THE annual New Year Swim at Rhu Marina attracted 219 brave souls prepared to take the plunge - and even more people just there to watch them do it. 

Participants from as far afield as Plymouth, Germany and North Carolina took part in the swim, which was once again organised under the auspices of the RNLI and as usual the Rhu based lifeboat crew was on hand both in and out of the water to ensure that all the hardy swimmers were safe. 

The air temperature was fairly balmy for the time of year and the water was one degree warmer than for the past few years. 

The RNLI fund raising volunteers were on duty in the boat shed to provide hot soup for the swimmers when they returned to shore.

The ladies working to provide warmth and welcome to triumphant dippers were Marilyn McMeeking, Wendy Lightoller, Morven Millar, Patti Sommers, Lesley Quirk, Margaret Morrison, Dinkie Fairley, Terry Paterson, Jo Clark and Mary Lynch. 

The Lifeboat crew who were on duty were Ken Miller, Jamie Clark, Peter Tindal, Tom Ridsill, Andrew Bullingham, Lizzie Dicker, Deeam Durrant, John Gabb, Iain McCormick, Callum McKay, Callum Shaw and Gary Thompson. 

And the members of the deputy launching authority team who were on hand to help were Howard Morrison, Alan Jeffrey, Colin Redstone, SimonFraser and Brian Mountney. 

Every swimmer was given the certificate with its motto "Many are Cauld but Few are Frozen", adapted from the Biblical message contained in St Matthew's gospel, which is provided by Donald Fullarton. 

The New Year Swim has been part of the annual calendar in Helensburgh for nearly 100 years and originally took place at Helensburgh Pier but when its survival was threatened by health and safety issues at the pier the swim was moved to Rhu Marina.

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The 219 people who took part in the 2019 swim were:

Romey Abu-Rajab (15); Euan Aitken, Helensburgh; Kiera Aitken (9), Helensburgh; Gillian Emma Allan, Helensburgh; Eilidh Alexander, Helensburgh; Nicole Andrews, Helensburgh; RJ Anstey, Plymouth; Kirsten Auley, Glasgow 

Ross Balfour, Rhu; Jillian Ball, Glasgow; Sally Ball (10), Glasgow; Julia Barr, Cove; Christopher Barrowman, Helensburgh; Andrew Baruca, Vale of Leven; Richard Baynes, Glasgow; Grace Beattie (15); Jennifer Beattie, Helensburgh;  

Michaela Biggins, Arden; Craig Bitmead, Iluka, Western AustraliaJoanna Blair, Glasgow; Jason Botterill, Helensburgh; Jessica Botterill (7), Helensburgh; Lily Boultby (11), Nottingham; Stephen Boultby, Nottingham; Jim Bramman, Balloch; Arnold Bretman, Rhu; Davy Bromi, Milngavie; Helen Browne, Banbury; Nathan Bulloch, Cardross;

Anne Cameron, Helensburgh; Lyndsay Campbell, Helensburgh; Tony Campbell, Dumbarton; Colin Clegg, Rosneath; Daniel Clemett, Cardross; David Collier, Rhu; Jennifer Connelly, Glasgow; Kayleigh Conroy, Helensburgh; Jennifer Celine Covie, HelensburghLinda Craig, Dumbarton; Lynn Craig, Dumbarton; Tony Craig, Dumbarton; Abigail Crawford, Helensburgh;

Jacob Crawford (14), Helensburgh; Lynsey Currie, Bishopbriggs; Richard Dacombe, Eaglescliffe; Sophie Dacombe (11), Eaglescliffe; Sonali Das, Porthcawl, South Wales; Kevin Deighan, Helensburgh; Oscar Deighan (12), Helensburgh; Lewis De Munnik (10), s-Hertogenbosch; Antonio Del Pino Castillo, Rhu; Katie Diamond, Helensburgh; John Dow, Helensburgh; Ryan Duffy, East Kilbride; Craig Dunlop, Helensburgh; Darren Durrant (13), Helensburgh; Matt Durrant, Helensburgh; Travis Durrant (10), Helensburgh; Maria Dye, Helensburgh; 

Edward Fanshawe, Rhu; Fiona Fleming, Dumbarton; Erin Ferguson (15); Joanne Ford, Helensburgh; Fraser Fulton, Helensburgh; Ryan Gall, Dumbarton; Isabelle Gibrat (12), Helensburgh; Fiona Gialdi, Helensburgh; Luke Gibrat (10), Helensburgh; Lee Gibson, Helensburgh; Adam Glover, Rhu; Kate Glover, Rhu; William Gough (13); Karen Graham, Helensburgh; William Grant, Uddingston; David Gray, Glasgow; Aaron Green (12); Edward Greenop, Penrith; Eileen Greenop, Penrith; Robert Greenop, Penrith; Sarah Greenop, Penrith 

Dougie Harkin, Helensburgh; Evie Harkinds, Helensburgh; Neil Harris, Glasgow; Kieran Harris, Glasgow; Lucy Harrison, Helensburgh; Thereze Henningley; Peter Hill, Manchester; Andrew Hodgson, Helensburgh; Luke Hodgson (10), Helensburgh; Gareth Hooper, Helensburgh; Laura Hosie, Helensburgh; Lauren Hughes, Helensburgh; Steve Hughes, Helensburgh;  

