2020 Southern Oregon Coast Swims at Eel Lake

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Registration Schedule

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LOCATION:  Eel Lake is a freshwater lake on the Oregon coast at William M. Tugman State Park, on U.S. 101 between Reedsport and Coos Bay.  Expected water temperature is 67-71 degrees F., and will be posted on race day.  No, the lake is not named for its residents; it’s named for its shape.

SWIMS:  Adults—sorry, no swimmers under age 18—may enter one, two, or all three swims.  We’ll start with a 3000-meter swim, twice clockwise around an irregular pentagonal course (remember your geometry?).  Then we’ll try a 500-meter Predicted Time on an out-and-back continuous floating line course.  Finally, we'll stage the 1500-meter swim, once around the pentagonal course counter-clockwise.

SWIM SCHEDULE (subject to change due to conditions):
  8:00-8:40am       Registration/Check-in for all swims
  8:45am               Required pre-swim meeting for 3000-meter swim
  9:00am               Start of 3000-meter swim
  10:00-10:30am   Registration/Check-in for the next two swims
  10:40am             Required pre-swim meeting for 500-meter Predicted Time Swim
  10:55am             Start of 500-meter Predicted Time Swim
  11:00-11:30am   Registration/Check-in for the 1500-meter swim
  11:40am             Required pre-swim meeting for 1500-meter swim
  11:55am             Start of 1500-meter swim
  1:15pm               Awards

ELIGIBILITY:  Open ONLY to 2020 USMS members or foreign equivalents 18 + on race day.  USMS “One-Event” membership—covering all swims—is available for adults 18+ only for $21.

RULES:  Current USMS rules shall govern this event.

• Age will be determined by the age of the swimmer on December 31, 2020, except for 18-year-olds, who must be 18 on the day of the event;
• Category II suits—including wetsuits—are welcomed in all swims, but will be scored in a separate category in the 1500 & 3000-meter swims;
• Swimmers in either swimwear category MAY wear a personal buoy (tow float) for identification and safety.  These are defined as inflatable, tethered to the waist, and towed no farther behind than the top of the ankle;
• Swimmers MAY make deliberate contact with craft and/or physical features on or near the course.

PREDICTED TIME SWIM:  We're bringing back an old favorite; the 500-meter Swim will be a "predict your finish time" swim!  Swim speed is irrelevant; the swimmer who guesses closest to his or her actual finish time will be the overall winner.  In the past, the finish has been determined by less than a second, so please submit your prediction to the one-hundredth of a second.

JUST FOR FUN:  In the 1500-meter swim only, we have a category called ‘Just for Fun’ for swimmers who would like a more relaxed, non-competitive participation swim experience.  Swimmers in this category may use otherwise-prohibited devices like snorkels, pull buoys, paddles, fins, etc.  They’ll identify themselves at the swimmers’ pre-swim meeting and swim with the rest of us, but for safety and fairness, they’ll start at the back of the pack and avoid contact & drafting with those who are racing.  We won’t report places or score them in any swimwear category, but we will report times as a courtesy.  As we said—just for fun!  This category is aimed to attract new participants who might not be inclined to race or to swim without their favorite gear.

STARTS & SEEDING:  The 1500 & 3000-meter swims will use a mass start.  The 500-meter swim will use an individual start and will be seeded fastest-to-slowest based on 500-yard seed time. Day-of-Race entries or those not submitting a seed time will not be seeded in advance and will swim last. No changes allowed in seeding times at the race, so enter accurately.

SAFETY—OUR PRIMARY CONCERN:  Safety boats will monitor the entire course.  Swimmers must wear a brightly colored swim cap, have their race number on their arms or hands, and follow all announced safety rules without exception.

REGISTRATION—ONLINE ONLY (except day-of-race entries, which carry a $10 late fee)
Online entries must be received by Monday, August 3.  After that, swimmers may only enter as a Day-of-Race entry.   Save some cash—submit your entries on time!

ENTRY FEES:  One swim (1500 or 3000-meter) is $30; one swim, either 1500 or 3000, plus Time Trial Swim is $35; both long swims or all three swims are $40.  Entry fee includes pre & post-swim snacks and the swims themselves. Online entry is paid by credit card to "ClubAssistant.com Events".

OMS SANCTION SURCHARGE:  There is a required a $5 per swimmer surcharge to cover the cost of USMS-mandated sanction insurance.

RESULTS:  Will be posted at Eel Lake promptly after each swim and at www.somaswim.org and www.swimoregon.org after the event.

AWARDS:  Age groups are standard USMS age groups.

• 1500 and 3000-meter swims:  Eel Lake ribbons to the top three finishers in each age group & race in both suit categories.
• 500-meter Predicted Time Swim: Bragging rights!
• ‘Just for Fun’ Category in the 1500-meter swim:  No awards, but the great satisfaction of a swim well done.

OREGON OPEN WATER SERIES:  All swims count towards the cumulative season series.  The 1500 & 3000-meter swims are featured swims, the 500-meter Time Trial Swim is a qualifying swim, and the ‘Just for Fun’ category in the 1500-meter swim is a participation swim.

SNACKS:  Beverages, brownies, cookies, & fruit will be available, but lunch will not be provided.

SOUVENIRS:  Swimmers may pre-order commemorative T-shirts for $20. A limited number of shirts will be for sale at the event.  T-shirt design is below.



DIRECTIONS:  Google William M. Tugman State Park, just off U.S. Highway 101 between Reedsport and Coos Bay.

PARKING:  There is plenty of nearby parking in the park, with no parking fee.

CAMPING:  Tugman campground has both reservable and first-come-first-served campsites, as well as reservable yurts.  Call 1-800-452-5687 for reservations.  As a backup, try nearby Umpqua State Park, same reservation number.

WEBSITE FOR EVENT INFO: www.somaswim.org

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE GURU:  Ralph Mohr   rmohr1565@charter.net    541-269-1565

EVENT DIRECTOR:  Matt Miller    matt@flytrapcare.com   636-209-8916

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