Everyone was required to meet at 8AM to go over the course, receive instructions regards safety, go over the course route, ask questions and match swimmer with kayaker and address the support crew and their responsibilities. Ray Gandy lead the meeting. Ray is an experienced open water swimmer and won last year's challenge.
Catherine and Dori going over the course. Ray printed out maps of the route and everyone spent time making sure they understood the course. The pond has lots of inlets and coves so the route was important to understand before taking off. Dori is an experienced swimmer and crossed the English Channel this past August.
This is a picture of and Marcy and Becky. Becky is a long distance swimmer and loves to swim in the ocean. This day she was a kayaker and responsible for Marcy. Marcy is known as the American Queen of the English Channel...she swam the Channel 9 times an American record and did a double two times....this is absolutely amazing.
We used two vans to get everyone to the bridge. Our property is separated from the main pond by a low bridge. Ray's course started just on the other side of the bridge. We had over 10 inches of rain days before the swim and the kayaks could not get under the bridge...so swimmers were ferried to the start. In this van was clockwise Dori (yellow cap), Lori (pink cap), Ray (white cap) and Marcy (blue cap). In the other van was Seb and Mariah as well as supplies.
Here are the kayaks trying to get under the bridge...they tried hard but to no avail...so they took the kayaks out, carried them across the road and entered the pond there.
Kayaks back in the water and swimmers preparing to start.
Swimmers hamming it up for the camera!
Support crew waiting for the start. Jet skis, kayaks, fire boat and float boat.
THE START! Swimmers entered the water and kayaks waited on the sides. Once swimmers had found a place in the water the person paired up with the swimmer got their kayak in place and stayed with that swimmer the entire course. In the kayak were food supplies to provide the swimmer with needed nutrition along the long course. The swimmer was not allowed to touch the kayak during feeding. So the kayaker had to get close to provide the food/drink.
THE WINNER! Sebastian Neumyer finished in first place with a time of 2:34:55. Sebastian is an experienced open water swimmer and hails from Cambridge Mass...he is an electrical engineer working on his doctorate at MIT.
Sebastian leaving the water with his personal kayak escort watching over him. Kayaking was an intense job. the responsibility of watching over the swimmer is extremely important...watching for signs of trouble if they arose.
This is one of the Fire and Safety boats on the pond during the course of the race.
Ray Gandy of Coventry finished at 2:35:35...
Ray was escorted by a jet ski during his swim.
Dori Miller of Boston, MA was the women's champion and finished at 2:37:15...
Dori exiting the water with her kayak escort still watching over her...there is definitely a bond between swimmer and escort which was evident especially after the finish. The escort bears a great deal of responsibility watching over the safety and feeding of the swimmer they are with on the course of the swim.
Marcy MacDonald and Becky in the kayak at the finish line.
Marcy MacDonald finished with a time of 2:41:25...
Mariah Alf of Cambridge, MA exiting the water with her personal escort making sure she is doing ok after her swim...
Mariah finished with a time of 2:50:30...this was her first year to do this course.
The float boat followed the course and was the official time keeper and recorder as well.
Lori Pugh finished with a time of 3:04:15...this was also her first time to do this course. Lori just recently did the Chesapeake Bay swim.
Lori and Thor at the finish line.
Mariah admiring her trophy.
Dori looking over her trophy.
Two of the jet ski escorts watching the Awards Ceremony.
Group picture of all involved with the swim...a great group of athletes and volunteers....
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