WARM-UP OPEN WATER NEWS
OLYMPIC VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Are you a young person, aged 16 to 18, who loves sport? You’ll no doubt be interested in the news that the London Olympic Commitee (LOCOG) are looking to recruit more than 2,000 young people to take up a range of volunteer roles at the games next year. They want applications from teams of up to 18 people, ideally from sports clubs, community groups, schools and colleges that are members of the London 2012 Get Set network. For more information see
london2012.com/young- games-maker.
SEAL ATTACK!
Open water enthusiast John Reichmuth was given the shock of his life during a 10km swim across San Francisco Bay in September when he was biten by a seal. "I thought it was a sea lion or a small shark," said Reichmuth. According to race organisers, seal atacks are unheard of, although sea lions have been known to go for people. The seal leſt a large wound in Reichmuth's leſt ankle and punctured his right leg too, but he has said he isn’t intimidated and vowed to return to the water when he has fully healed.
SPEAKERS AVAILABLE
If you’re looking for a speaker at your next Masters club event you might want to consider inviting someone from the Campaign for National Parks – a charity dedicated to keeping Britain’s beautiful places safe. For details contact Adrian Thornton on 01865 880359.
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RACE REPORT: WET DAY FOR WINDERMERE ONE-WAY
For once the forecast was right. Swimmers at the British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA) one-way crossing of Windermere on 3 September expected rain and got plenty of it. Not that they minded, as they were wet anyway, but their support crews – compulsory for this race – certainly suffered.
The race start was delayed slightly due to a dispute about the length of trunks that men were allowed to wear. One swimmer had a spare pair and changed, the other didn’t and it took 20 minutes to find him a new pair. At around 9.30 nearly 30 swimmers started the crossing. A group of four swimmers led the way: two men and two
women. The men soon pulled ahead and a real batle was underway and the swimmers were still close at the half-way point. The result was one of the fastest-ever crossings, with the winner Oliver Wilkinson (Gloucester Masters) doing just two minutes outside the record in 3:51:45, and 2nd place William Bot (Sandwell)) finishing in 4:02:26. In the women’s race, just
Safety craſt out on what was a very wet weekend
MARK ROBSON COMPLETES SOLO
WINDERMERE DOUBLE The British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA) holds bi-annual single and double crossings of the UK’s largest lake, but with a bit of planning and effort it’s possible to organise your own. On 25 August Mark Robson did just that; his voyage started at Ferry Nab, headed south to Fell Foot then up to Ambleside. “It was a massive step up from my previous longest swim of seven hours,” said Robson of his almost 14-hour effort. “Fortunately we were blessed with good weather and the lake was like glass with a water temperature around 17˚C. Even so, I was totally spent aſterwards and learnt a lot about feeding and hiting the wall.”
over 20 minutes separated first place, Rachael Lee (ILDSA), who finished in 4:19:05, and second place, Lucinda Pollington (Croydon Amphibians), 4:44:29. “That was the best race of my life and I’m extremely motivated to do some winter training for my English Channel atempt in July next year,” said Pollington aſter the swim. Many open water swimmers consider a swim in Windermere to be perfect training for a Channel atempt. Swimmers were still finishing up to the eight-hour time- limit, to cheers from soaked spectators and loved ones. Mark Bayliss
Photo © Julie Macleod
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