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 The Big Swim of the South ...
Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge
Sunday, March 30, 2008 |
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| Event |
Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge, 2.3km
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A bug day at Stanwell Park. The swim was called off this day, Apri 8, 2006. When the seas are up, this can be a difficult swim, and Stanwell Park can be a difficult beach. In contrast, however ...
... it can be such a benign plage.
Bird life from Stanwell Tops, where this lass's boyfriend just moments before hurled himself over the edge. Not for us. We'd rather risk noahs.
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| Date, times |
Sunday, March 30, 2008, 10am
Registration Stanwell Park SLSC - 8am - 9.30am |
| Organiser |
Helensburgh Stanwell Park SLSC |
| Major sponsors |
MBF Travel Insurance |
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The peloton hurtles seawards at Coalcliff beach last season, at the start of the Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge. It's a steep, pebbly, rocky beach, and it's not easy to run down it and fall into the sea. |
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| Course |
Registration Stanwell Park SLSC (8am - 9.30am). Shuttle provided to start at Coalcliff.
Course runs out from Coalcliff, around a booey, then north along the Illawarra Escarpment to Stanwell Park beach. It's hard to get lost in this swim. There's only one way to go: "keep Australia on your left". If you can't already breathe to the left, this is your chance to learn. Those who breathe only to the right will miss a spectacular view. |
| Conditions |
Organisers like to think of this swim as "The Big Swim of the South". And it is, too.
Both these beaches -- Coalcliff and Stanwell Park -- and this course, are very exposed to the big, tough Pacific Ocean. If seas are running, conditions can be difficult.
Once you're out, however, the swim itself is a doddle. If the water is clear -- two years back, as organiser Andrew Perrin remarked afterwards -- "you were in eight metres of water, but you could count every grain of sand on the bottom".
Coming back in at Stanwell Park can be reminiscent of the break at Whale Beach in the real Big Swim, too. It's a beach break with shifting banks and shifting sands. It can fiddle with your life. But that's part of the challenge.
This swim is vulnerable to difficult conditions, and the organisers sometimes must make difficult decisions about whether to go. But if conditions are ok, it is one of the most spectacular swims you will ever do. If you breathe only to the right, you'll miss the above water scenery completely.
If you breathe left, you'll be awed by the escarpment above you.
And the bottom is quite beautiful, too. Lots of little reefs and sea life to watch along the way. |
| Years run, Starters last time |
256 finishers last season. This swim's first outing was in 2002, which makes this the sixth time it's been organised. |
| Prizes |
1st Male & Female $300
Ttowels with event logo for 1st, 2nd and 3rd all age groups.
Printed swim cap with event logo for all swimmers.
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The Illawarra Escarpment is a spectacular backdrop behind the Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge. |
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| Categories |
- 14-19
- 20-29 yrs
- 30-39 yrs
- 40-49 yrs
- 50-59 yrs
- 60 + yrs
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All categories include Male and Female categories.
Minimum age 14 |
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| Contact, further info |
Phone enquiries to Andrew Perrin ph 0414 949 194 or 02 4294 9177 or Wayne Johnston ph 0416 086 685 or 02 4294 3890 or email by clicking here. |
| Eligibility |
Entrants are restricted to persons who have adequately trained for this event. Entry is at the discretion of the race
committee. Minimum age of 14 years to compete. |
| Water safety |
Helensburgh Stanwell Park SLSC |
| Max./Min. ages |
Minimum 14 |
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The Stanwell Park Ocean Challenge is Race 2 in the Hahn Super Dry Fine Ocean Swimmers Series 2008.
The series is a handicap competition, awarding points for each swim in which you finish.
The handicap system weights your time for age and sex and provides a handicap time which is then used to calculate your points. Points accrue with every swim you do. But you need do just three swims in the series in order to qualify to win, at least one of which must be outside Sydney.
At this stage, other confirmed swims are: Sydney Harbour (Mar 2), South West Rocks (Apr 6), Tamarama (Apr 13), Forster (Apr 27) and Byron Bay (May 4).
No need to enter. You'll be entered automatically just by doing one of these swims. |
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The course last season, as gleaned by the oceanswims.com GPS-in-a-prophylactic.
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| oceanswims.com says |
This is an "epic" swim, as the youngies would say. It runs between two potentially difficult beaches along one of the most spectacular coastlines in Australia, across a spectacular bottom with reefs, sea life and often very beautiful water.
A regional swim but within minutes of Sydney. |
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| Entries |
Lower entry fees apply to those entries receive online or by mail. Entries after these deadlines are Late entries and attract a premium (see above). Moral: enter in advance.
Mail and personal entries (direct to Helensburgh Stanwell Park SLSC) close Thursday, March 27, 2008.
On-line entries close midnight, Friday, March 28, 2008.
Late entries (on race day) $35.
The swim is subject to conditions on the day and if it can not go ahead, entries are non-refundable. Any decision to cancel will be made by 7 am on race day. Check oceanswims.com (Stop Press box on home page) on race day morning for cancellation bulletins.
Online entries have closed
Click here to download Stanwell Park entry form as pdf file for on-day entry.
Check progress entries received on-line. |
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Bursting through the break at Coalcliff. |
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