Mollymook Beach Ocean Classic, 2km, 500m (Juniors/Novices), Dash for Glory

Sunday, April 19, 2009, 9am (500m), 10.30am (2km), 11.30am (Dash for Glory)

Registration at Mollymook SLSC Clubhouse from 7.30 to 8.30 am.

No entries taken after 8.30 am.

Mollymook SLSC

Shorter swim follows a circuit from the southern end of Mollymook beach in front of Mollymook SLSC, ending near the start.

Longer swim is a journey from the northern end of Mollymook Beach to the southern end.

Mollymook is a very beautiful beach on the near South Coast. Glorious water with a beach break pretty well the entire length, although the start of the longer swim is from a relatively protected northern corner.

Southern corner can be difficult with a strong run out at the toe of the rock platform.

This beach is renowned for dolphins turning up to swim with the peloton. Local matinee idol and swim coach, John Smeeth -- that's John, above, with the rings in his nipples, striding determinedly into the surf surrounded by his harem, followed by his accolytes -- claims to have been swimming one cooler Sunday at Mollymook with a whale and her calf -- when he rolled to breathe, there was the calf eyeballing him.

This can be a very special swim. Lovely location. Good opportunity, too, for a solid weekend of South Coast swimming, with Shellharbour on Saturday (with its later start, to accommodate city swimmers), followed by Mollymook on Sunday.

7th year. 184 punters last year, although this swim deserves many more.

10-year categories to 61+. Minimum age 13 (2km), 10 (500m).

First male and female in the 2km event will receive $500 each and placegetters in the various age categories will also receive prizes.

The Dash for Glory will reward the first male and female with $100 each.

Email Graeme Wolfenden (click here).

Mollymook SLSC

13 (2km), 10 (500m).

The Mollymook Ocean Swim is Race 9 of 9 in the Hahn Super Dry Fine Ocean Swimmers Series 2009 -- the final event and quite possibly the determining swim.

The series uses a handicap system to event out the bumps amongst ages and between sexes, producing based on your performance in each event of the series. You score just by entering an event in the series (click here for full series details).

To be eligible to win the series, you must swim in at least 5 of the 9 events in the series, of which 2 must be country swims. We don't take just your best swims of the series: we take all your swims in the series. So the more swims you do, the more points you get.

The series encourages you to do more swims and to do more new and start up swims and more country swims.

We're very pleased that, after several years of inability, we will get back to Mollymook this season, other things equal. It's a lovely, lovely beach with lovely, lovely water, with the enticing prospect of dolphins frolicking about the course. We daren't hope for a whale and her calf, as John Smeeth found swimming at Mollymook a few years back. Another regional swim we're they're delighted to have you.