The 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim Begins

For several years, Launch 5 acted as the security vessel for the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim. The 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim is an annual seven-day, seven stage open water swim starting at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Hudson, NY and ending at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor. It is a grueling swim, spread over seven days, averaging between 13.2 miles to 19.8 miles per day from one bridge to the next.