in beautiful Golfo di Aranci during our Roundtrip Rome voyage.  Located on the northeast coast of Sardinia, overlooking the Gulf of Olbia, this colorful, Italian fishing village attracts visitors from around the world to its many white-sand beaches, where crystal-clear waters invite diving.  It was also the perfect place for an m/v Tere Moana mini swim marathon.

 
Moana guests Thomas Noblett from Windermere, Cumbria, England, and Gene McCandless  from Novato, California, were our swimmers.  In the photo below, they are flanked by The Moana’s Captain Rajko Zupan and senior officers at the pier in Golfo di Aranci.  Thomas is a marathon swimmer and has swum the English Channel.  Gene swims daily and enjoyed the challenge.
 

The ship’s doctor gave both swimmers a medical check-up prior to the swim. 
 

Then, they cruised to the fishing village aboard one of The Moana’s Zodiacs®, where they donned their swimming goggles and started their swim.

Braving sea water temperatures of 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) and swells up to 3 feet (91 centimeters), Thomas and Gene swam the 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) marathon in 30 minutes.

The finish line was The Moana, anchored in the bay.
 

Gene and Thomas were both greeted by standing ovations by fellow Moana guests gathered on decks overlooking the ship’s marina.

The Zodiac® with Captain Zupan and the officers who monitored the race arrived next.

 Captain Zupan congratulated Gene and Thomas on the marathon.

This was a day none us will forget!

 Thank you, Thomas and Gene.
 

Join us aboard The Moana for our next adventure. For more information about this luxury small ship and her itineraries in 2014 and 2015, click here.