Two great open water swimmers are wanted in the Eastern Cape in South Africa.
Michael Zoetmulder of Zports will invite two elite open water swimmers to visit South Africa between April 6th and 9th to take part in a trifecta of grand open water swims:
1. The tough 8 km Nelson Mandela Bay Bell Buoy Challenge
2. The fast Izani Siqubhe 1 km Swim
3. The strategic King & Queen of the Bay elimination race over a 3-day weekend.
“We will contribute R15,000 (US$1,972 or €1,489) towards their air flights and will provide ground accommodation for them in Port Elizabeth during their stay. Our hospitality includes a safari drive, a township tavern tour and dinner,” explained the innovative race director.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Bell Buoy Challenge offers a total of R43,750 (US$5,752 or €4,343) in cash prizes for the 8 km rough water swim. R7,500 (US$986 or €744) is given to the male and female winners of the non-wetsuit division and R1,000 (US$131 or €99)is given to the male and female winners of the wetsuit category. Cash prizes go down to 5th place in the non-wetsuit division and down to 3rd in the wetsuit division.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Bell Buoy Challenge is held in Algoa Bay and was won by Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria and Melissa Gorman of Australia in 2011. As a biodiversity hotspot, Algoa Bay is rich in both terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
In the Izani Siqubhe 1 km Swim, the male, female and “Future Stars” winners receive R1,000 (US$131 or €99) with cash prizes down to 5th place.
In the King & Queen of the Bay, where ocean swimmers compete in a multi-discipline beach extravaganza (including malibu board, beach sprints and beach flags races), the male and female winners receive R750 (US$99 or €74) with cash prizes down to 3rd place.
The King & Queen of the Bay is a spectacular, spectator-friendly, strategic mano-a-mano approach of competitive open water racing.
In an innovative race arrangement, finalists are pit together in a single heat over a sprint course. The slowest finalists in each heat are eliminated as the field is whittled down. This knock-down, get-up-and-go event provides only limited rest between heats as the heats alternate between male and female rounds (swim) or Sprints, flags and Malibu rounds. After four elimination rounds, the fastest four finalists end up racing in the final for prize money. The event is a tough test of one’s sprinting speed, overall endurance and racing strategy.
Interested and qualified swimmers should send their swimming resume to Michael at michael@zports.co.za. A decision will be made quickly.
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source