Dina Levačić - Vir to Ist

Vir to Ist

27 km (16.8 miles)

8 hours, 35 minutes on 14 August 2021

Observed and documented by Željana Levačić

First documented swim

Contents

Swimmer

  • Name: Dina Levačić
  • Gender: female
  • Age on swim date: 25
  • Nationality: Croatia
  • Resides: Split, Croatia

Support Personnel

  • Mladen Levačić - crew
  • Duško Maračić - boat captain
  • Daniel Maračić - boat captain
  • Željana Levači - observer

Escort Vessel

Name Type Port
unnamed (reg IT369) Ocqueteau 645 Ist, Croatia

Swim Parameters

  • Category: Solo, nonstop, unassisted.
  • Rules: MSF Rules of Marathon Swimming, without exception or modification.
  • Equipment used: Textile swimsuit (Speedo Powerback Endurance+), cap, goggles, earplugs, lights on head and back for night visibility.

Route Definition

  • Body of Water: Adriatic Sea
  • Route Type: one-way channel swim
  • Start Location: Seaport Vir (44.296409, 15.084762)
  • Finish Location: Bay Široka, Island Ist (44.272291, 14.765483)
  • Minimum Route Distance: 27 km (16.8 miles) (map)

History

No known previous swims of this route.


Swim Data

  • Start: 14 August 2021, 00:34:17 (Central Europen Summer Time, Europe/Zagreb, UTC2).
  • Finish: 14 August 2021, 09:10:01
  • Elapsed: 8 hours, 35 minutes, 44 seconds.

Summary of Conditions

Feature Min Max
Water Temp (C) 24 26
Air Temp (C) 26 28
Wind (mph) 1 5

GPS Track

Trackpoint frequency: 20 minutes. Download raw data (CSV).

GPS tracker failed to record the first 30 minutes and last 60 minutes of the swim. The final point in the speed plot is exaggerated due to the false impression of “cutting off” points of land.

Click to expand map.

Speed Plot


Observer Log

Download PDF


Narrative

by Dina Levačić

I decided to do this swim because my late grandfather is from island Ist and that is the place where I learned how to swim and where I fell in love with the sea. I choose to swim from island Vir because the distance of 27km was just about right for my current level of preparation.

We started planing the swim in April. We defined the swim route and potential date for the swim and found a boat captain from Ist that was willing to do the swim. In June, when I went to Ist, I met up with my boat captain to meet and to see the boat. At the same time, I reached out to local fishermen for advice about currents on this route. The only potential problem was the part between Ist and Molat because it is a very narrow passage. After that, I continued to train as planned. I came to Ist at the beginning of August and continued to train there. A few days before the potential swim date me and my crew met up again with the boat captain to talk about the details of my swim and what day looks the best for the swim. We decided that the best was the night from Friday to Saturday.

On a day of a swim, I went with my mom on a ferry to Zadar and then with a car to Vir. I came to Vir just before midnight. Then I prepared for my swim and jumped in at 00:34, touched the port wall, and started my swim. It was a very calm night with the minimum wind. I only had a problem with luminescent plankton that made me a bit dizzy. That also contributed to feeling sick to my stomach. After the sun came out a bit before 6 am I started feeling better. As we were getting closer at around 7km from Ist weak current started to appear. When I reached Ist I knew that the hardest part is in front of me. The first part of the passage between Ist and Molat passed with no big problems but the last 500m strong current at around 3km/h occurred. I swam those 500m for about 25 minutes and it was some of the hardest meters of swimming in my life. After I passed that part I had about 2km to the finish. I was relieved when I came in calm waters. When I came in a level with first houses I knew that that was it. I swam relaxed to the finish and at 9:10 am touched land at Ist.


Photos

Click to enlarge.


Video


Media

Ratification Notes

  • GPS gaps at start and finish - please use backup tracking device.
  • Observer notes did not include details on feeding / nutrition.
  • More detailed documentation of start (beyond single photo) would be preferable.
  • Finish video shows her touching a dock/ladder but not clearing the water.
  • Not ideal for swimmer’s mother to serve as observer, especially considering above mentioned issues with documentation.