A university student from Oulton Broad will be braving bone-chilling water temperatures as he competes in a cross-channel race.

As part of the Oxford-Cambridge Varsity cross-channel relay, which takes place every two years, George Stannard will be taking to the water with his fellow swimmers this Monday morning to swim from Dover to the French coast.

George, 19, explained: 'Wetsuits are not allowed, and it's provisionally scheduled to begin at 1am on Monday morning (July 4), so braving the cold and the jellyfish in the dark will be an interesting experience!

'I'm really looking forward to it though – we have a strong team this year and we've all been training lots in preparation, so it should be an exciting race.'

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the race which sees two teams, consisting of three boys and three girls, from each university completing a one hour swim each; rotating in a relay fashion as they race to be the first team to reach the French coast.

Currently studying medicine at Oxford University, George has a strong pedigree as a swimmer, stemming from his time as a pupil at Saint Felix School.

Chris Stannard, 54, George's father said: 'George has always been an exceptionally good swimmer which is down to his hard work and drive. It is great to see he is getting these life experiences not many others are able to experience.

'During his time at Saint Felix he was regional and national champion in open water swimming.'

George Stannard added:

'We're very grateful to Simmons & Simmons and Metaswitch for sponsoring us, and if you're interested in tracking our swim you can do so at http://cspf.co.uk/tracking/235018589 (our boat is called Suva) or follow @OxfordUniSC on Twitter for live updates.'