Pre-Swim Registration – Friday 22nd July, 2016

3 part process:

• Check in – Checking of Swim Proficiency Form, Checking of Medical Form, Cross checking assigned boat and skipper.
• Handing over of monies raised for Cancer Care West
• Collecting of race bag (hat, towel, goodies)

What you need:

• The medical form and proof of qualifying swim form – no forms, no swim!
• Money and proof of monies raised – No money, no swim!

• Proof of having raised at least €500 for Cancer Care West. (€1000  for Relay teams)
• Food and supplies to give to your assigned boat captain and crew.

For fundraising forms or any queries regarding Cancer Care West, email Dave O’ Donnell on david.odonnell@cancercarewest.ie

Swim rules

• Swimmers must organise their own crew member on their boat. This is the swimmers responsibility.
• Wetsuits are not mandatory for all swimmers but they are recommended.
• Swimmers may grease up before the swim (Vaseline or Goose Fat).
• Body Glide or Lanolin are also recommended to avoid friction burns for those wearing a wetsuit.
• All swimmers will be provided with a brightly coloured swim hat that MUST be worn for the Swim.
• Swimmers must not use fins, paddles, boards, pull buoys.
• Swimmers must not touch the boat and must not go on land at any time during the crossing.
• Swimmers must follow the course by passing through the three buoyed swim gates on the crossing or they will be disqualified.
• Two Cut offs: Green Marker and Black and Yellow Marker buoys. Cut off times will be provided at the pre-race briefing. Swimmers must reach the cut-off points by the designated time to be allowed to continue on the swim.
• Time limit 6 hours to complete swim in Blackrock.
• If a swimmer is struggling with the cold, tiredness, injury and, or requires medical assistance, the safety officers and the organisers of the Galway Bay Swim reserve the right to remove the swimmer from the water.
• You must have made contact with your boat Captain – at the LATEST, July 1st.

Swim Pack:

Each swimmer will be given a race bag. In this you will be given:

• Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim (FTMGBS) Hat (Mandatory to be worn throughout the swim)
• FTMGBS Swim T-Shirt
• FTMGBS Towel
• A variety of other sponsored items

Swimmer Support: Each swimmer will have a boat and a captain whose role is to guide the swimmer safely across the bay. It is mandatory that each swimmer also have their own crew member on board to help with their drinks and feeds and manage the swimmers on board gear.

There will be threes waves leaving Aughinish beach. Swimmers will be placed in each wave according to their ability (based on Time Trial (TT) times!). The committee retains the right to place you in whichever wave we deem appropriate.

Swimmers will be checked in by entering the water one at a time through a start gate. A marshal from the ground support team will make note of each swimmer as they enter. It is important that every swimmer is counted in as they enter the water.

The course is approx 13km from Aughinish Beach in Co. Clare, to Blackrock Tower in Galway. En route you must pass through three buoyed gates:
The first gate will be at Deer Island.
The second gate will be at the 6km mark.
The third gate will be 0.5km from Blackrock tower and the finish line..

Each swimmer must pass through all three buoyed gates to complete the course or they will be disqualified.

A lead boat will be on the course and it will plot the route for the swim on the day. A command boat will liase with it and the following swimmer support boats (RIBs). Each swimmer has a designated boat (RIB).   The boats dictate the direction – the swimmer dictates the pace.

Each swim wave will begin in the water with a mass start. Swimmers will swim north easterly, staying on the east side of Deer Island. There, they will be met by a gathering of boats. Each swimmer will locate their assigned boat.
It is important that you know what your boat looks like and who is on it.  Ask them in advance to have a flag on the boat to help you identify it. Make contact with your skipper and crew prior to the event. Know your team!

If you cannot find your boat straight away, keep swimming and your boat will pick you out. Once you have found your own assigned boat, continue on your way.

Relays
There will be a number of relay teams of 2-4 swimmers in the water. They will be run as follows:
One swimmer (Swimmer 1) from each relay team will swim with their team support boat at all times. The rest of the relay members, from all Relay teams, will wait aboard the Holding boat for relay team members. Each time a changeover is to occur, a designated RIB, will ferry the new swimmer (swimmer 2) from the Holding boat, to their team RIB. Swimmer 2 will get into the water behind swimmer 1. Once swimmer 2 has swum past their  swimmer 1, they can get out of the water. They will then be ferried back to the Holding boat, where there will be warm clothes and supplies.

The swim will finish at Blackrock Tower in Salthill.

Respect:
The people on the RIBs, on the fishing boats, on the sailing boats and on the ground, are all volunteers. We cannot run the swim without their help.
They have kindly given up their day, to help you complete this great challenge. Please respect our volunteers and respect yourself. No abuse will be tolerated.

If you have any queries, please first check our FAQ page or contact us at galwaybayswim@gmail.com