RELAY TEAM - 2nd Annual Swim Around Lido Key, 7-mile Open Water Swim Race

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Registration Schedule

This competition is limited to the first 31 entrants.

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Saturday, April 2, 2016

At beautiful Lido Key Beach, Sarasota, Florida

Sanctions
Florida LMSC for USMS Sanction #
Florida Swimming for USA Swimming Official Approval # 

Hosted by Swim Without Limits, Inc.

Race website: www.SwimWithoutLimits.com

Event Directors
David Miner 941-545-9709
Steve Butler 941-376-3524

About Lido Key
A gorgeous barrier island adjacent to Sarasota, Lido Key boasts some of Sarasota’s most beautiful beaches. With St. Armands Circle, Lido Key is a hub for excellent shopping and fine dining. Bring your family and friends to enjoy a great race and a special weekend exploring Lido Key and all that Sarasota offers. See http://www.visitsarasota.org/ for more information about Sarasota.

About the Race
This is a 7-mile open water swim race around the beautiful island of Lido Key. Each solo swimmer will have a pilot (kayak escort) to provide safety, navigation, and nutrition to the swimmer. Swimmers can enter as a solo swimmer, 2-person relay, or 3-person relay. Relay teams must take turns swimming and paddling, meaning that each person swims a portion of the race and paddles the kayak a portion of the race. Relay swimmers cannot have a dedicated pilot!

The course starts in the Gulf of Mexico on Lido's public beach just north of the Lido Beach Resort Hotel and takes you north along the beautiful beaches to New Pass inlet where you’ll swim by large waterfront homes and Mote Marine Aquarium up to City Island where you’ll turn right heading west, south-west to Coon Key in the Sarasota Bay waters. Popular Bird Key will be to your left as you make your way to Big Pass and the beautiful Lido Park. Exiting Sarasota Bay waters through Big Pass, you’ll turn right and head north in the Gulf along sparkling white sand beaches to the finish line at the Lido Beach Resort Hotel.

NOTE: We STRONGLY encourage swimmers to bring their own experienced kayaker to escort them, but if you’re coming from out of town or just don’t have a kayaker, we’ll provide a kayaker for you. All pilot escorts MUST register as a pilot even if you're bringing your own escort. Please register at: TBD

Race Hotel
Lido Beach Resort Hotel (discounted race rates available) - Make your reservations early as the rooms are first-come, first-serve.

To book your hotel room:
Online: Book Now!
Call (800) 441-2113. When calling, ask for the "Swim Around Lido" discounted race rate.

About the hotel: Known for its prime location and impeccable service, the Lido Beach Resort is Sarasota’s finest beachfront property. Located on a barrier island just off the coast of Sarasota and featuring 223 luxurious guest rooms and suites, guests can enjoy upgraded amenities in a serene setting along the Gulf of Mexico. Loyal team members await the moment to accommodate your every request. Visit www.lidobeachresort.com for more information about the hotel.

Rules and Details

• You must be able to complete the swim in UNDER 5 HOURS. This means if there is ZERO current, you should be able to swim 1 open water mile in about 42 minutes. If you’re not within the final 1/4-mile of the swim within 5 hours, you may be pulled by the motorboat pilots and shuttled to the finish line.
• All swimmers and pilots MUST attend the pre-race safety meeting, which will be held on race day morning just prior to the race starting.
• The race will follow the English Channel swimming rules. This means no swimsuits below the knees or shoulders. No suits that provide any type of buoyancy. No triathlon suits. No wetsuits. No other swimming aids.
• All swimmers and pilots must provide their own nutrition (water, electrolytes, calories) for the entire race and have a means for securing it to the kayak. There are no water stations out on the course.
• Relay teams: You can swap swimmers at any time during the race and as many times as they want during the race.
• Relay teams: The pilot exiting kayak to swim must maintain contact and control of kayak until swimmer makes the exchange by hand-to-hand touch. At this moment, the finishing swimmer becomes the pilot and the only team member permitted contact with the kayak.  The pilot may then use sea bottom if needed for assistance to enter kayak and proceed as team pilot.
• All pilots must have a whistle and wear an approved PFD while paddling.
• Each pilot must have a cell phone secured in a dry bag for use in case of an emergency
• You cannot hang or rest on your pilot's boat even when feeding.
• No use of lower extremities to rest on or push off of sea bottom to gain an advantage.
• Swim caps and body marking will be provided which must be worn throughout the race.
• Persons allergic to latex should plan to wear a silicone cap beneath their race cap or bring their own brightly colored silicone cap.

