Around 200 open water swimmers are expected to descend on Sandown Bay this weekend for the 72nd Annual Pier2Pier Sea Swim, with spectators encouraged to line the coast and cheer competitors on as they tackle the 1.8-mile challenge.
Organised by the Isle of Wight Marlins Swim Club under the auspices of the British Long Distance Swimming Association (BLDSA), the long-running event gets underway at 14:00 on 1st August.
At the sound of the starting signal, competitors aged 18 and over will run into the sea from beside Sandown Pier before swimming the 1.8-mile course towards Shanklin, following the picturesque coastline beneath the Island’s dramatic sandstone cliffs.
The race will finish on the beach outside Shanklin Rowing Club, close to the site of the former Shanklin Pier, which was destroyed during the Great Storm of 1987.
Now in its 72nd year, the Pier2Pier Sea Swim is one of the Isle of Wight’s longest-established sporting events and is designed to provide a friendly but challenging open water race. Prizes will be presented across a variety of categories, including overall winners, swimming strokes, age groups and team competitions.
Members of the public are being encouraged to come along and support the swimmers, with the Esplanade between Sandown and Shanklin offering an ideal vantage point to follow the race. Family and friends can enjoy the scenic coastal walk, sandy beaches and seafront cafés while cheering competitors on to the finish.
Should weather conditions prove unsuitable on Saturday, the event will instead take place the following day, with a revised start time of 15:00.
