2,800 Irish women will jump into the sea naked tomorrow

Would you be willing to bare all in the effort to fight cancer?

The thousands of brave ladies bidding to break a world record in Ireland tomorrow, Saturday, June 9, for the largest-ever group skinny dip have been assured that security will be tight around the event to ensure their private parts remain out of sight of any ogling male passers-by.

Up to 2,800 courageous women have signed up to take part in the female-only charity skinny dip, which will take place on a secluded beach in Co. Wicklow.

The huge Strip and Dip event - which is raising vital funds for children's cancer charity, Aoibheann's Pink Tie - is now in its sixth year.

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But interest in this year's event exploded after organizers put out a rallying call earlier this year for extra participants to get involved to help create a new world record.

And their efforts look certain to pay off tomorrow, as already 2,800 women - including significant numbers flying in especially for the event from far-flung countries including the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa - have pledged to bare all at Meaghermore Beach just after midday tomorrow.

The current world record was set in 2015 in Perth, Australia, when 786 people took part in a mass skinny dip. A Guinness adjudicator will fly in from Italy to ensure all the women who are taking part stick to the stringent rules, which include stripping down to their birthday suits, before going into the chilly water up to their waist and staying in for at least five minutes.

Organiser Deirdre Featherstone, herself a cancer survivor, admitted she's astonished how much this year's event has caught the public imagination.

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Image: Aoibheann's Pink Tie

"At the first skinny back in 2013 there were just 65 people who took part, and they were pretty much all friends and family who I persuaded to join in.  Last year we had 200 participants, but this year, it is going to be massive. We've 2,800 people signed up, from 22 countries around the world, so we look certain to break the world record.  The scale of this event has really exceeded my expectations, but it's fantastic.

"The most important thing, of course, is that we raise as much money as possible for Aoibheann's Pink Tie.  We're standing at €153,000 at the moment, but a lot of funds tend to come in in the two weeks after the event itself, so I'm hopeful we might hit €250,000."

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The 53-year-old mother-of-three said the purpose of the fun annual event has always been to empower women and to show them that there is life after cancer. But she insisted that steps have been taken to ensure that tomorrow's event remains strictly a women-only zone.

She added:  "There'll be six gardai at the entrance to the beach, so there'll be no uninvited spectators on the day.  We also have a number of stewards helping us out. It really will be a women-only haven, and that's vital because it means those who are taking part will feel secure.  There's obviously a lot of women who are out of their comfort zones doing this.

"But it's going to be great fun. The camaraderie and craic are always amazing, and the Guinness adjudicator will be in a position to officially announce it as a world record on the same day."

For more information, including how to donate, check ou www.idonate.ie/worldslargestskinnydip.