|
 |
North Steyne Ocean Swims
Sunday, May 3, 2009 |
Postponed from April 5 |
Event |
11th North Steyne Ocean Swim, 2.8km, 1km, Dash for Cash |
Date, times |
Sunday, May 3, 2009, 9am (1km), 10:15am (2.8km) |
Organiser |
North Steyne SLSC |
Major sponsor |
Steyne Hotel |
| |
|
Course |
Registration at North Steyne surf clubhouse. Start is from the beach in front of the clubhouse.
Courses run out from North Steyne. Main swim treks to Fairy Bower, across to Manly Point, then back along, behind the break to North Steyne. It's a wonderful swim that traverses some of the best sea bottom in Sydney. Lots of sea life to watch. And to watch you.
Shorter swim starts and finishes in front of North Steyne SLSC clubhouse, follows the course of the longer swim south, then back to North Steyne.
Dash for Cash (200m) runs from behind the break at North Steyne in to a finish line on North Steyne beach. The wonderful thing about this at North Steyne is that it takes a wave, there are banks, rips, and that means that anyone can win. Good grief, a few years back, even oceanswims.com almost ran a place after we caught a wave from out the back! |
Conditions |
North Steyne is an open beach that takes a wave. It's a beach of breaks and banks, of peaks and gutters. That's not to say that it's a dangerous beach, but it certainly can be challenging in a swell. If there is any kind of swell on swim day, then the start and finish to these swims at least will offer challenges. Look for the rip at the start -- and use it -- and avoid it at the finish.
Once behind the break, however, this is an easy and enormously enjoyable swim across to Fairy Bower, across the reef -- which may also present a break -- and into Cabbage Tree Bay. It could be turbulent across the reef inshore of that break, and until you get once more into clear water on the way to Manly Point.
That said, that part of the course is also gloriously beautiful, with big, smooth boulders, shaped by Huey over millennia, rolling compliantly around the bottom. You can stop and stand up on this reef to take it all in, if you like. But watch out for the sea anenomes if you do.
Around the booees in Cabbage Tree Bay -- watch out for sea life! -- and back to North Steyne.
This swim offers interest and variation, the possibility of several breaks, reefs, sea life, and long reaches when you can settle into a stroke and race.
Shorter swim runs out and back in from North Steyne SLSC clubhouse.
These are good swims. |
Years run, starters last time |
11th year, 269 starters in the longer swim last season, 165 in the shorter. |
Prizes, categories |
5-year age groups to 60+. Prizes for 1st place male/female overall & random other prizes in the 1km & 2.8km swims (subject to swim committee). Dash for Cash - cash prizes 1, 2 & 3 male/female (subject to swim committee). Prizes presented after each race. |
| |
|
More info |
|
Water safety |
North Steyne SLSC |
Min. age |
2.8km swim - 13, 1km swim - 9. |
| |
 |
os.c says |
Don't wish to repeat what we've said already above, but the longer swim from North Steyne across to Fairy Bower and back is one of the best courses of the season. Great to see North Steyne in the Hahn Super Dry Fine Ocean Swimmers Series this season, too. |
Entry |
This is one of the cheaper swims of the season, too: $25 for the 2.8km pre-race day ($30 on race day) and $20 for the 1km ($25 on race day), or $40 for both swims ($45 on race day).
Dash for Cash is free but open only to swimmers who first complete the major swims.
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 at 7am on race day. Check oceanswims.com (Stop Press box on home page) on race day morning for cancellation bulletins.
Online entries close midnight Friday, May 1, 2009.
Click here to enter online.
Click here to download North Steyne entry form as pdf file for on-day entry.
Check progress entries received on-line. |
 |
| |
|
|
|
