faq

Sharks, Crocs, Killer Jellyfish and sundry other beasties:

OK, lets get this out of the way first.

The Magnetic Island to Townsville swim started in 1954 and every race up until now has
been in shark cages. So there must be sharks in the area, right? That is exactly right.
Sharks do inhabit our coastal waters, but can you think of any coastal region in Australia
(or anywhere else for that matter) where there are absolutely no sharks? The fact is
that sharks inhabit or visit just about any location where swimmers venture into the open
water. The following facts may help quell peoples natural fears.

* The last shark incident in Townsville coastal waters occurred in 1951.
* Baited shark lines have been in place off Townsville and Magnetic Island’s main beaches
for many years.
* Statistics of shark catchings show that numbers caught have halved in this last decade
compared to the decade prior.
* A local shark expert is of the opinion that Townsville coastal waters pose no greater
shark risk than most other Australian coastal waters.
* For the last six years, about one quarter of our “caged swim” has been run outside of the cages, without incident. Because the cages draw 2 metres, competitors had to swim out from the island, over the top of the baited shark lines and across Middle Reef before meeting up with their tow boat and cage, and coming in to shore, they had to exit the cage 800-900m off the beach and swim past more shark lines into shore.
* Every duo and team must have a power boat escort.   There will also be a number of official and roving safety boats on the course. In all, there may be forty or more vessels in close proximity to the swimmers. This will create a great deal of noise, particularly underwater. Experts are of the opinion that this alone will drive any sharks out of the vicinity of the race course.

No race organizer of any ocean swim can guarantee a shark free event, and ours is no exception. When you swim in open water, marine creatures, wind, waves and low visibility are all things you may encounter. It is part of the territory, and for many, this is the fascination of open water, as compared to the sterile, enclosed environment of the pool. To face the elements and complete the course (particularly a solo crossing), gives a great sense of satisfaction and achievement. For marine stingers, see the section in Safety and Medical Notes.

Weather
Townsville and north Queensland enjoys sensational weather during the winter months. The marketing slogan, “Beautiful one day, perfect the next”, is no exaggeration. On the water, conditions are generally fairly settled. The “normal” afternoon sea breeze normally starts to build up from around midday. Breezes are usually from the north east (coming from your left hand quarter, hence giving some slight assistance) and light to moderate in strength. There is however, no guarantee of good conditions. So train in open water on choppy days, and be prepared for adverse conditions.

Following are statistics of Townsville weather in July, as supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology www.bom.gov.au
·Average maximum temperature 25.0 C
·Average minimum temperature   13.5 C
·Average hours of sunshine             8.5
·Average rainfall                            13 mm
·Average days of rain                       2

Follow the links on the Townsville BOM site to the Australian Institute of Marine Science remote weather stations. The Cleveland Bay station give details of wind speed, air and water temperatures.

What can I expect on the course?
You will start at the waters edge. There may be some rocks on the bottom so be careful of this. You main challenge upon leaving the beach, is meeting up with your paddler. This is not an easy task as swimmers are hard to identify in a group. You can make this easier by coloring your arm or cap with zinc cream so the paddler can spot you. Paddlers, you can wear a distinctive hat or rash vest to allow the swimmer to spot you. Safety Control Point (SCP) 1 is roughly 500m off the beach. It consists of two buoys which swimmers must pass between. An official boat will be stationed here and swimmers must not proceed past this point unless they are united with their paddler.

You normally have a bit of chop to deal with in the early stages, as you will be swimming at right angles to the prevailing breeze until you pass Pinic Bay Reed. The water is clean and visibility is normally around 2 to 3 metres. Pinic Bay Reef is a small, continental reef with real coral and a few fish (the clock is ticking, no time for sight seeing). The reef is 1.2 kms from the start and you swim straight over the top of it.   A directional marker will be positioned on the reef and swimmers must keep to the left of this marker (it will be too shallow to swim with safety, on the RHS). The depth over the reef will be around 2 metres.

