Pre-swim

1. Registration – please report to the Sandown & Shanklin Inshore Lifeboat Headquarters at Western Esplanade, Sandown, PO36 8JS. Registration will be open from 9.30am to 11am.

2. Pre-race Safety Briefing – this is compulsory for swimmers and will take place at the Lifeboat Headquarters at 11.15am.

3. Race start time – will be at 11.45am from the beach near the registration point. There will be two starts – men first followed by ladies two minutes later.

4. Decision not to swim after registration – it is very important that you let one of the event organisers know that you will not be swimming, together with your name and swimmer number. They will be wearing pale blue polo shirts displaying a Marlins Swim Club logo.

5. Contact on day of swim – if you are travelling from the mainland and experience delays on the day of the swim please call or text Fiona Claxton on 07792 584066.

6. Swim caps – during the registration process you will be provided with a swim cap. This must be worn during the swim for health & safety reasons.

7. Transport of bags to finish point – bags will be transported to the finish point, Shanklin Rowing Club boat house. Please leave them in the van parked at the beach slipway leading to the promenade before 11am. No liability for any losses can be accepted.

8. Toilet facilities - the nearest facilities are located opposite the Sandown Pier entrance, east of the Lifeboat Station. Toilets are also located on the revetment to the west of the Lifeboat station.

9. Teams - we will be holding two team competitions as we have in previous years, the Fastest Team x 4 people and the Generation Trophy x 2 people from the same family. If you are interested in entering either of these please let us know during registration on race day.

Post-swim

1. Refreshments – a chocolate bar and water will be provided immediately after the swim. Soup and a bread roll will be provided in the Shanklin Rowing Club, where the bar will also be open to all swimmers and spectators.

2. Toilet facilities – there are public toilet facilities situated in the car park opposite the Shanklin Rowing Club

3. First aid facilities – are also available in the Shanklin Rowing Club

4. Timing – this year we will be using an electronic timing system to record swimmers’ times, with our partner Results Base Ltd. This will help us to provide timings far faster than in the past, and there will also be a text option to enable swimmers to have their results sent to their mobile phones, for a small extra charge. This option needs to be selected when booking your place on the swim.

5. Presentations – trophies and winners commemorative keepsakes will be presented in the Rowing Club or adjacent area on the beach if weather permits, at 1.45pm. Please bear this in mind when making travel arrangements.

Approximately one month prior to the swim further information relating to the swim route and safety matters will be e-mailed to entrants.

Travel

Details of relevant travel companies can be found below;

www.wightlink.co.uk Tel: 0871 376 1000 for Portsmouth to Ryde passenger catamaran and Portsmouth to Fishbourne car ferry. Tickets can be purchased from any mainline station to include ferry travel, offering some saving. Please note that Wightlink are offering a 20% discount to swim competitors – follow the instructions on your payment receipt to take advantage of this offer.

www.redfunnel.co.uk Tel: 0844 844 9988 for Southampton to Cowes passenger catamaran and Southampton to East Cowes car ferry.

www.hovertravel.co.uk Tel: 08434 878887 for Southsea (Portsmouth) to Ryde hovercraft, foot passengers only.

Trains run directly to Sandown, Lake and Shanklin from Ryde catamaran and Hovertravel terminals. www.southwesternrailway.com/destinations-and-offers/island-line

Car parking – is available at both Sandown and Shanklin but may be limited – charges apply at all car parks. Details of nearest car parks are shown below;

Start end (Sandown, with distance from Inshore Lifeboat Station) - St. Johns Road Car Park, PO36 8EP, 0.2 miles. The Heights Car Park, Broadway, PO36 9FD, 0.2 miles. Station Avenue Car Park, PO36 8HD, 0.4 miles. Fort Street Car Park, PO36 8BA, 0.7 miles.

Finish end (Shanklin, with distance from Shanklin Rowing Club) – Hope Road Car Park, PO37 6BG, 0.1 miles. Spa Cark Park, Esplanade, PO37 6BH, opposite finish.

Isle of Wight accommodation – An accommodation guide for self-catering, hotels and guest houses, can be found on the Isle of Wight tourism website at: www.visitisleofwight.co.uk

Contact – please e-mail p2p@iowmarlinsswimclub.co.uk with any queries prior to the event. If you experience any problems on the day of the swim please contact Fiona Claxton on 07792 584066.