Application Procedures - Ederle Swim 2012

Application instructions for the 2012 Ederle Swim are now available. Enrollment is scheduled to open at 1:00 p.m. EST on December 15, 2011, and the race may fill up quickly. If you intend to apply, please plan to study the instructions and prepare as much of your application as possible before registration goes live.

Prescribed Water Temperature - Ederle Swim 2012

There is no temperature requirement for 2012 Ederle qualifying swims; however, Observer Documented Qualifying Swims must record relevant water and air temperature readings.

Qualifications - Ederle Swim 2012

All applicants must document their competency to participate in the Ederle Swim. This can be done either by completing:
          1) a similar event or race (Event Based Qualifying Swim), or
          2) a non-event qualifying swim logged by an observer (Observer Qualifying Swim).
Proof of the qualifying swim must be submitted by the date and time delineated in the Enrollment Timeline. NYC Swim will rescind the acceptance of any applicant who fails to submit proof of their Qualifications by that date and time.

Event Based Qualifying Swim

Observer Qualifying Swim

Crew Members and Alternates - Ederle Swim 2012

Solo swimmers must have at least one and no more than two individuals to serve as their support crew aboard their assigned escort boat for this event; 2-person relays are allowed one crew member only. Solo and 2-person relay applicants are also required to designate one alternate crew member. In order for the swimmer enrollment to be considered complete, the selected crew members and alternates have to agree to support you by completing their crew enrollments, which is recommended to be done as soon as the swimmer enrollment is entered and must be done no later than the date designated on the swimmer timeline. Your enrollment will not be considered complete until all crew members have agreed to support you. (Please see Crew Member Enrollments for more information on how your crew members can enroll.)

After enrollment has been completed, you may not change or add crew members. Should a primary crew member become unable to participate, you should contact NYC Swim to request a substitution with the designated alternate. All such requests must be submitted no later than 14 days before race day. You may not make substitutions outside of the alternate listed during enrollment. If all crew members attached to a swimmer or relay withdraw prior to the event, NYC Swim will assign a boat observer to act as crew.

Waitlisted - Ederle Swim 2012

All qualified applicants who are not accepted may be considered for placement on a waiting list. If we are able to expand the field, or if any accepted solo swimmers or relay teams withdraw, we will offer spaces to those applicants on the waiting list. Applicants who are on the waiting list are advised to have their enrollments as complete as possible in the event that additional Ederle Swim slots become available.

Applicants who are accepted off the waiting list will have their credit card charged once the applicant has accepted the enrollment offer. These applicants are required to submit proof of their Qualifying Swims and Medical Forms by the date and time delineated in the Enrollment Timeline.

Withdrawal by Applicant - Ederle Swim 2012

Accepted swimmers and relays may withdraw from the race at any time and for any reason. If you decide to withdraw, your entry fee may be refunded as follows:

Accepted swimmers and relays who withdraw more than 90 days before Ederle Swim Race Day will receive a refund of all application fees minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees.

Accepted swimmers and relays who withdraw 60 - 90 days before Ederle Swim Race Day will receive a refund of 50% of their application fees, minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees. NYC Swim will endeavor to replace the withdrawn swimmer/relay with another qualified swimmer/relay from the waitlist. In that event, NYC Swim will refund the withdrawn swimmer's/relay's application fee in full, minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees.

Accepted swimmers and relays who withdraw 30 - 59 days before Ederle Swim Race Day will receive a refund of 25% of their application fee, minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees. If NYC Swim is able to replace the withdrawn swimmer/relay with another qualified swimmer/relay from the waitlist, NYC Swim will refund 50% of the withdrawn swimmer's/relay's application fee, minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees.

Accepted swimmers and relays who withdraw fewer than 30 days before Ederle Swim Race Day will not receive a refund of their application fee unless NYC Swim is able to replace the withdrawn swimmer/relay with another qualified swimmer/relay from the waitlist. In that case, NYC Swim will refund 25% of the withdrawn swimmer's/relay's application fee, minus the $75 enrollment processing fee and all credit card transaction fees.

Race Rule I: Race Course - Ederle Swim 2012

Time Limitations:
The following cutoffs at designated locations throughout the course will be strictly adhered to unless the Race Director determines that conditions warrant an extended time limit. You agree, in accepting the waiver, to be pulled from the race if you do not make these cut-off times:

1. Governors Island (vent) – 45 mins
2. Red Hook, Brooklyn - 1hr 15 mins
3. Erie Basin – 2 hrs
4. Gowanus Bay – 2 hrs 15 mins
5. Bay Ridge - 2 hrs 50 mins
6. Verrazano Bridge - 3 hrs 30 mins
7. Coney Island - 4 hrs
8. Red #10 Bouy - 5 hrs 30 mins
9. Sandy Hook Channel - 6 hrs 30 mins

Race Rule II: Clothing - Ederle Swim 2012

1. One swimsuit (as delineated in NYC Swim’s Traditional Swim Costume, Headgear and Accessories definitions), goggles, earplugs, and grease will be allowed.


2. One race cap will be provided with swimmer’s race number and must be worn for the entire race. It may be worn over another silicone or latex cap of the swimmer's choosing. Swimmers may specify their preference for either a latex or silicone race cap.

