PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER
Instead, the brave souls will be diving off the historic steamer’s high deck or low deck to start a 4km swimming race into Queenstown Bay as part of the fourth annual The Whakatipu Legend.
The open swim event also includes the 2km The Beacon Swim, from 9.30am, and The Bay Swim, from 10.30am, which both start and finish at the Queenstown Bay beach.
About 50 and 40 swimmers, respectively, have entered those events.
Race co-director Richie Lambert says 26% of entrants are locals and 74% from out of town, with 9% from overseas including at least one from the United States.
Entries close 11.59 tonight.
For those unsure about taking the plunge, Lambert says the water’s holding an average 14°C at the moment, "which isn’t too cold".
