23rd Annual SWIM Across the Sound Marathon
Saturday, August 7, 2010

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Mandatory Dinner Meeting for all swimmers on Thursday, August 5 from approximately 6pm to 8pm at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport. The balance of all fundraising is due to be submitted by this time. Funds will turned in from approximately 3pm to 5pm.


EVENT DETAILS

1. RACE DAY LOGISTICS:  (Please see the Timeline of Events for specific dates/times.)

• Swimmers should arrive at Captain’s Cove Marina. Shuttle buses will be provided to transport each swimmer and crew member to the ferry terminal.
• All swimmers must take the same ferry from Bridgeport, CT to Port Jefferson, NY. As most escort boat pilots spend Friday evening in Port Jefferson, the entire swim group and their support crews will take the same ferry over to NY. (The cost of the Ferry is included in the race fee.) The swimmers and boat captains will meet up at Danford’s Marina and then proceed to the start at West Beach, just outside the Harbor entrance.
• Each escort boat will drop off their swimmer at the designated location specified by the Event Committee.
• The finish is at Captain’s Cove Marina in Bridgeport. There will be a special temporary dock set up to act as a finish line.
• You may park at the garage for the Ferry terminal or at Captain’s Cove and take one of the shuttle buses provided to take you to the ferry.

2. WATER CONDITIONS:

• The water temperature in Long Island Sound during the month of August ranges from approx 70F to 74F.
• The Sound can be choppy with a strong wind, and there is a fair amount of recreational boat traffic during this time of year.
• Jelly fish are not uncommon during this time of year, and the swimmer should prepare accordingly with appropriate treatments to treat such stings if they occur.

3. RACE COURSE TIME LIMITS:

Long Island Sound is a major destination for recreational boaters on the weekend, and your safety is the most important consideration. In order to keep the “Armada” of escort boars and perimeter safety boats within a reasonable distance of each other to provide the safest environment, cut-off times, at designated distances from the entrance to Black Rock Harbor, will be strictly adhered to. The Event Committee may grant additional time under certain circumstances. If you do not meet these designated cut-off times, you will be disqualified from the race. The Event Committee may permit a solo swimmer or team to continue to swim (unofficially) only upon advancing up to a distance with the time limits. Such permission can only be granted by the Event Committee on that day and will be on a case-by-case basis.

All measurements are based upon distance from Buoy 4, which is located at the entrance to Black Rock Harbor. (ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE IN LAND MILES)

• Each hour, the race official assigned to each boat will record in a log book the following information: GPS coordinates, distance (Land miles) from buoy 2A, condition of the swimmer, stroke rate per minute, and any other information deemed necessary.
• Every two hours, a race official on the roving official boat will call each race official via two way radio and the boat official will report on the condition of the swimmer and the distance from Buoy 2A. If it is determined that the swimmer or team is not within the distance from buoy 2A guidelines, the swimmer or team may be asked to abort the swim for safety reasons.
  

4. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• All solo and relay swimmers must attend a mandatory meeting/dinner on Thursday, August 5th at a time and place to be determined.
• The Event Committee reserves the right to change the start time and/or distance of the event in order to provide the safest conditions as possible due to inclement weather.
• Each swimmer will be provided an escort boat provided by the SWIM. You may not use your own escort without permission from the Event Committee in advance.
• A swimmer is not allowed to touch the escort boat in any way; doing so will result in disqualification. If this happens, the boat race official must notify the race official at Captain’s Cove promptly. The only exception is if all the swimmers are asked to leave the water by the race official for safety reasons due to inclement weather or other short-term safety concerns.
• Boat crews must stay in the escort boat and may not swim along side the swimmer to provide pacing.
• Each boat will be equipped with GPS, radio and cell phone.
• An EMT will be provided on as many escort boats as possible. Another EMT will be available on one of the race official boats in case of emergency.
• Fire Department Dive Personnel will also be available on one of the support boats.
• A race official will be assigned to each escort boat to observe the swimmer and monitor his/her progress.