Susie Hurman, Rhu; Jenny Eilidh Hyde, Helensburgh; Georgina Jennings-Maun, Helensburgh; Moira Jennings, Helensburgh;  Rosemary Jennings-Maun, Helensburgh; Alan Johnson, Rhu; Harry Johnston, Rhu; Kevin Johnston, Helensburgh; Nicole Johnston, Helensburgh; Wendy Johnston, Rhu; Polly Jones, Helensburgh;

Chris Kelly, Glasgow; Graham Kelly, Bearsden; James Patrick Kelly, Helensburgh; Joanne Kerk, Charlotte North Carolina; Gordon King, Rhu; Samuel Kurniawan, Bandung; Jenny Laird (15), Helensburgh;Shona Laird, Strathaven; Matthew Lambert, Helensburgh; Tim Lambert, Helensburgh;  

T-Jay Lambert (13), Helensburgh; Helen Lane, Cannock; Lew Lane, Cannock; David Leach, Helensburgh; Andrew Jackson-Leach (14), Helensburgh; Mandy Lewis, Glasgow; Nicola Lightfoot, Rhu; Rosemary Lowne, Dumbarton; David Luach, Helensburgh; Emily Macinnis, Edinburgh; Darren Main, Elgin; Jack Meldrum, Alexandria;  

Thompson Michael, Helensburgh; Calum Miller, Solihull; Emily Miller, Helensburgh; Jake Miller, Helensburgh; James Miller, Helensburgh; Joel Miller (15), Helensburgh; Freya Milling (11), Alexandria; Carolyn Mitchell, Helensburgh; Millie White (8), Helensburgh; Cassandra McArdle, Glasgow;  

Cora McCarthy (8), Helensburgh; Alan Macdonald, Helensburgh; Barbara MacDonald, Helensburgh; Paul McElhaney, Kirkintilloch; Robert McElhaney, Kirkintilloch; Zoe McEwan (12); Yvonne Macfarlane, Glasgow; Frank McIntyre, Helensburgh; Terence McKibben, Helensburgh; Andrew Maclachlan, Glasgow; Hannah Maclachlan, Glasgow; Anne McLaughlin, Glasgow;

Andy McLaughlin, Barrhead; Sharon McLaughlin, s-Hertogenbosch; Ross MacLeod, Helensburgh; Ishbel MacNeil (11), Helensburgh; Verity McSheafrey, Helensburgh; Anna Napier, Balloch; Michael Nelson, Helensburgh; Anthony O'Neill, Uddingston; Kian Ormiston (8), Helensburgh; Stephen Ormiston, Helensburgh;

Mark O'Rourke (12); Campbell Overend (14), Helensburgh; Sarah Packham, Cardross; Jennifer Paterson, Helensburgh; Sophie Paterson, Helensburgh; Laura Paton, Helensburgh; Anton Pearson, Helensburgh; Morgan Pearson (8), Helensburgh;

Calum Pender, Rhu; Laurie Pitt, Glasgow; G. Potter, Helensburgh; Keith Pyper; Brian Quinn, Helensburgh; Paula Regener, Glasgow; Karen Robb, Dumbarton; Duncan Robinson, Helensburgh; Karen Robertson, Helensburgh; Rachel Robertson, Helensburgh; Jan Rothman, Cardross; Andrew Robert, Helensburgh; Graham Robertson, Helensburgh; Lewis Robinson, Helensburgh; Fiona Ryden, Dumbarton 

Mitchell Scott, Plymouth; Robin Scott-Elliot, Helensburgh; Lesley Serpell, Helensburgh; Lewis Serpell, Helensburgh; Mackenzie Serpell, Helensburgh; Katie Smith (15); Alan Shields, Rhu; Jamie Shields, Helensburgh; Eric Spaven, Cardross; Kelly Speirs, Alexandria; Claire Spencer, Chester; Alfie Stark, Glasgow; Lauren Stark, Glasgow; Gillian Strathearn, Kilmarnock; Bruno Sweeney (7), Helensburgh; Michael Sweeney, Clydebank; Michael Sweeney, Helensburgh 

Douglas Taylor, Glasgow; Callum Thompson, Helensburgh; Davy Thompson, Helensburgh; Lily Thompson (10), Helensburgh; Morven Thompson, Helensburgh; Alan Vickers, Cardross; David Ward, Cardross; Cameron Watson, Glasgow; Gemma Welsh, Kirkintilloch; Helen White, Brighton;

Calum Wilson, Helensburgh; Cara Wilson, Helensburgh; Linda Wilson, Helensburgh; Rona Wilson, Helensburgh; Iain Wilson, Helensburgh; Euan Woy, Helensburgh; Katrina Wylie, Helensburgh; Adrian Young, Helensburgh; James Young, Helensburgh; Jonathan Young, Cardross; Andrea Zimmerman, London.