Just found out from it that you were at New Cumnock Open Air Swimming pool in 2008.

Any plans to do it again, perhaps getting the pool (and others) some much needed publicity?

Well done lads.

Cheers, Aulyin

Dean Jackson, blueseventy’s Global Marketing Director said, “Maarten is a tremendous ambassador for blueseventy and for the sport. His presence at the Great Big Open Water Swim will bring a touch of class to what promises to be a superb event. We hope as many people as possible will come and swim and meet this inspirational athlete.”

It begins filming in studios outside London and will later shoot in various locations in Wales and in the Spanish Canary Islands, predominantly on Tenerife, off the coast of Africa. Further aerial work is set to take place in the diverse locales of Ethiopia and Iceland.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=54896
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=40223
http://www.isrm.co.uk/news/news_story.php?news_id=205

However, this rule change means that some 10 year olds can now compete in events up to and including 1,000 metres (so long as the swimmer is due to turn 11 years old by 31st December the year of the competition).

The Chairman of the Open Water Working Group, John Hidle, said of the rule change:

“I am pleased to say that, following a lengthy medical study, the Board have adopted the new age band (subject to the maximum distance proviso). Together with the provision for Temporary Membership of the ASA, which will allow athletes to try the sport, the two changes are expected to pave the way for significantly increased participation.”

The age band will not necessarily be added to every event, but some clubs and regions are already making plans to allow younger swimmers to take part.

Hidle went on to say: “The medical study will continue to monitor the effect of the minimum age change in those events which do incorporate it. Decisions on the day of the event will always err on the side of caution. Swimmers, and especially younger swimmers and the potentially inexperienced, will only be allowed to take part if the Safety Officer considers this to be prudent.”

In order to compete in any discipline at the level of competition indicated, a swimmer must be of the minimum age shown. The age specified in each case shall be the age of the swimmer at midnight on 31st December in the year of competition, except where the section states otherwise.

Change to the Minimum Age for Open Water Swimming in the Rules of the Amateur Swimming Association (“ASA”)
Please be advised that ASA Regulation 410.4 regarding the minimum age for Open Water Swimming has been amended to now read:
410.4 Open Water
410.4.1 Events up to and including 1,000 m 11 years
410.4.2 Events up to and including 2,000 m 12 years
410.4.3 Events up to and including 10,000 m 13 years
410.4.4 Events over 10,000 m 16 years
This change has been approved by ASA Board and is effective as from 1 May 2009.

Michael Oram of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation has been working diligently with Colin Hill of Nova International since November 2008 to organize the Great Channel Swim.

Michael and Colin attended numerous meetings, written comprehensive risk assessments based on Michael’s experience of personally piloting over 500 English Channel attempts over 27 years, and spent countless hours consulting with the Coastguard authorities, various County and local Councils, police groups, the Dover Harbour Board and local officials to organize the Great Channel Swim.

Groundwork and the planning with the authorities started in November 2008 and, based on a consensus developed by the end of January 2009, the Great Channel Swim was announced officially by Nova International at the beginning of February 2009.

However as the media interest started to build up momentum and additional groups were briefed on the event, the issue of having unknown numbers of spectators in leisure vessels in the English Channel was brought to the attention of the French authorities. Faced with the possibility of safety issues related to hundreds of spectators in a wide variety of boats watching the athletes – going at a relatively slow 2 knots per hour across heavily trafficked international shipping lines – the French authorities reassessed the situation and informed Nova of their new concerns at the logistics meeting on the March 31st.

Largely because of the unknown element of these spectators’ effects on safety, the French cooperation and consent was then formally withdrawn on 29 April 2009.

Throughout April, Michael and Nova tried gallantly to salvage the situation, presenting various alternatives. Because no one could accurately predict how many spectator boats would be on the water on race day, or how they could be controlled, it was impossible to come to an agreement with the French authorities because there was no way to verify the parameters involved.

With a 1 May 2009 deadline looming, the athletes were alerted to the situation and negotiations continued.

Unfortunately, by 1 May, the concerns had still not been resolved and, as a result, the French authorities did not change their assessment.

As Michael explained, “It would have been a great event if it had come to fruition. It might well happen in the future now that the parameters are set, but it will take time and effort to negotiate.”