PLEASE NOTE: If you can’t participate in the race or there are weather issues, there are no refunds, transfers, or deferrals for any reason. The cost of the event is fixed and the money has been spent come race day.

Check-In (race day morning)
Pre check-in will take place on Friday from 4:00-6:00 PM at the Daiquiri Deck on St. Armand’s Circle.

Race day morning check-in and body marking will take place under our tents immediately prior to the race.

Pre-race Meeting
Saturday morning, April 2,  starting at 7:30 AM will be the pre-race meeting. The meeting will take place at under our tents in the parking area. ALL swimmers and pilots must attend this safety and information meeting. Please refer to course map prior to the meeting. If you haven’t met your pilot prior to this meeting, you’ll meet your pilot during the meeting where you can discuss your race plan.

Water Temperature
72-78 F degrees

Prior to the Race (READ THIS!)

• It is advised that you complete at least a 2- to 3-hour training swim and practice feeding every 30-minutes prior to attempting this race!
• If you’re doing a relay and don’t have experience paddling a kayak, it is highly recommended that you spend time learning how to paddle a kayak safely.
• If you’re a solo swimmer, make sure you communicate with your pilot prior to race day so that you’re both on the same page about your race plans. Don’t wait until race day to communicate! If we’re providing a pilot for you, we’ll be sending both you and your pilot an email introducing each other. You’ll then have their email address for further communication.
• If you have any questions about your ability to swim this event, please contact the race directors

Safety

Water safety will be provided by the escort pilots on kayaks, powerboats, jet skis, a police boat, and an EMT that will be patrolling the course. Each powerboat will be flying a small orange flag and each jet ski rider will have an orange mark on the back of their life jackets for identification. Pilots will be instructed on how to seek assistance. An EMT will be available on the water and safety personnel will be instructed on how to assist a distressed swimmer and trained medical personnel will be available to assist in emergency situations. The MANDATORY pre-race meeting will review common communication signals for pilots (and swimmers) to use and recognize out on the course.

In case of inclement weather, unusually adverse surf conditions, or any other factors that may arise, an event committee composed of the event directors and safety personnel may modify the starting time or cancel the event.

Results
Results will be available online at www.SwimWithoutLimits.com.

Awards
Finishers medal for each swimmer who completes the swim.
Awards will be given to the overall top 5 male and top 5 female swimmers as well as the top 5 two-person relay teams and top 5 three-person relay teams.

The awards will be presented during the post race social/meal.

Volunteer (have a family member volunteer and be apart of the race)
We need volunteers to help out during the race. Please click here to volunteer. Thank you so much!

Race Venue Location/Directions
Lido Beach Resort Hotel
700 Ben Franklin Drive
Sarasota, FL 34236

Lido Public Beach parking and beach access (this is location of the event under our large tents)
400 Ben Franklin Drive
Lido Key, FL

Interstate 75 to Sarasota exit #210 (Fruitville Road). Take Fruitville Road west to US 41. Turn left (south) onto US 41 and continue John Ringling Blvd. (789). Turn right onto John Ringling Blvd. (789) and go over the bridge. Continue to St. Armands Circle going around the circle and exit the circle on John Ringling Blvd. Go to Ben Franklin Drive and go South to 700 Ben Franklin Drive.

If you’re not staying at the hotel, park in the public parking lot just to the north of the Lido Beach Resort Hotel. There are bathrooms, etc. at the public parking area.

Service Animals
Please contact the race director if you require the use of a service animal. Animals other than legitimate service animals are not permitted on Siesta Beach and owners are subject to a fine if animals are brought onto the beach.

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "ClubAssistant.com Events."