Hundreds take the plunge in Brighton's pier to pier race

The 84th year of the city's pier to pier race took place on the seafront, with swimmers brave enough to tackle the one-kilometre swim taking the plunge at 10am.

Starting adjacent to the derelict West Pier, people from across the city raced down the pebbled beach, to begin the swim to Brighton Palace Pier.

Hundreds sporting wetsuits and speedos waited patiently to start the swim, which is said to take anywhere between 16 to 35 minutes to complete.

Among them was Brighton Swimming Club head coach Nigel Carrucan, who took to the sea to take part in the event for the first time in 15 years.

Brighton Swimming Club head coach Nigel Carrucan

He told The Argus: "If you are fast, it is 16 minutes but if your slow, it is about 35.

"I've done it both but it depends on the weather.

"It is excellent to see loads of my swimmers go off and we have parents doing it too - it is great.

"We go in the sea once a week, but obviously with our two main swimming pools being closed for over a year now, Prince Regent Swimming Complex and in Rodean, it has been difficult.

"We've managed but it has been very stressful, shall we say."

Swimmers raced down the seafront before diving in the sea

Founded in 1860, the sea swimming section of Brighton Swimming club has been in daily operation save only for the Second World War, when the beaches were off limits, guarded, as they were, by defences.

While maintaining its sea swimming section throughout, the club encompassed pool swimming when public baths came into use at the end of the 19th century.

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The pool based section constitutes one of the city’s largest youth clubs, while the sea section thrives at a time of enormous interest in open water swimming.

Competitive members of the club have gained honours up to and including international representation, and many over the years have completed solo channel swims.