The Atlantic Dash, a distance of 5.4km, is already fully subscribed and will be tackled by 30 swimmers on Sunday, April 15.

It is hoped the race will develop into a bi-annual event. The group training swim has been organised by respected businessman and dedicated cold water swimmer Theodore Yach, who feels the beauty of the route makes it one of the most scenic in Cape Town.

Yach has done the Cape Town to Robben Island swim more than 60 times and hopes that the Atlantic Dash will become a feeder event for swimmers wanting to train for this “bucket list” swim.

“What makes the Atlantic Dash unique is that we invite spectators and pedestrians to walk the route along the promenade and follow the swimmers. Support crew, media and the swimmers also have stunning views of Table Mountain and Signal Hill at the same time,” says Yach.

Another unique factor of the race is its friendliness to the environment – all support boats will be lifesavers on paddle crafts, instead of motorised boats.

A team of nurses and a doctor will be on standby for any injuries and to ensure no swimmers have hypothermia upon exiting the sea.

“This is the birth of what will hopefully become one of the top swims on the Cape Town calendar.” The swim starts at 10am at Clifton Fourth Beach.

Phil Weddel, Danie Rautenbach, Seth, Erin and Rencke de Swart as well as Malan Steenkamp all swam the Mile.
The next open water swim event is on 4 March at Marina Martinique. Entries can be done online at  www.ecswim.co.za

Rotary Swim-a-Thon

Join us at Training Edge Gym on Saturday 25 February at 1 pm for the Rotary eradicate polio campaign and help set a world record in the process.

Entry fee is R 50 and all you have to do is swim 100 m to become part of the attempt to have the most swimmers completing a 100 m swim in a hour across the world.

We encourage all our swimmers to come and join in this initiative on Saturday at the Gym.

The pristine canals of Marina Martinique - home of the JBay Swim and the Marina Mile swim event. The Mile now forms part of an expanded EP Open Water Swim Series.

Marina Martinique Swim

Following a number of complaints about the early morning swim training, we have had to make the following changes:
From March we will be swimming on Tuesday and Thursday in the evenings at 6 pm. We will still be meeting at the gate as usual.

Swimmers may still swim on other days between 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm from Kingston Place flats. All swimmers are welcome to join JBay Swim and attend our training sessions at Marina Martinique. They will need to pay a registration fee of R 300 which will entitle them to a JBay Swim t-shirt and swim cap.

Application forms can be obtained from Isabeau Joubert reception at JBay Dentist in Schelde Road.

C League Gala

There is a C league gala at the Sunridge Park Primary School in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 25 February. All swimmers who have not taken part in a B league gala may swim in this event. Please be at the Sunridge pool by 8 am at the latest to enter.

Swim fees

Please note that swim fees are payable in advance. There was an extraordinary amount of bad debt in 2011 and all parents and swimmers are urged to play the game and pay when the invoice is received.
Money can be deposited by EFT and please use the swimmers name as reference.

See you in the water!!

J’Bay swimmers will also be taking part in the Rotary Global swimathon which will take place at the Training Edge gym on 25 February. Everyone is welcome to join in and swim 100 m to become part of an effort to make the Guinness Book of Records for the most people swimming 100 m at one time.

Entry forms can be obtained from the Gym and 6 lucky swimmers stand the chance of winning a R 1000 voucher from Training Edge which includes a free gym membership and personal training advice.

There are a few slots still open for children who need to learn how to swim. Lessons take place in an indoor heated pool at the Training Edge Gym. Find out more information by emailing kougaswim@vodamail.co.za

Ram Barkai is a cold water swimmer from Cape Town.

Together with Toks Viviers, they did three swims in rough water, against strong currents and in water between 3.9°C and 8°C.

The three swims were: 4.5 K across the Strait of Magellan, 3.2 K double crossing of the Beagle Channel and 2.5 K around Cape Horn.

