Enjoy a dip at the Full Moon Night Swim in Portsmouth on Saturday

Vinicius Vecchiatti by the Eastney coastline, where the swim will begin on Saturday. Picture: Vinicius Vecchiatti

SWIMMERS of all abilities are being invited to take a seaside dip in Portsmouth and soak up a natural phenomenon in the name of charity.

It comes as Portsmouth triathlete Vinicius Vecchiatti looks forward to staging the Full Moon Night Swim on Saturday evening.

Set to make a splash at 10pm – outside Coffee Cup, along Eastney Esplanade – the fixture will celebrate the monthly lunar display with a sponsored dip in aid of good cause, Cosmic.

Short for Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care, the unit treats in the region of 400 desperately ill children at the hospital of the same name in Paddington, London, every year.

And determined to raise cash for the initiative – which once saved the life of one of his friends – Vinicius says embracing the coastal surroundings of Portsmouth for an en masse swim is the perfect solution.

The 35-year-old, who works as a project manager at Hampshire-based smoke ventilation firm, Colt, said: ‘A full moon is not something that happens every day so I wanted to get as many people in the sea to enjoy it as I can.

‘Here in Portsmouth we have unrivalled conditions – the water is blue, the waves aren’t too heavy and the currents are not too strong – in my opinion there is no place like it.

‘Of course some people say it’s really cold, but it offers such an amazing experience.

‘With a full moon and a sunset, this is even better.’

Vinicius, who has been a member of the popular Portsmouth Triathletes group for the past two years, will be joined by a trio of pals in hosting the event – which precedes the friends’ Channel swim in August.

To make it fun for all those who go along, there will also be kayaks, stand-up paddles and glow sticks available to use.

The session is not coached, it is not a race, and organisers say anyone who takes part will be doing so at their own risk.

While the swim is free to enjoy, Vinicius recommends making a £7 donation to Cosmic by visiting justgiving.com/fundraising/vini-v

Additionally, if you would like to learn about Vinicius’ Channel swim in August – or donate to his fund for Cosmic – visit justgiving.com/fundraising/vini-v