SCP 2 is located 1.3 to 1.4 kms from the start, on the mainland side of middle reef. It consists of two buoys which all swimmers must pass between (and all boats must stay outside of this area. At this point, duos and teams will need to meet up with your power boat. The paddler will be useful here in facilitating the link up with your boat.   Duos & teams will not be allowed to proceed beyond this point without their boat. Power boats milling around and meeting up with slow moving swimmers & paddlers & then doing their first relay change, without doubt, constitutes the most dangerous part of the race. It is crucial that everyone involved exercises great care and patience, and that boats only move close to swimmers when it is safe to do so. Remember that the paddler is the main escort for the swimmer in the water. The boat does not have to be close to swimmers, other than for relay change overs.

SCP 3 is located about 4 kms from the start and is roughly the half way point in the race. It consists of two buoys (roughly 200m apart) which all swimmers must pass between. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. A two hour cut off applies at this point, any swimmer who has not passed this point at the two hour mark, will be required to withdraw from the race.

There may be significant tidal movement in the bay during the swim, but swimmers probably won’t notice its effects, and it probably will neither significantly help or hinder competitors. The wind is another matter, any easterly component in the wind (including the prevailing NE sea breeze) will push swimmers off course to the right. Paddlers and support boats should be constantly vigilant to ensure you remain on course, particularly if you are guiding a slower swimmer. The reason for SCP3 is to keep the field together and under close supervision of safety vessels. Soon after the half way point, you will notice that visibility in the water, progressively becomes worse. The water quality is fine, the poor viz. is due to suspended sediments in the water, stirred up by the tides and sea breeze.

SCP 4 is located directly off the Strand Park headland (where Picnic Bay SLSC is located), about 7.6 to 7.8 klms from the start. Once again, it consists of two buoys which all swimmers must pass between. For safety reasons, power boats must not proceed beyond this point. Paddlers may proceed with their swimmers beyond this point, but must give way to, and stay clear of other swimmers in close proximity.

Less than 50 m past SCP 4 is the start of the dreaded “final sprint”. Yes, it’s just what you need after a leisurely 8 k jaunt across Cleveland Bay. It is a short series of zig zags around clearly marked buoys, over a distance of around 700 m, leading in to the finish line, close to the headland, at the surf club end of the beach. There should be a good number of spectators, so put in the big ones and give them a good show.

The finish will be at the water’s edge. There are no rocks on the sand in the water to worry about. One very important note, there will be a final buoy in around waist deep water, within a few meters of the finish. You must swim around this buoy (keeping it to your RHS) and into the finish. You must not exit the water prior to this point and run along the beach to finish.

If you are a duo or team swimmer, well done. If you are a solo, and have completed the course fair and square, congratulations. You join a group of only 200+ swimmers to have ever accomplished this feat.

Safety Escort Craft Requirements
All solo swimmers must have an escort paddler for the event.
Duos and teams must have one escort paddler and one power boat per team.
These are minimum safety requirements, and no exceptions will be made.
Solo swimmers may also have a power boat escort, if they wish, but this cannot be
instead of a paddler. The event organizers have arranged with Surf Life Saving
Australia, for that organization to provide paddlers for all competitors who so
require. Simply tick the box on the entry form to indicate you require a paddler.
You can supply your own paddler if you wish.

If you would like the event organizers to provide a paddler, a fee of $100 applies. This covers the services of the paddler and their craft and travel to the island. The paddler will be a member of SLSA and will be briefed on how best to guide you across Cleveland Bay. Every cent of the $100 fee will be donated to the surf lifesaving movement.

To assist competitors, particularly visitors to our city, the organizers will also compile a register of power boat owners who are willing to offer their services in guiding duos and teams for the race. If you require assistance in obtaining a power boat escort, simply contact us and we will email this list to you.   It will then be up to you to contact the captain and negotiate for the use of their services (including the fee). Once you have secured the captain’s services, please inform the organizers so we can keep the list up to date.

