‘The Edge Sports’ Sandycove Island Challenge 2011

swimforever · 04-08-2011 2:46pm #1

For those of you that enjoyed the Lee Swim last weekend, entries are now open for the second big event of the Munster swim calendar: the Sandycove Island Challenge.

This year the swim will take place on September 24th at 3pm. The swim consists of one lap of Sandycove island near Kinsale, approximately 1,600-1,800metres (depending on how close you get to the rocks!).

Entries are now open here. It is a very popular swim so be advised to get your entries in early!

More information about the swim can be found on the Cork Masters website and updates will be posted on the Sandycove swimmers blog. Hope to see ye all there!

2old4dacold · 04-08-2011 9:09pm

for a first-timers prediction, how would times relate to the Lee swim?

swimforever · 04-08-2011 9:20pm

My best guess is that Sandycove would usually take about 2-3mins less than the Lee. The Lee is 200-300m longer but it's mostly assisted. In Sandycove you have the benefit of salt water which makes it a little easier, but the cold may slow people down a little if they're not used to it. It's also dependant on the year...apparently this year's Lee Swim times were a little slower than last year so you could maybe take a minute off for that too. The only thing is I'm judging based on local's times...and we swim very close to the rocks!! A wider Sandycove swim would probably be about equivalent time-wise to the Lee.

If it's for the time to put on the registration form...my advice is take your best guess, 30mins seems to be the most common estimate for average-paced swimmers. I'm about 3km an hour in the pool and my last Sandycove Challenge time was about 29:30 I think.

Hope that helps somewhat and I haven't just totally confused you!

biomed32 · 04-08-2011 9:31pm

Damn, missed the Lee swim and will miss this one too by a few days, moving to Belfast!

2old4dacold · 04-08-2011 10:57pm

swimforever wrote: »

My best guess is that Sandycove would usually take about 2-3mins less than the Lee. The Lee is 200-300m longer but it's mostly assisted. In Sandycove you have the benefit of salt water which makes it a little easier, but the cold may slow people down a little if they're not used to it. It's also dependant on the year...apparently this year's Lee Swim times were a little slower than last year so you could maybe take a minute off for that too. The only thing is I'm judging based on local's times...and we swim very close to the rocks!! A wider Sandycove swim would probably be about equivalent time-wise to the Lee.

If it's for the time to put on the registration form...my advice is take your best guess, 30mins seems to be the most common estimate for average-paced swimmers. I'm about 3km an hour in the pool and my last Sandycove Challenge time was about 29:30 I think.

Hope that helps somewhat and I haven't just totally confused you!

only messing, I'll go with equal, thanks

swimforever · 05-08-2011 1:47am

biomed32 wrote: »

Damn, missed the Lee swim and will miss this one too by a few days, moving to Belfast!

That's a pity, it's a really fun day...still, there's always next year!

2old4dacold wrote: »

only messing, I'll go with equal, thanks

Haha...I do have a tendency to over-think things! Using the same time should be fine though, it's only to sort people into waves anyway so if it's slightly too high it just means that you'll be passing people out

mad m · 05-08-2011 5:33pm

Did this last year also, its a lovely swim. Water was very clear....Keep clear of those rocks....

2old4dacold · 15-09-2011 9:33am

swimforever wrote: »

The only thing is I'm judging based on local's times...and we swim very close to the rocks!!

would be great if some volunteer locals were to swim in a certain colour hat (much like the marathon pace runners with the helium balloons) to give the rest of us an idea of the line . . . . middling swimmers like myself tend to follow whoever is in front of them . . . . would be nice to know that they know where they are going

2old4dacold · 22-09-2011 6:43pm

Anyone heading down to this on Saturday?

@swimforever:
what kind of distance out from the island would be classed as a "good" line?

mad m · 22-09-2011 11:00pm

2old4dacold wrote: »

Anyone heading down to this on Saturday?

@swimforever:
what kind of distance out from the island would be classed as a "good" line?

I remember last year I went straight out to edge of island, we were told to stay well clear at first turn, I didnt, you could see the rocks very close below. I nearly got swept up onto rocks after I went around first corner but thankfully I didnt...

When your going out to first turn give it a wide enough berth. Looking forward to it again...Anyone who is swimming it,I hope you have a good one....

2old4dacold · 24-09-2011 10:23pm

I swam about 30 metres out from the island, but there seemed to be an awful lot of people very close to the rocks between corner 1 & 2.

I was 6 minutes faster than I was in the Lee swim but tbh am disappointed as I felt I swam poorly. Not as cold as everyone had warned me it would be but it was just too lumpy for me today.

mad m · 25-09-2011 11:28pm

Couldnt of asked for a better day for it yesterday. Hats off to the organisers, very well run event. Was impressed when you got a text an hour or so after swim to say you won something and your time and overall place....

Didnt feel it as cold as they were saying, It was a little bit hairy when you went around first turn, not so much choppy but sort of rolling waves.it was lovely to feel the warmt in the water on the last leg coming around the rock into the slipway. Could of done better myself but hey what can you do...

I'm happy with my Silver Medal....:)

2old4dacold · 10-05-2012 9:25am

2old4dacold wrote: »

would be great if some volunteer locals were to swim in a certain colour hat (much like the marathon pace runners with the helium balloons) to give the rest of us an idea of the line . . . . middling swimmers like myself tend to follow whoever is in front of them . . . . would be nice to know that they know where they are going

this swim is open for registrations again for this year .... i don't want to keep harping on about it but having seen swimmers getting first-aid treatment after being washed onto the rocks last year, i think this idea might be worth looking at .... jmho

mad m · 10-05-2012 11:33am

Can't see anything online to register....Do you have a link 2old4dacold?

Edit: Got it....

http://www.activeglobal.com/swimming/kinsale-ireland/the-edge-sports-sandycove-island-challenge-2012/184266

mad m · 10-05-2012 3:31pm

2old4dacold wrote: »

this swim is open for registrations again for this year .... i don't want to keep harping on about it but having seen swimmers getting first-aid treatment after being washed onto the rocks last year, i think this idea might be worth looking at .... jmho

To be honest all it would take is a few more buoys and to stay right side of them....

DonalB · 18-05-2012 3:24pm

>what kind of distance out from the island would be classed as a "good" line?

We're not really going to answer this. ;-) Too much training and laps around the island to learn the secrets. In some places we swim inside certain rocks. It was some of the most experienced swimmers got nicely "reefed" last year, due to us being willing to take extra risks.

‘The Edge Sports’ Sandycove Island Challenge 2011

Comments