Date: Sunday 26^th July
Time: Register before 13:00
Race Briefing: 13:15
Start: Prompt at 13:30

Venue: Calshot – Stanswood Rescue Hut

Distance: 1100m (one lap)

The race will start in the water outside of the Stanswood Rescue Hut. At the start mark swimmers will race to the right (as facing the sea) to a turn anticlockwise around bouy located at the end of the row of the beach huts. Once round the bouy competitors will make their way back past the starting point and onto the second turning bouy located by a lone tree. After rounding this second bouy again anti clockwise competitors will race to the finish mark outside the rescue hut. The finish of the race will be completed by swimmers exiting the water and running up the beach mats to a marshal outside the hut. This marshal will record names and times.

As this is a swim race for triathletes you will be allowed to use a wetsuit if you choose.

The competition recognises the following categories:

• Men’s 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd
• Women’s 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd
• Junior Men’s 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd
• Junior Women’s 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd

Rules

• Swimmers will behave safely for themselves as well as other competitors – you should not need to swim more than a maximum of 20m off shore at any time.
• Swimmers will wear a brightly coloured swim hat
• Swimmers will obey all directions from marshals
• Swimmers are expected to swim in an anti clockwise direction
• Swimmers ARE expected to take care with not colliding with oncoming swimmers – at approaching swimmers please veer to the right to ensure you miss and still retain an anticlockwise direction
• Swimmers are expected to conduct themselves in a sports-person-like manner at all times

Finally please take notice this event is being held in conjunction with the Stanswood Rescue Open Day, there is another open water swim race before ours and the whole day is geared to raise funds for the Solent Swimming Club. Please respect this event and its organisers as without their help we would have a much harder time arranging these events.

Darryl

Elliot and I packed bikes as well as camping gear Friday evening and headed off to Ledbury in the Malvern Hills. We were signed up as part of a team for the 24hr challenge Mountain Mayhem. We set up tents in the grounds of Eastnor castle with 2,500 other MTB riders who were making up 450 teams. Our task was to complete as many 9mile laps in 24hrs starting 2pm Saturday.

Heavy rain overnight meant our practice lap the next morning was somewhat sticky because the mud was clay. This combined with very very steep descents full of rocks and gullies, very narrow tracks through woods with tree roots everywhere and 1,200ft of climbs left me quaking in my cleats. What had I taken on? Elliiot appeared to sail round on his £2000 demo bike he was trying out.

2pm and the start was like the London marathon but with cycling shoes instead of trainers a 400mtr run to get on their bikes before the first climb up and out onto the course. I was 2^nd rider and waited in fear in transition for what was to come. We exchanged the baton and I took the bike I had borrowed from my son with no disc brakes, poor gear ratios and tyres not really suitable for all the mud off the rack and headed up the hill.

The lap was even more frightening than the practice as I now had hundred’s of other riders to deal with, most of whom were faster than me and wanted to squeeze past all the time on the narrowest of places. They obviously didn’t know what fear was as they tore down the steepest of rutted slippery, muddy slopes as if they didn’t exist. I was in awe of their skill. I was reduced to walking some of these sections. I did however feel a little encouraged when on some of the climbs I could go past people. My aim was to survive in one piece and get round without using up the whole 24hrs on my lap!! Job done I handed over to our 3^rd rider. Well it went on like that for the next 20 hrs. Elliot took the lap at 8pm where lights on your bike became compulsory. He did extremely well and posted a good time.

I didn’t take any of the night laps leaving that torture for my male team mates. It rained again at 2am adding to the difficulty. I lost track of time for the night laps and as a result failed to be in transition at 6am for a hand over, Trevor having to return to the campsite to find me. I survived yet another ordeal but this time with a few good crashes ending up in the bracken and mud. People were good though and always asked if you were ok as they went past. Elliot took another circuit lapping it up and this time having to replace an inner tube on a filthy bike. We continued handovers until 12.30 when Trevor did a last lap at a steady pace to enjoy it on his single speed bike with no suspension. At 2pm a herd of bikers came down the grasssy slope to the finish line to cheers and medals.

We had mananged 20 laps in 24hrs. Was I stupid to attempt this challenge? No of course not that label is left for the riders who each year do it solo and the unicyclist club who field a team (well no comment!!!)

Results in and we finished 66th out of 123 teams. Anyone up for a triclub team next year?

Put into perspective though the winning solo rider did 26laps unbelievable!