September Sea Swimming Challenge for the W&PNSA

National Sailing Academy
W&P National Sailing Academy

The last swim of the BustinSkin Big Bay Swim Series will be held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) on 5 September 2010.  150 competitors will take to the water to participate in either the 1.2 or 2.4 mile swims with all proceeds going to the Dorset Blind Association. 

Sea swimming clearly presents a greater challenge than your average pool swimming; on course swimmers will have to deal with whipping winds, tidal currents and chilling waters.  Despite these challenging conditions outdoor swimming has seen something of a surge in popularity of late.  Once perceived as the preserve of school children and hardy pensioners, it is now being embraced across the nation; the BustinSkin Big Bay swim anticipates 150 female and male competitors of all ages, ranging from 18 to 70.   

In the last few years there have been a multitude of books, websites and forums in which contributors recommend different places to take the plunge.  The WPNSA can only be described as one of these esteemed locations with the South West offering the cleanest swimming waters in the UK.  This is the first time that BustinSkin have held one of their series swims at the Academy and the predominant reason, according to Mark Steen, Race Director at BustinSkin, is the Academy’s outstanding swimming waters.  Not surprising considering they were once the favoured waters of King George III during the 18th century. 

As well as providing some of the best sailing waters on the planet, the Academy is ideally suited to hosting water based events such as swimming.  The sheltered conditions near the Academy mean that contestants will be able to swim in clear water, safely with the security of the safety boat crews.  Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd places in a number of categories; 1.2 mile and 2.4 mile; highest male and female in both distances and; 1st and 2nd place in the wetsuit and non wetsuit category.