Clean, green and eager for extreme challenge
South China Morning Post
Chan Kin-wa
Oct 11, 2008
More than 100 distance swimmers will take to the waters in Stanley Bay this morning in the annual "Clean Half" - Asia's only marathon swimming relay.
Modelled after the world famous Maui Channel Crossing relay, the 15km race starts on Stanley Main Beach and ends in Deepwater Bay.
A total of 20 five-strong teams have signed up for the relay. Each competitor will swim for 20 minutes for the first rotation through the team, with 10-minute intervals thereafter until the race finishes. A boat will accompany each team.
Two teams will be taking the "carbon neutral" option, which involves paddling a six-man outrigger canoe along the entire course, and swimming at the same time. This is also believed to be the first outrigger/swimming relay in the world.
There will also be five solo swimmers.
"The course chosen from Stanley to Deepwater Bay is along some of the most stunning views Hong Kong Island has to offer," said Doug Woodring, one of the organisers. "We hope the race can highlight the importance of Hong Kong's ocean and water environment."
While enjoying the scenery on the "Clean Half" of Hong Kong Island, participants were also reminded "the race is extreme swimming at its finest" with large swells expected outside of Stanley to Round Island.
Some of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the WWF for the "Save Our Seas Campaign".
THE CLEAN HALF
- November 24, 2007
Marathon Swimming Open Water Relay
Doug Woodring – Race Organizer
On November 24th, Hong Kong hosted the newest extreme open water swim event to be introduced to the Asian Region. Called the “Clean Half,” in recognition of the beauty and importance of the clean waters of Hong Kong`s south side, it quickly became “the” swimming event to be participating in for the year, as it was Asia`s first Marathon Swimming Open Water Relay. Staged between Stanley and Deepwater Bay, part of Hong Kong’s most beautiful coastline, this 14.5km race attracted 17 teams and a total of 85 eager swimmers of all ages and capabilities. There were at least 10 swimmers who have swum in the Olympics or on the National Level for Hong Kong, one of Hong Kong`s upcoming stars, Andrew Boyce, at age 15, and a team of die hard young men in the over 60 age group. All vowed to return next year.
The Clean Half is modeled after the world famous Maui Channel Crossing Relay Swim where teams of 6 people swim 10 miles across the dark blue Lanai Channel. In the case of the Clean Half, each team had 5 people, either of all the same sex, or mixed teams. Since the race is a relay, the entire event involves “leapfrogging” from one swimmer to the next, allowing for maximum performance for a short period of time, and then giving a chance for the swimmer to recharge on the boat before returning to the sea. In the first rotation of swimmers, each person was bound to swim 20 minute-legs before changing to the next swimmer. Thereafter, each swimmer swam 10 minute-legs. This race is based on time periods of each swim, not on the distance each swimmer covers, as that would be impossible to monitor in an ocean event.
The cool autumn day brought excellent weather, and though there was an initial chill in the water at the 9:30am start, many choose not to use wetsuits, as the ocean kindly kept itself a mild 22 degrees for this event. As the sun glistened off the windy morning waters of Tai Tam Bay, 17 swimmers set out on a race that would take teams from 3hrs 30 minutes, to 5hrs and 40 minutes to cover the often rough and choppy 14.5km, in a course that has never in history been covered by swimmers as opposed to boats.
The first leg of the race had a high level of excitement as swimmers set out to establish their position so that the support boats could find them. In many cases, only the color of a swim cap was the defining feature of each team’s member, often hard to spot in the morning sun and splash. Once a swimmer was found by the team, the support boat would zero in on that swimmer and pull up aside to closely follow them towards the first buoy on the course. All of a sudden, at the 20 minute mark, there was a flurry of activity as the 2nd swimmers in the relays all jumped into the water in their various positions ahead of their first swimmers, ready to tag them for the next 20 minute leg of the journey. Teams cheered, photos snapped, boats gained position, and the race was on.
Once the buoy in front of Hobbie Beach was rounded, swimmers headed down-wind and down-swell to the satellite dishes which dot the Stanley Peninsula like big white woks set out to dry in the morning sun. The swell was mild, but was enough to cause support boats to be lost in the trough between waves, as the swimmers churned forward, riding their own swells like body surfing dolphins. The tip of the peninsula brought significant chop and backwash off the huge rock cliffs, giving even the best ocean swimmers a challenge between waves. The rock scenes and islands created a spectacular venue for this swim to take place, creating perfect photo opportunities that could have easily been shot in Capetown or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, without the massive sea life of course.
As the swimmers passed, Stanley Chung Hom Kok Beach, and then Repulse Bay, most teams were on their 2nd or 3rd rotation of the day. The teams had spread out by now, creating a floatilla of eager water-loving enthusiasts that spread along a line of 2-3km in length, each on their way to creating their own team record for inaugural Clean Half race. One foreign triathlete commented that “the Clean Half was one of the best events he has ever participated in, due to the course and social aspect of swimming a extreme race with a team.” He will be back again. The beauty of this event, is that swimmers of all levels can take part due to the safe aspects of having a support boat and 4 other swimmers just meters away during the entire race.
As the teams raced towards Deepwater Bay and the cliffs below Ocean Park, it was apparent that the first two places would be captured by the Under 24 Men’s Triathlon team (3:30.24) made up of Hong Kong`s hottest local triathletes. 2nd place would be closely contested by the Girly Boys (3:41.04), again, a Hong Kong Triathlon mixed squad of human fish that can also run and bike. They will face some good competition in the Clean Half next year when overseas teams join the race, but they are clearly two teams to be reckoned with.
Mother Nature was kind to the participants, thanking them for respecting and honoring the “Clean Half” of Hong Kong’s island by rewarding everyone with a stunning 27 degrees of beach warmth at the finish line. All 17 teams finished with about two hours in between the first and last teams. Spectators greated the aqua-marathonists with open arms, big smiles, and lots of photos. The question of the day was “when is the next Clean Half?” Everyone loved the event, and were already in discussions to formalize teams for 2008. The Clean Half finished with a large BBQ, prizes, and over $17,000 being donated to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for their Save Our Seas campaign, the charity of choice for the event, since their efforts help to protect our Clean Half of Hong Kong are much appreciated. With everyone’s help, we can expand that Clean Half into a “whole,” and make our entire sea area a playground for all types of water events and activities.
Next year’s race will include teams from around the region, some great prizes and a big beach event. At least 40 teams are expected (over 200 people), doubling the size of this year’s race. Start preparing now, as this will be an event not to be missed.
The Clean Half 2008 will be held on Saturday, October 18th. For more information and bookings, contact Doug Woodring at:
dougwoodring@hotmail.com
Download the XLife Clean Half article (Chinese language only).