The South African cold water specialists will be joined by the following swimmers in their next cold water expedition:

Rafal Ziobro (Poland), Zdenek Talmicka and Petr Tomasek (Czech Republic), Jack Bright (United Kingdom), Nuala Moore and Anne Marie Ward (Ireland), Alexander Brylin (Russia), Paolo Chiarino (Italy) and Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden) have all committed to the 86 K (53 mile) relay crossing of the entire width of the Bering Strait.

The Bering Straight separates Russia from the America’s and the water will be below 4 degrees Celsius for the swim.

The crossing is planned for 18 July – 10 August 2012. The swimming relay starts on the Cape Dezhnev (Russia) and finishes on the Cape Prince of Wales (USA)

In South Africa, the cold debate was largely irrelevant outside of Cape Town but with more and more swimmers attempting swims like Robben Island, the question of how cold is cold has become increasingly topical.

Since open water swimming starting in Jeffreys Bay in the mid 1990′s, perceptions about how cold is cold have changed quite dramatically.

For many years open water swimming stopped towards the end of March when the canal water temperature dropped below 20 degrees C and only started again in October, once the 20 degree mark was breached.

That all changed in 2011 as Jeffreys Bay swimmers began training for Robben Island swims and suddenly water of 12 – 13 degrees C was sought after, with swimmers coming through from Port Elizabeth to swim in the chilly canals.

13 degree water at Marina Martinique in winter.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming reported on a poll conducted among open water swimmers about how cold is cold. The results were:

Under 5ºC (41ºF) – 0%
Under 10ºC (50ºF) – 7%
Under 12.5°C (54.5°F) – 14%
Under 15°C (59°F) – 20%
Under 17.5°C (63.5°F) – 24%
Under 20°C(68°F) – 15%
Under 22.5°C (72.5°F) – 17%

Photo: Paul Van Jaarsveld

Helping the little swimmer to overcome the associated fears and uncertainty’s is the first step in the Learn to Swim journey.

Building a trust relationship will be a good swim teacher’s first goal.

Up to the age of 3, many children will only trust their parents or other family members and learning to trust a stranger in a swimming pool can be very stressful.

It does help if the little swimmer knows some other children who are learning to swim with the same teacher.  They will then compare notes amongst each other and can help make the whole journey more enjoyable.

There may be tears when a little swimmer enters the water for the first time.  A patient, calm swim teacher will help the child through this traumatic stage and this will be the start of the trust relationship.

Brenton’s Swim School offers lessons at the Training Edge Gym in a heated covered swimming pool. For more information, email kougaswim@vodamail.co.za

Olympic swimmers Natalie Du Toit, Chad Ho and Thoyden Prinsloo were joined by over a hundred swimmers from all over South Africa for the Champs.

Natalie won both the 10 K and the 5 K in the event which also doubled up as a World Champs qualifier.

She also took time out to visit the swimmers at training and signed autographs for everybody!

For more on this story click on www.jbaynews.com

He won the 200 m Freestyle in 1:46.27 and the 100m Butterfly in 51.75. Both these times are the fastest in  the world in 2011 for these events.

Michael Phelps swum a 51.75 for the 100 m Fly

Phelps took a break from swimming following the 2008 Olympic Games and got back into serious training last year in a build up to the London Olympics next year. From the form shown a year out from the Games, Phelps will undoubtedly be a medal contender come business time in 2012.

“I said to myself if I was under 1:47 in the 200 free, I’d be really happy, and when I saw 46.2, it kind of surprised me a little bit,” Phelps said. “It was the best time in the world, so I’ll take it. I’m definitely happy.

“My freestyle has been connecting a little bit better than it has in the past, so that’s one thing I’m really happy with. The only thing I’m kind of upset with in my fly was my finish. I try not to have finishes like that, because I know how important they are.

“I know there are some things I can still change, but for the most part, I know I’m heading in the right direction. I’m pretty confident.”

Follow this gala at USA Swimming