The Solent Swim is organised by West Wight Sports & Community Centre as a fundraising event for the West Wight Sports & Community Centre Trust (registered charity number 273334).
WWSCC is more than just a swimming pool - it is a community hub, providing a range of facilities and services focusing on health, fitness, personal growth and development and supporting both physical and mental health and well-being.
As a charity, we rely on ad hoc grants and fundraising events such as the Solent Swim to support our work and ensure the centre can continue to operate.
The Solent Swim is the main fundraising event for the Centre and since our first event in 2010, over 400 people have swum the Solent and raised over £200,000 for the charity.
Sponsorship
1. Participants are required to raise a minimum of £250 (excluding Gift Aid) for West Wight Sports & Community Centre.
2. You must supply details of your online fundraising page so that we can ensure funds are transferred directly to us. Swimmers are advised to use the link via their entry to set up their fundraising page
3. If swimmers wish, they can request that their swim raises funds for an additional charity of their choice.
4. Paper sponsorship forms are available from the event website to download or hard copies can be found at West Wight Sports Centre’s Reception.
5. All funds raised must go to West Wight Sports & Community Centre Trust (reg. charity 273334), but on completion of all the 2022 Solent Swim fundraising, West Wight Sports & Community Centre will, at its discretion, make a donation to the charity of the participants’ choice. A maximum of 50% of anything raised over and above £250 may be donated by West Wight Sports & Community Centre to the other chosen charity. Gift aid will be retained by WWSCC.
Cancellation
1. West Wight Sports & Community Centre Trust and its representatives take responsibility for the event. It reserves the right to cancel, or postpone at any time if deemed necessary. If the event is postponed the reserve date is Sunday 24th July. Participants should keep this date free and note that on several occasions we have had to use the back-up date due to bad weather conditions.
2. The event will not take place in adverse weather conditions. The organisers will instruct swimmers of this decision as soon as possible and practical. Communication of this will be via email and/or website
3. Any swimmer can be withdrawn from the swim by the organisers on the grounds of health and safety at any time. During the swim, this will involve being taken to a safety boat.
Prerequisite Events
1. Swimmers will be given the opportunity to take part in two safety and training events in the sea at Colwell Bay before the event. These are not compulsory. However, if you do not attend, you will be required to provide evidence of your ability and sign a disclaimer to this effect. These will be on: Sunday 26th June at 1000, or Tuesday 5th July at 1900
2. Please note that the rescue and recovery sessions are in the sea – you will be required to swim a short distance and be instructed in safety and survival (and then to demonstrate your capability). You will be accompanied by kayakers. All swimmers including those who are experienced are urged to make every effort to attend these sessions.
3. Swimmers will be required to provide evidence of their ability to swim 100 lengths of West Wight’s 25m Swimming Pool (or equivalent) on or before Saturday 25th June. This should be timed and swimmers must demonstrate their ability to complete this in under 90 minutes. If you have not completed and submitted your 100 length time beforehand, you will be required to do so on the 25th June. Please indicate on your form what time you wish to attend 15:15 OR 16:00
Safety Briefing
All swimmers must attend the pre-event safety briefing at West Wight Sports & Community Centre on Friday 22nd July 2022 at 1900. This is compulsory and non-attendance will result in swimmers not being able to take part in the swim.
Training
1. Swimmers are responsible for their own health and fitness. Swimmers are expected to:
complete, honestly the attached medical questionnaire.
inform organisers of any changes to their health after their entry has been submitted
allow organisers to consult their medical representative for advice regarding any medical issues
ensure they train regularly and are capable of swimming the distance
ensure they train in the sea on a regular basis before the event and have practised swimming in the outfit they intend to wear on the day. (You should note that swimming in the sea is very different to swimming in a pool and that wearing a wetsuit or rash vest is very different to swimming in a swimsuit. All these things can affect your buoyancy, body temperature and mobility when swimming)
2. Training for the swim is at the swimmers risk. You are advised to train with others in the sea and to have at least one person on shore watching you.
Event Details
1. The Solent Swim will take place on Saturday 23rd July 2022 and will be an early morning start (times to be confirmed)
2. In the event of cancellation on the Saturday – the swim will be rearranged for Sunday 24th July.
3. Swimmers should be aware that they will be in the sea for up to or more than an hour and will be travelling across to Hurst Castle in an exposed RIB. Hypothermia is therefore a concern and swimmers must wear suitable attire for the swim and be sure to have warm clothing to change into at Colwell. Organisers will collect and keep safe any possessions during the swim.
4. Swimmers will be provided with a coloured swimming hat which they must wear.
5. The Swim is a 1.3 mile crossing of the Solent starting at Hurst Point and ending at Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight.
6. The swim is not a race. Swimmers will be paired with a swimmer of a similar speed and will be expected to stay together with the kayaker allotted to them.
7. All swimmers must be aged 18 years or over on the date of the swim
8. Communication will be via email. Regular updates and messages will be sent before the event. Swimmers MUST ensure they are able to access these and take note of them.
9. Start time is crucial and dependent upon tides. Late comers at Yarmouth will not be waited for. Under no circumstances should swimmers attempt the swim unless they have been registered by the organisers.
Deposit
1. Upon receipt of the non refundable £25 deposit and all completed documents, West Wight Sports & Community Centre will provide swim membership free of charge (terminating on the day of the swim). You will be issued with a membership card (unless you already have one) which should be presented at reception every time you swim. Please ensure you speak to a member of staff if you wish to claim your free membership. West Wight Sports & Community Centre reserves the right to seek payment for the membership should the swimmer not take part.