Venezuelan to swim to TT

JOSE MANUEL RAGA a 31-year-old open water swimmer for five years will be attempting to swim the 20-mile course from Paria Peninsula (Point Garcita) in his native Venezuela to Staubles Bay, Trinidad, tomorrow. Already Raga has crossed the Orinoco and Caroni rivers and was the second Venezue-lan to swim between Araya Peninsula (Morro de Chaco-pata) to Magarita Island (Playa Isleta). For the first time, however, he will attempt to cross maritime borders with the support of  the Venezuelan Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Stating that it was the best time to attempt the crossing because of the low tide and calmer seas, Raga said he would plunge into the sea at 6 am to begin his journey but still recognised the difficulty of his task. With two key currents, at Dragon’s Mouth and at Chacachacare and Monos Islands, which may cause trouble, to conserve his energy the determined swimmer plans to border their coves where the water is calmer. Raga has been involved in water sports since his childhood and said of open water swimming: “Swimming is an isolating sport; while swimming in open waters one is in contact with the sea, the air and the sun so that such a connection is reached that one can swim for hours and enjoy it, thus my preference for this discipline.”