Pre-Swim Registration – Friday before the swim

PRE-SWIM REGISTRATION CHECKLIST

In order to participate in the swim, you must complete the following:

• Swimmer check-in:
• Checking of swim trial/affidavit: No Trial – No Swim
• Checking that the Swimmer medical form has been submitted: No Medical – No Swim
• Cross-checking assigned boat and skipper and that boat captain has registered their boat online: No Boat Registration – No Swim
• Checking that the designated crew member(s) supporting the swimmer has completed the online registration form.

Note, it is the swimmer’s responsibility to ensure that their boat captain and designated crew member have registered online:http://www.galwaybayswim.com/forms/

• • If you received cash donations, then you can submit them to Cancer Care West at the registration. Proof of having raised at least €500 for Cancer Care West. (€1000 for Relay teams). You can show proof of your fundraising web page.
  • For fundraising forms or any queries regarding Cancer Care West, email Dave O’ Donnell david.odonnell@cancercarewest.ie
  • Collecting of race bag (swim hat, goodies)
• WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING:
  • Proof of all of the above items.  If you have pre-submitted the information online, then we will have a record of this.

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.
• Mandatory: All swimmers must use a tow-float on the initial section of the swim (approx 2 km) until they pass Deer Island.
• Swimmers must not use fins, paddles, boards, pull buoys.
• Swimmers may hold the boat during their ‘feeds’ as long as the boat is in idle and is not moving the swimmer forward.
• Swimmers must not go on land or onto the boat at any time during the crossing. The only exception is where the swimmer’s boat breaks down. In this case, the swimmer must exit the water onto the boat and they can continue their swim once a back-up boat arrives. If this occurs, the boat captain needs to notify the command boat of their location and the swimmer they are supporting.
• Swimmers must follow the course by passing within 50 metres of the three buoyed swim gates on the crossing or they will be disqualified.
• The total cut off time to finish the swim at Blackrock is 6 hours. The intermediate cut-off points for the swim are as follows:
  • Marker buoy (at approx 7 km) – Swimmers must reach this buoy in less than 3.0 hours.
  • Foudra Rock marker buoy (1 km from the finish) – Swimmers must reach this point in less than 4.5 hours.

  Swimmers must reach the cut-off points by the designated time to be allowed to continue on the swim. Safety requirements in place for the swim dictate that swimmers will be required to leave the water if the cut-off points are not reached by the designated times. The Race Director’s and Safety Officers decision is final and needs to be respected by all.

• If during the swim, the swimmer is struggling with the cold, shivering, 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.
• All swimmers must make contact with your boat captain and crew in advance of the swim .

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
• A variety of other sponsored items

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

Swimmers will be checked in by the Starter. The Starter will make note of each swimmer as they enter. It is important that every swimmer is counted in as they enter the water. Swimmers will NOT be permitted to enter the water unless their support boat has checked in with the Control boat via VHF radio that they are at the Muster point off Deer Island.

A Control boat will be on the course and will communicate via VHF Channel 77 with the swimmer support boats. Each swimmer must have a designated support boat (RIB).   The boats dictate the direction – the swimmer dictates the pace.

Relays
There will be a number of relay teams of 2-4 swimmers in the water. They will be run as follows:
Swimmer 1 will start from Aughinish.  The rest of the relay members will wait aboard their support boat. Each time a changeover is to occur,  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 wait on their support boat, where they should have left their 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