Swimmers set to take the plunge
THE Boyne Swim is yet another part of the Irish Maritime Festival in association with Virgin Media.
The Boyne Swim 2017, supported by Aura Drogheda Leisure Centre, will see 200+ swimmers take to the river Boyne to track the 2.7 km meter long route from Mell to the Boyne Fisherman’s Rescue.
Ray Donagh of Drogheda Triathlon Club is one of the Boyne Swim organisers. He explains: “The Boyne Swim takes place at 12.50pm on Saturday 10th June. You should see the first swimmers passing by the Tall Ships of the Irish Maritime Festival about 25 minutes later and we expect the first swimmers to cross the finish line by 1.25pm with the average swimmer taking 42 minutes to complete the race.”
2016 saw the ever-popular local man and ex- Olympian Colin Lowth take the title. With a very strong start, he led the field all the way and was a very worthy winner. He was presented with the Drogheda Port Company Boyne Swim perpetual trophy designed by artist Ronan Halpin.
The event is staged in conjunction with Drogheda Port Company. Joan Wiseman explains “The Boyne is such an integral part of the town. Through the Boyne Swim and the Irish Maritime Festival we are actively working to encourage local people to enjoy the amenities that the river offers. The team at Drogheda Port Company are delighted to work with the Drogheda Triathlon Club to stage this wonderful annual event and look forward to the big day.”
Now in its 4th year, the race has garnered a reputation for being tough but enjoyable. Ray explains “Swimmers taking part in Open Water Swimming will typically have spent the winter and spring training in the pool about 3 times per week averaging around 10 K. Open Water swimming by its very nature means swimming in water temperatures of 12 C to 15 C. Swimmers will begin acclimatising to the colder water temp with weekly swims in the sea, rivers and lakes over the next month.”
Swimmers from right across the country will flock to Drogheda for this challenging river swim. The Boyne swim even attracts visitors from across Europe. “This year we welcome swimmers from Germany, France and Sweden among other countries” continues Ray. “Staging the race allows us to forge relationships with swimming clubs in other countries and encourage them to visit the beautiful Boyne Valley and be part of the swim in the historic river Boyne”.
To find out more about the race visit www. BoyneSwim.ie. The Irish Maritime Festival is hosted by Louth County Council and Drogheda Port Company in association with Virgin Media. Find out more by visiting www.MaritimeFestival.ie and follow on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news and updates.