GOOD luck to everyone taking part in a very challenging charity swim this Saturday.

It’s hoped that Inverclyde swimmers will join at least a hundred brave characters diving into the Clyde off Cumbrae and scything their way through the chilly water all the way across to Largs.

It sounds like an ideal test for those who do the annual 1.85-mile Clyde swim from Kilcreggan to Greenock.

Saturday’s 1.6-mile event is to raise money for Gillian’s Saltire Appeal, named after Gillian Ward of Largs, who passed away from cancer in 2005.

Her husband, Les, wanted to honour her memory and, at the same time, make a real difference to the lives of others who suffer from the same illness.

So he and a group of friends organised an imaginative campaign to raise money to provide respite accommodation in the seaside town for cancer sufferers, their families and carers.

Check out the video of last year’s race on the charity’s website — http://www.gillianssaltireappeal.org.uk/Largs%20Swim%202014/ — and, if you are brave and fit enough, it should get you in the mood to take part.

The video even includes a swimmer with a shark’s fin on his back, with the unforgettable, menacing music from ‘Jaws’ pounding in the background.

There are unlikely to be killer sharks floating around between Cumbrae and Largs, but this swim is still a world away from a casual session in a heated pool.

Take the plunge for this good cause — if you dare!