The 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim

Posted Sat, 01/11/2008 - 19:40 by Rottnest Channe...
Important Race Information
The 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim will be held on Saturday, 25th February 2012. The race departs from Cottesloe Beach and finishes at Thomson Bay, Rottnest Island. The distance of the race is 19.7km. The event categories for competitors are:
  • Solo
  • Duo - teams of 2
  • Team - teams of 4
  • Lavan Legal Charity Challenge - teams of 4
Minimum Age
The age requirement for the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim is a minimum of 14 years of age on the day of the swim in accordance with the FINA rules for open water swimming (OWS 1.2).
Entries Open
The online entry system for the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim will open at 8.00am (WST) on 1st November 2011. Entries will remain open for one week and will close at 5.30pm (WST) on the 7th November 2011. The ballots are run in the following weeks and all notifications are via email.
Solo entries remain open and close at 5.30pm (WST) on 14th November 2011.
Ballot System
All solo swimmers who register between the 1st and 14th November 2011 gain automatic entry into the event.
A random ballot will be conducted on 8 November 2011 to determine which duos and teams are successful in gaining entry into the 2012 event.
When the ballot has been run, an email will be sent notifying entrants if they are successful in gaining entry.  It is recommended that you check your entry status once the ballot has run, as some internet providers may block the emails that we send out to you.
If you are successful, you will have 4 days to log in and enter all your boat details and make payment. If you do not complete this within the 4 days, your entry will be placed back into the ballot for the next round.
The ballot is run several times until all places are filled.
Preference is given to some entries each year. They are as follows:
  • 5 places are held for current RCSA Committee Members
  • 8 places are held for Life Members of the Association
  • 5 places are held for disabled teams
  • 10 places are held for international teams
  • 20 places are set aside for interstate teams
  • 30 places are set aside for regional teams
  • 35 places are set aside for Lavan Legal Charity Challenge teams
Payment Options
Payment must be made at the time of accepting your entry (ie within 4 days of receiving notice of being selected in the ballot). Entry fees and additional T-shirts can be paid with either VISA or Mastercard only via the online registration system.
Swimmers Details
On entry you must complete the following information for each swimmer:
  • First name
  • Surname
  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Mobile number
  • Email address
  • T-shirt size
  • Emergency contact name
  • Emergency contact telephone number
  • Emergency contact mobile number
  • Medical conditions
  • Successful crossings
Consequence of Duplicate Entries
Do not try to gain entry by submitting more than one entry. Swimmers who submit more than one entry will be penalised and all team members will be banned from entering the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim for two years; the current event and the next event.
Solos
All solo swimmers who register between the 1st and 14th November gain automatic entry into the event. Entries close for solo swimmers at 5.30pm (WST) on 14th November 2011. The entry fee for solo swimmers in the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim is $175.
First time solo swimmers, and previous solo swimmers who have not competed in the event in the last five years, will be required to complete a 10km qualifying swim in 4 hours and 15 minutes or less. Solo swimmers who do not complete the 10km in the time required do not qualify and will not be permitted to start.
For more information on the 10km qualifying swim, please visit the following link: www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au/content/other-events
Solo swimmers who are successful in the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim and who are residents of Western Australia will receive an application form to purchase their customised number plates four weeks after race day. The cost to purchase these plates is $375 (as of 1st July 2010).
Duos and Teams
The entry fees for the 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim is $350 for duos and $700.00 for teams. Entry numbers for duos and teams are restricted for safety reasons. Duos and teams are categorised by adding the ages of the participants in each duo/team. The categories are as follows:
Duo
  • 28+
  • 50+
  • 75+
  • 100+
Team
  • 56+
  • 100+
  • 150+
  • 200+
  • 250 +
Lavan Legal Charity Challenge
The Lavan Legal Charity Challenge is an exclusive category for teams of four who wish to support the Starlight Children’s Foundation by competing for the Lavan Legal Charity Challenge Cup.

The 35 teams who are accepted in the ballot into the Lavan Legal Charity Challenge will receive the following benefits:

·         A separate morning briefing (for two team representatives) including complimentary light breakfast at Lavan Legal;
·         A Lavan Legal Charity Challenge Race Pack including the official 2012 HBF Rottnest Channel Swim merchandise;
·         Exclusive invitation for all team members to the VIP function (held from 2pm - 5pm) at Rottnest Island;
·         A donation made on your behalf to the Starlight Children’s Foundation;
·         A framed photograph of your team at the finish line.
 
In 2010, The Bondi Vet’s Chris Brown and Deano, Hoppo and Whippet from Channel Ten’s Bondi Rescue won the Lavan Legal Charity Challenge Cup. In 2011, the winners of this exclusive category were the Statwide Oil Slammers who were the very first swimmers across all categories to cross the finish line on the day.

