by Graham Tutthill

A German swimmer’s attempt to reclaim the record for the fastest cross-Channel swim was abandoned, nine miles from the French coast.
Unusually, Christof Wandratsch, 42, had set out from Margate on Saturday rather than Dover for his latest attempt.
He set a record in 2005 with a time of seven hours three minutes, but this was beaten two years later by Bulgarian Peter Stoychev who holds the current record with six hours 57 minutes.
Mr Wandratsch decided to give up his latest attempt after realising he would not beat the record.
“If I had carried on I wouldn’t have made it until around seven hours and 20 minutes so I decided that rather than continue, it would be best to stop,” he said.
He said he might try again, but not this year.
Rostislav Vitek, from the Czech Republic, was only just outside the record when he completed the swim this month in seven hours 16 minutes.
Among the latest successful solo swims were Tomi Stefanovski (Macedonia, seven hours 42 minutes), Julieann Galloway (Ireland, 9.51), Jeff Halbert (USA, 11.40), Will Simmons (11.45), Catheryne DiPrete (USA, 12.12), Christian Marsden (UK, 12.18), Mike Ball (UK, 12.53), Samantha Simon (USA, 13.13), Rashmi Sharma (India, 13.43), Ray Gandy (USA, 13.47), Stuart Nightenhelser (USA, 13.48), Charles Harper (Ireland, 14.15), Mark Hewish (UK, 14.38), Thomas Kofler (Germany, 15.00), James Salter (UK, 16.17), Chris O’Sullivan (Ireland, 16.38), Jaimie Monahan (USA, 16.55), Trevor Coleman (UK, 17.19) and Fiona Southwell (UK, 20.19).
The relay team Sealags did it in 14.28.