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Beach-to-Beach Power Swim Slated for Sunday, May 29; Pre-Race Meeting Set for May 28

White Bay -- Jost Van DykeThe Friends of V.I. National Park will hold its 13th annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim will be held on Sunday, May 29, in the beautiful, protected waters of Virgin Islands National Park, St. John. For full information about the swim, visit www.friendsvinp.org/swim.
  Starting on Saturday, May 7, general registration costs $65 and $30 for youths, ages 17 and younger.
Also, registration will be limited to 350 swimmers, and it’s filling fast — so, register soon to avoid disappointment. There will be absolutely no registration on race day.
Please visit www.friendsvinp.org for complete information on this event or to register online. Swimmers can also register:
 By phone by calling 779-4940 or in person by visiting:
 The Friends of the Park stores: Mongoose Junction and National Park Service Visitor Center, Cruz Bay
 Connections – Cruz Bay, St. John
 Caribbean Surf Co. – Havensight and Red Hook, St. Thomas
 SCUBA – Christiansted, St. Croix
For those on St. John or St. Thomas, there will be one practice swim remaining to help prepare for the event set for Sunday, May 15, from Maho to Cinnamon, Trunk or Hawksnest. The practice swims start at Maho Bay, near the dinghy channel, at 8:30 a.m. Please be there by 8:15 a.m. for the free registration and briefing. A free shuttle will meet the ferry, which departs Red Hook at 7:30 a.m.
A pre-race meeting will be held at Cinnamon Bay Campground starting at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 28, in the restaurant pavilion. While attendance at the pre-race meeting is not mandatory, all swimmers are strongly encouraged to attend – especially those who are first-time competitors. At the pre-race meeting, swimmers will do their preliminary check in and receive their T-shirt and goodie bag; this will be followed at 3:45 p.m. by a detailed briefing on the competition rules and a description of the course. Late registration ($85 for adults and $50 for those under 18) will also be available at the pre-race meeting on Saturday evening at Cinnamon Bay Campground if space is still available.
While there will be a short briefing on the beach in the morning, it will not be as detailed as the briefing at the pre-race meeting.
The Power Swim has several navigational challenges; therefore, swimmers are strongly advised to review the competition rules and course description on the Web site prior to the race. This is especially important for those swimmers who will not be attending the pre-race meeting.
IMPORTANT INFORMATON
Pre-race Meeting: A pre-race meeting will be held at Cinnamon Bay Campground starting at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 28, in the restaurant pavilion. While attendance at the pre-race meeting is not mandatory, all swimmers are strongly encouraged to attend – especially those who are first-time competitors. At the pre-race meeting, swimmers will do their preliminary check in and receive their T-shirt and goodie bag; this will be followed at 3:45 p.m. by a detailed briefing on the competition rules and a description of the course. Late registration ($85 for adults and $50 for those under 18) will also be available at the pre-race meeting on Saturday evening at Cinnamon Bay Campground if space is still available.
While there will be a short briefing on the beach in the morning, it will not be as detailed as the briefing at the pre-race meeting.
The Power Swim has several navigational challenges; therefore, swimmers are strongly advised to review the competition rules and course description on the Web site prior to the race. This is especially important for those swimmers who will not be attending the pre-race meeting.
Event/distance changes: Swimmers are allowed to change the event/distance they signed up for up until 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 26 by phone (779-4940) only. No changes are permitted after this deadline; please let the Friends of V.I. National Park know as soon as possible.
Caleel snorkels at Beach-to-Beach Swim last yearRace Start: The race will start at about 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 29. Check-in on the beach will begin at 6:30 a.m.; swimmers are encouraged to arrive as early as possible to help ensure a timely start. A briefing will begin at 7:30 a.m., so all swimmers should be checked in, numbered and ready to start by then.
Transportation to/from Maho Bay and between race venues: Swimmers and spectators coming from St. Thomas must take the Red Hook Ferry that departs Red Hook at 6:30 a.m. Later ferries will arrive too late. This is the only ferry that will be met by event shuttles. Note: the last shuttle will leave Cruz Bay at about 6:50 a.m.
Swimmers and spectators on St. John: are advised to park either in Cruz Bay (some parking is available at the National Park Service (NPS) Maintenance Division parking lot) or at Hawksnest Bay and then take advantage of the free shuttle service to get to Maho and between race venues. Please, do not park at Mongoose Junction.
Complimentary shuttles: will run from Cruz Bay to Maho Bay. The first one will depart at 6:15 a.m. and the last one will depart at about 6:50 a.m. (or after the arrival of the Red Hook Ferry, whichever is later). They will all start at the public ferry dock in Cruz Bay, stop at the NPS Maintenance Yard (parking available) near Mongoose Junction, Hawksnest Beach (parking available), Cinnamon Bay (please be on the road) and on to Maho Bay. They can be flagged down anywhere along the route – but please be on the main road; the shuttles will not enter Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk or Cinnamon parking areas.
Shuttles will also run between all race venues and are for use by all swimmers and spectators. They will also run between Hawksnest and Oppenheimer for the beach party and award ceremony. Shuttles will periodically run back to both Maho Bay beach and Cruz Bay and after the beach party.
For those who will be parking a car at one of the race venues, note that parking regulations are strictly enforced in the park. Please park responsibly to avoid getting a ticket.
Beach Party and Awards Ceremony: A Beach BBQ and Awards Ceremony will be held at Oppenheimer Beach following the Beach-to-Beach Power Swim. The beach BBQ will start at about 11 a.m. and the Awards Ceremony will start at about noon. Competitors, volunteers and the general public are welcome at the event. Food and drink will be available for purchase, and shuttles will provide transport between Hawksnest and Oppenheimer.
Viewing the Race: Unlike most open water events, the Beach-to-Beach Power Swim is very viewer-friendly. To see the action and to cheer on friends and family members, go to Maho Bay to see the start, Cinnamon Bay to see short course swimmers finish and the rest of the swimmers as they pass by close to the beach, Trunk Bay to see intermediate course swimmers finish and the rest of the swimmers as they pass by close to the beach, and Hawksnest Beach for the exciting long-course finish.
Recovery Party/Boat Trip – Proceeds Support the Park: Returning this year is the Recovery Party Boat Trip to Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands, on Monday, May 30, the day after the Power Swim. Hosted by Cruz Bay Watersports, everyone is invited to join in for a day of island adventures aboard a beautiful catamaran for snorkeling, libations and a day at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. The trip is very discounted and is a donation to Friends of the National Park. The cost is $125 per person, which includes customs, drinks and snacks on board. To register, call or visit Cruz Bay Watersports (776-6234) to make reservations. Space is limited.
Get Involved: anyone who is not the competitive type but still wants to support programs and activities like the Learn to Swim summer program that preserves, protects and educates can visit the Race for a Reason fundraising headquarters online and make a donation. http://www.active.com/donate/friendsvinp2016
Race day volunteer opportunities may also still be available; get a free cap and T-shirt plus lunch for helping out. Call or e-mail Karen Jarvis at 779-4940/kjarvis@friendsvinp.org.
For further information, call 779-4940 up to 5 p.m., Friday, May 27.

 

 

 

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