Two top long-distance swimmers from Bradford are hoping to smash the world record for the longest fresh water relay.

Sisters Dee and Liane Llewellyn are part of a team of six swimmers who will attempt 12 lengths of Windermere in the Lakes – a distance of 201.6km – later this month.

Each swimmer will cover around two lengths of the lake, the equivalent of 21 miles.

The team is aiming to break the world record of 200km for the longest relay swim in a lake, set last year at Lake Powel in America.

If they are successful, they will also smash the current relay record for Windermere, which stands at six lengths of the lake.

Dee Llewellyn, of Odsal, who has swum the Channel in under 11 hours and broke a 16-year-old record for the Ten-Way Tay Crossings, said: “We all like Windermere. It’s special to us because last year we attempted to do seven ways across the lake, but the boat crew let us down. So we thought we’d go back and go for the world record."

The attempt will be made under British Long Distance Swimming Association rules meaning participants will not be allowed to wear wet suits and will swim for around an hour at a time.

The team will start the challenge at Waterhead on the northern end of the lake at 7pm on Friday, May 27, and hope to finish between 1pm and 7pm on Monday, May 30. They will be supported by a team of up to 20 people, including three observers.

  • Read the full story in Tuesday's T&A