May 4, 2009 — With V.I. National Park's blue waters as the setting, the sixth annual Friends of the Park Beach-to-Beach Power Swim will get underway at 8 a.m. May 24 at Maho Bay Beach on St. John.
"It's such a beautiful location and the beach is phenomenal," said Friends Development Director Noreen Cavanaugh.
She urged people who may be interested in swimming to come out to watch.
"And it's a fun outdoor activity," she said.
Meanwhile, the Friends organization has sponsored practice sessions to help swimmers get in shape. The last one begins at 8:30 a.m. May 17 at Maho Bay Beach.
The Power Swim targets both competitive and recreational swimmers. Those who need a little help may swim in the assisted-swimmer category with snorkels, fins and exposure suits.
On race day swimmers have their choice of four courses. The one-mile short course is a solo swim from Maho Bay Beach to Cinnamon Bay Beach. The intermediate solo swim runs about 2.25 miles, from Maho Bay Beach to Trunk Bay Beach. The 3.5-mile long course for solo swimmers runs from Maho Bay Beach to Hawksnest Bay Beach.
Three-person relay teams will swim 3.5 miles. The first leg runs from Maho Bay Beach to Cinnamon Bay Beach, the second leg from Cinnamon Bay Beach to Trunk Bay Beach, and the last from Trunk Bay Beach to Hawksnest Bay Beach.
All participants receive a swim cap, T-shirt and, if they finish the course, a medal.
"You get the medal around your neck and you feel like an Olympian," Cavanaugh said.
Awards are given to overall winners and winners in each age group. The top male and female winners who swim the long course receive blown-glass fish from Maho Bay Camps recycled glass program.
The second- and third-place finishers in the long course will also receive glass art.
The swim will be followed by a barbecue party at Oppenheimer Beach with food and drinks for sale. The party is open to the public.
Last year 165 swimmers participated. Edmund Gendreau of New Hampshire won the long course for the men with a time of one hour and 17 minutes. Former St. John resident Louise Wearmouth, who now lives on Tortola, was the fastest woman with a time of one hour, 28 minutes and seven seconds.
The money raised at the Power Swim helps to fund the Friends' learn-to-swim program and other activities. Friends President Joe Kessler said last year's event raised $11,000.
The Friends still need volunteers to staff the safety kayaks, as well as help on the beach and at the barbecue beach party.
In conjunction with the Power Swim, the swim-instruction company Total Immersion will hold a clinic May 23 at Maho Bay Camps to help swimmers perfect their techniques. The two-hour class begins at 2:30 p.m. and costs $125.
Advance registration for the Power Swim ends May 8, but swimmers have until May 22 to sign up. Advance registration runs $30, with general registration running $40. Swimmers who wait until the pre-race meeting at Maho Bay Camps on May 23 will pay $50 to register.
Youths ages 17 and under may register through May 22 for $15. If they wait until May 23, the registration fee runs $25.
There is no registration on the day of the event.
Swimmers may register at friendsvinp.org/swim, by phoning the Friends at 779-4940, in person at the Friends store in Mongoose Junction shopping center, at Connections in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay, at the Caribbean Surf Co.'s Red Hook and Havensight locations on St. Thomas, and at St. Croix Ultimate Blue Water Adventures dive shop on St. Croix.
To sign up for the Total Immersion clinic, call 845-256-9770.
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