Swimmers prepare to swim during an open water race in this file photo. The Swift Swimming Open Water Race will be held this Saturday at the Palm Cay Marina and Beach Club.
Once again, Swift Swimming Club is set to host its annual open water race, and for the third consecutive year, it will be staged at the Palm Cay Marina and Beach Club.
The age groups that will be contested include 10 and under, 11-12, 13-19, 20-49, and 50 and over, and the race is set for this Saturday.
"Palm Cay has proven to be an ideal location, with a beach, and shallow water stretching for miles," said Swift Swimming Head Coach Andy Knowles. "We anticipate that most of the local clubs, including Freeport and Abaco, will be represented and that we will see some great competition that will result in swimmers qualifying for CARIFTA and CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation Championships) and going on to represent The Bahamas well next year.
"Another unique attraction for the open water race is that the Bahamas Swimming Federation has set tougher standards for those who would like to represent The Bahamas in open water swimming. Swimmers will have to compete in two open water races a year and will be required to make a qualifying time standard for the regional meets."
Palm Cay, Subway, Higgs & Johnson, Deloitte & Touche, and Australian Gold have all come on board as sponsors for this year's race. There will be gold, silver, and bronze medals for the top three finishes per age group in each gender over each course, and a trophy for the top overall male and female swimmer in all three courses - 800 meters (m), the 1.6 kilometer (k) race and the 5k race.
"This year's event will be more popular since The Bahamas is hosting the Commonwealth Youth Games next July," Knowles said. "It will be a triangular course (1.6k) which will allow the swimmers to complete one lap for the 1.6k course and three laps for the 5k course. The course will be set up using GPS (Global Positioning System), so as to cover the official distance required."
Registration begins at 8 a.m. in front of the Palm Cay Beach Club Restaurant inside Palm Cay, and the race begins at 10 a.m.
Registration forms can be found online at the website www.swimswift.com under the "events" tab. Those seeking more information are asked to e-mail Swift Swimming Club at swiftswimming@coralwave.com.
Randy Smith, Guardian Sports Reporter
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