2011 USMS 10K Open Water National Championship

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Registration Schedule

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Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Sanctioned by Florida LMSC for USMS, Inc. Sanction #141-012ow

HOST: Gulf Coast Swim Team and Lee County Parks & Recreation

DATE & TIME: Saturday, June 11, 2011, race begins at 8 AM

EVENT DIRECTOR: Gregg Cross (239) 462-3322, or coachgregg55@aol.com

REFEREE: Mark McCaw

LOCATION: Gulf of Mexico on Fort Myers Beach by the Holiday Inn, 6890 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931.

DIRECTIONS: Directions to the Holiday Inn race site on Fort Myers Beach are at www.openwaterfestival.org/directions.html

FACILITY: A wide, white sand beach at the Holiday Inn will serve as race headquarters. Entrants may use the outdoor showers at the Holiday Inn pool regardless of their choice of lodging. There are no locker room/changing facilities. Entrants who need to change soon after the event are encouraged to stay at the Holiday Inn. Race check-in and awards will be on the beach behind the Holiday Inn.

PARKING: Registered entrants may park at the Holiday Inn or in the Santini Plaza shopping mall across the street.

INFORMATION: www.openwaterfestival.org

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all 2011 USMS and FINA registered athletes. A copy of your 2011 USMS registration or FINA equivalent must be attached to the entry form. Age on June 11, 2011, determines the age group. USMS National Championship events are not open to one-event registrants.  Register with USMS ahead of time at www.usms.org/reg/

COURSE: The course is a 2K rectangle approximately 980m x 20m in the Gulf of Mexico (salt water) which will be swum clockwise. Corners/turns will be marked with large orange buoys, straights will be marked with smaller intermediate buoys, and the finish chute with separate buoys. The start will be in the water by the Holiday Inn and the finish will be on the beach.  A feed boat will be anchored in the center of the course midway down the long side where water and Gatorade will be available to swimmers from either side of the course. Coaches or individual supplies will not be allowed on the feed boat.  Water depth on the course will vary from about four feet to over eight feet. The Gulf temperature in mid-June is approximately 85ºF, but may vary.

RULES: All applicable 2011 USMS rules, regulations, and safety requirements will be enforced.

TIMING: Timing will be with hand-held watches.

TIME LIMIT: There is a four (4) hour time limit to finish the course. Those not finished within the time limit will be asked to exit the water and scored as DNF (Did Not Finish). For safety reasons, swimmers unable to complete a 10K (~6.21 miles) in the four-hour limit are advised not to enter.

AGE GROUPS: 18-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc. in five year increments, as high as necessary for men and for women.

SAFETY: Safety boats and life guards will monitor the entire course. Swimmers must wear race numbers on arms and back for identification. Medical personnel will be on-site. Finger nails and toe nails will be checked before the race by one of the officials; if the nails are too long, they must be clipped to a reasonable length at the discretion of the referee.

SUITS & EQUIPMENT:  Caps are allowed but are not required. All suits and equipment must conform to current USMS open water rules*. Wet suits are NOT permitted. Support craft other than designated race craft are not permitted.
* The USMS House of Delegates voted in September, 2010, to follow new regulations regarding swimsuits for open water competitions, effective January 1, 2011. For all Open Water National Championships, swimwear shall be made from textile materials. For men, the swimsuit shall not extend above the navel or below the knee. For women, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below the knees. There are no "fastener" specifications.

ENTRY FEES & DEADLINES:  Early Registration Fee is $40 and must be received by June 1, 2011. Late Registration Fee is $60 and must be received by June 7, 2011. There will be NO race-day entries.

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS PREFERRED
SAVE TIME, SAVE PAPER, AVOID ERRORS: REGISTER ONLINE

Online entries through ClubAssistant will open Monday, January 3, 2011, and close Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
Register online at https://www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1658&smid=2832.

For paper entries, make checks payable to SFSCI, Inc. and the send entry form and fees to
USMS 10K OW Championships
c/o Dick Brewer
2871 4th Street NE
Naples FL 34120-1336.

AWARDS: USMS National Championship Medals will be given to top six (6) finishers by age group and gender. National Championship patches will be awarded to the top finisher in each gender/age group. Foreign swimmers are not eligible for USMS All-American awards.  Special prizes will be awarded to overall winners.

RESULTS: Results will be posted at www.usms.org and at www.openwaterfestival.org.

LODGING: The Fort Myers Beach Holiday Inn (www.fortmyersbeachhi.com) is the official race headquarters. For discount rates in the area, call Lee Sports (888) 529-6588 and ask for accommodations near the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Beach, 6890 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach. Mention “Open Water Festival.”

TIMELINE: SATURDAY, JUNE 11 (USMS 10K Championship)
6:45 AM: Check-in opens
7:50 AM: Final briefing by course start
8:00 AM: Race begins; wave starts will be at the discretion of the Race Director depending on the number of entries
12:00 PM: Course closes
12:15 PM: Awards

INFORMATION: For more information, contact event director Gregg Cross (239-462-3322 or mailto:coachgregg55@aol.com) or Masters coordinator Dick Brewer (239-352-4828 or mailto:rdbrewer@gmail.com).

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "ClubAssistant.com Events."