The entry fee for this exclusive category is $1,650.00 per team.
As places are limited, teams who are unsuccessful in securing one of the 35 positions in the Lavan Legal Charity Challenge ballot will be transferred into the standard team category ballot.
Briefing
It is compulsory that all solos, and a swimmer from each duo/team attend the 2012 Rottnest Channel Swim Briefing. It is highly recommended that the support boat skipper also attends. The briefing will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 8 February 2012 at Challenge Stadium, Stephenson Ave, Mount Claremont.
Support Boat
Solo swimmers require a support boat that is a minimum of 5 metres in length. Duo and team swimmers require a support boat that is a minimum of 6 metres in length. It is highly recommended but not compulsory, that paddle craft be used to assist the swimmer/s and skipper on the day.
Call signs for solo swimmers and teams will be the solo/team number. For example, if you are solo swimmer 100 then your call sign is "Solo swimmer 100" and if you are team 450 then your call sign will be "Team 450".
The support boat information that is required to complete your entry and make payment is listed below:
  • Name of boat
  • Boat registration number#
  • Boat length#
  • Make of boat - boat make and model
  • Engine Type - inboard or outboard
  • Type of marine radio - 27Mhz or VHF#
  • Mooring location/number if staying overnight at Rottnest#
  • Boat skipper name#
  • Boat skipper address#
  • Boat skipper mobile number#
  • Boat skipper email address#
  • Boat skipper Recreational Skipper's Ticket number#
# compulsory information to complete your entry.
Swim Suit Regulations
This is a notice to advise that under clause 22 of the Constitution, the Rottnest Channel Swim Association Committee at the Committee Meeting on 30 November 2010 amended By-law 1. Confirmation of the Committee Meeting Minutes took place at the following Committee Meeting held on 14 December 2010. The Committee wishes to inform and advise Members that By-Law 1 which governs the use of swim wear and artificial swimming aids has been amended and approved to be in force with immediate effect. For ease of reference, By-Law 1 reads as follows:
In any Rottnest Channel swim attempts, no swimmer shall use or be assisted by artificial aids of any manner. Swimmers are permitted to grease the body before a swim, use goggles, wear a maximum of two caps, nose clip and earplugs. Swimmers must wear one bathing suit that does not contain neoprene, rubber or any other material that aids buoyancy and complies with FINA’s Rules for Open Water Swimming with the exception that until 28 February 2012 the bathing suit may be a swim skin of any brand, or the pointzero3 or nero swim suit made by Blueseventy.  In addition to one bathing suit that complies with this rule, swimmers may wear one rash vest or stinger suit made of porous textile material (such as nylon or lycra), which does not extend beyond the ankles, the neck or the wrist.
Start Times
The first wave of solo swimmers leaves Cottesloe Beach at 5.45am and the last wave of team swimmers leaves the beach at 7.45am. The first solo wave will be comprised of females and the top seeded males to a maximum of 100 swimmers. The second solo wave will be comprised of the remaining males.
The following list outlines the start waves for each category, and their respective start times:
Swim wave 1: start time 5.45am; Solos - female and seeded males;
Swim wave 2: start time 6.00am; Solos - rest of males;
Swim wave 3: start time 6.15am; Duos, race number 300-380;
Swim wave 4: start time 6.30am; Duos, race number 381-499;
Swim wave 5: start time 6.45am; Teams 56+, race number 500-599;
Swim wave 5: start time 6.45am; Teams 200+/250+, race number 600-699;
Swim wave 6: start time 7.00am; Teams 150+, race number 700-799;
Swim wave 7: start time 7.15am; Teams 150+, race number 800-999;
Swim wave 8: start time 7.30am; Teams 100+, race number 1000-1099;
Swim wave 9: start time 7.45am; Teams 100+, race number 1100-1299;
Cut-off Times
All competitors who do not reach the allocated distances by the set cut-off times are required leave the water. After these cut-off times, swimmers are recorded as "did not finish" (DNF) and must leave the water immediately. These times have been set in accordance with the Authorities governing the event and must be adhered to. Swimmers who do not leave the water will face disqualification (DSQ) and can be blacklisted from the event.
  • 10km - 1210hrs
  • 15km - 1435hrs
  • 18km - 1550hrs
  • 19km - 1620hrs
  • Beginning of 400m finish channel - 1630hrs
  • Finish line - 1700hrs
Withdrawals
Applications to withdraw from the event made before 16 December 2011 will entitle the applicant to a 50% refund. All applications for withdrawals/refunds must be made in writing and emailed to admin@rottnestchannelswim.com.au or posted to PO Box 2004, Claremont, WA, 6010.
Withdrawals after this date do not receive a refund, but must still inform the RCSA in writing of the withdrawal by either emailing or posting to the RCSA as per above.
Presentation
The presentation of prizes will be held on the beach in front of Hotel Rottnest at 5.30pm on race day. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place getters in the Solo, Duo and Team categories only. Cash prizes are irrespective of which age category was entered (eg. 56+ or 100+).
All successful solo competitors, place getters and category winners are requested to assemble at the front of the presentation stage at least 20 minutes prior to presentations.
A photograph of all solo swimmers will be taken before the start of the presentations at 5.00pm.