Boat Captains’ Responsibilities
Boat crews are essential to the safety and success of each entrant, and the event. As well as carrying relay team members, the boat provides support for the swimmer in the water and also the paddler, if required. Whilst the event organizers have overall control of water safety, the boat captain retains control & responsibility for his/her vessel and those aboard, at all times. To ensure the safety of all participants, the boat captain must comply with directions of race organizers and all maritime authorities.

1). The captain must hold a valid, current licence for the vessel they are controlling. The vessel must comply with all maritime safety requirements (eg. Maximum numbers on board, lifejackets, lights, flares, marine radio etc.)
The boat captain, in conjunction with team members, is responsible for meeting up with the swimmer & paddler on the mainland side of middle reef. Whilst waiting, all vessels must stay outside of the swimming course (at Safety Control Point)
2). Once contact is made with the swimmer & paddler, the captain and team are jointly responsible for retaining contact with them. Contact does not have to be close, and indeed sometimes this is not possible, due to the presence of other swimmers in the water. Boats must give way to swimmers in the water at all times. During relay changeovers, and at any other time when swimmers are in close proximity to the boat, the skipper must disengage the engine and remain in neutral until safe to proceed.   Boat captains should endeavour to stay downwind of any swimmer in the immediate area. Fumes from your engine, can easily cause discomfort and sea sickness to other swimmers and paddlers.

Paddlers’ Responsibilities
Paddlers are essential for ALL competitors (including duos/teams, as the first
changeover cannot occur, for safety reasons until after crossing Middle Reef). The
paddler is the eyes and ears of the swimmer in the water. The paddler can easily see
and warn an approaching boat of the swimmer’s presence. The paddler can provide useful
information (eg. Placing, how far to go etc.) as well as encouragement, during drink stops.
The paddler also helps keep the swimmer on the correct course and can provide drinks
and other support, as required.   In the event of a problem, the craft provides good
flotation and initial support, until a power boat arrives to provide further assistance.

Useful Checklists for Swimmers
Finish Line Bag - A clearly marked bag to contain clothes for after the race (including something warm), towel, toiletries, detergent for removing grease, hat & sun glasses and money for buying a celebratory drink. It is also a good idea to have a snack in your finish bag, plus a drink to line your stomach and get the salt taste out of your mouth, a sustagen or Upn’Go popper is perfect for this. Consider how you will get this bag to the finish line so it is there when you need it.

Pre Race & Start Line - This bag should contain your race gear (swim suit, goggles, cap),
sunscreen, grease (plus rubber gloves & rag, for its application), sea sickness medication
(if required), spare gear (goggles, cap), pre race drinks & snacks, broad brimmed hat
(which won’t blow off) & sun glasses. You will also need a large, strong, waterproof bag,
clearly marked with your name, to put all your clothes and surplus gear in, prior to
the start. Race organizers will transport this to the finish line, but cannot accept any
responsibility for its contents. For this reason, don’t bring any valuables (including jewelry
etc.) to the start line.

During the Race - Solos should give their paddler a very small, light and easy to carry bag containing your drink, spare goggles & cap and perhaps grease. Expect this bag to get wet and probably a little crushed, it should only contain essentials. Duo & team swimmers can carry all of the team’s equipment on the team power boat. They should also have a towel, hat, sunglasses & clothing to wear whilst not in the water.

Checklist for Paddlers
For your comfort, you should carry as little as possible. As well as the solo swimmers race kit, you should also carry a drink for yourself. Wear appropriate attire whilst paddling. A full length stinger suit will give good sun and some
thermal protection. Also wear sun glasses and a hat which won’t blow off. You should have applied liberal quantities of sunscreen prior to the start. You should also have a finish line bag, similar to the swimmers bag. You may also wish to your surplus gear from the start line transported to the finish which race organizers will do this. You supply the waterproof bag, clearly marked.