Race Rule III: Assistance - Ederle Swim 2012

1. Swimmers may not use flotation aids, propulsion devices, or any devices used to maintain body heat. Fins, wet suits, hand paddles or boards are prohibited. Swimmers may not use suits that give buoyancy or are heat-retentive.
2. Pacing, drafting and towing are not allowed. Drafting is defined as swimming within five yards of another swimmer for a prolonged time period after the start except as warranted by course conditions.
3. Swimmers may not touch the escort boat, kayak, or any other boat during the event.
4. Swimmers shall be disqualified if there is any physical contact with another swimmer (except a team mate during the relay transition) or with other persons or objects.
5. All solo swimmers must bring at least one and no more than two boat crew members. 2-person relay swimmers must bring one boat crew member. NYC Swim will supply the motorized boat support and will assign a paddler to each swimmer. Swimmers may request their own paddler provided that person has appropriate experience. Swimmer-recruited paddlers should enroll as volunteers on the NYC Swim website by the date specified in the Swimmer timeline. They are required to supply their own boat and must commit to attend the event's orientation conference calls. Please note that NYC Swim reserves the right to reassign paddlers to ensure the on-water operations run safely, in response to unforeseen circumstances on the water, or to make the race balanced.
6. Swimmers must make their own arrangements for food and feeding assistance.
7. The use of alcohol or illegal drugs is forbidden.
8. Any unsanctioned assistance or materials given to the swimmer will result in disqualification.

Race Rule IV: Pollution - Ederle Swim 2012

The swimmer shall be disqualified if the swimmer or his or her crew members pollute the waterways with cups, trash or other debris before, during or after the competition.

Race Rule V: Personal Promotion - Ederle Swim 2012

Swimmers may not:

1. Allow crew members to wear any clothing or display any signage promoting third-party sponsors, causes or charities. The exception is that, with NYC Swim's prior approval, crew members may wear promotional T-shirts on race day. Display of a swimmer's national flag is allowed on clothing; it is allowed on signage and as a flag provided it does not impede the boat captain's ability to navigate.
2. Engage personal public relations professionals or agents or issue their own press releases without NYC Swim's prior written approval, granted at least four weeks prior to the event.

Race Rule VI: Relay Rules - Ederle 2012

1. Relays must consist of two persons per relay, independent of gender or age. No other configurations are allowed in this event.
2. The order of the swimmers must be declared at the time of enrollment and may be changed up until 14 days before race day. This order must be maintained throughout the event; a change in order will result in team disqualification.
3. Relay swimmers will alternate every hour for the first four hours, then every thirty minutes thereafter.
4. Swimmers must alternate within the last 30 seconds to 2 minutes of a swimming segment unless adverse weather conditions require motorboats to have greater than normal separation from the swimmer for safety reasons. Violations of the rotation timing may result in disqualification.
5. Relay team members must enter the water feet first. Failure to follow this rule will result in team disqualification.
6. The transition must be executed by approaching the swimmer in the water from behind. The ENTERING swimmer must yell "Starting" to the boat or paddler to signify that he/she is attempting to start the transition. ENTERING swimmer must grab the lower extremity, preferably the foot, of the DEPARTING swimmer. DEPARTING swimmer must stop, raise arm straight up and yell "Ending" to acknowledge that his/her swim has ended. ENTERING swimmer continues with his/her leg of the swim. Clean transitions must be maintained. Pacing is not allowed.
7. Only one team member may swim to the finish; the other team member must remain on the boat and disembark at boat unloading. Failure to follow this rule will result in team disqualification.

Race Rule VII: Safety Measures - Ederle Swim 2012

1. Swimmers will be accompanied by an escort boat and kayak provided by NYC Swim or recruited by the swimmer as specified in Race Rule III. For safety reasons, vessels on the course are limited to those assigned by NYC Swim.
2. Each escort boat will be equipped with a VHF radio and first aid kit. Crew members are encouraged to bring cell phones, although service is limited in some areas along the course.
3. EMS and Coast Guard will be on standby for emergencies.
4. At least one race official will be assigned to each escort boat and will monitor the swimmer for the entire duration of the race.
5. NYC Swim strongly suggests swimmers make sure that their tetanus vaccinations are current. We also suggest that swimmers be vaccinated against hepatitis A.
6. Race insurance is up to the swimmer's discretion.

Race Rule VIII: Miscellaneous - Ederle Swim 2012

1. All participants must have their physicians complete the medical form, as well as provide written certification (in English), stating that the entrant is physically and mentally fit for this event. Returning NYC Swim swimmers may use medical forms that were completed and submitted in the last calendar year. English Channel and Catalina Channel medical forms from the same time period will also be accepted, although NYC Swim requires ECGs and chest X-rays for those 40 and over on race day or who have any previous history of chest disease.
2. The organizers may change the starting time and/or date of the race if weather conditions are unfavorable.
3. All swimmers and crew members are required to participate in the pre-race conference call to receive final instructions (call times and other information will be provided to accepted swimmers and listed on the timeline).
4. Personal online GPS units that transmit data for real-time tracking of a swimmer's progress are not allowed.

Swimmer Order – Ederle Swim 2012

The Race Director will determine each team's starting swimmer (fastest swimmer should be first to start, and should also finish the swim).

Race Cancellation Policy

All of NYC Swim's events require permits issued by the Coast Guard. These permits are issued subject to prevailing Homeland Security concerns and Maritime Security Levels in the area. If conditions change, the Coast Guard may require that we alter, reschedule or cancel an event.

Our paramount concern is the health and safety of our swimmers and volunteer kayakers. For this reason, we are sometimes forced to cancel races due to unsafe weather conditions or unsanitary water conditions.

After a prolonged or heavy rainfall, it may take several hours to several days before the rivers are again safe for swimmers, due to the trash, untreated storm runoff, and flotsam and jetsam that may flow into Manhattan's water ways. In addition, inclement weather may interfere with our ability to set up a race, forcing us to cancel the event even when the forecast calls for better conditions at the scheduled starting time.

When an event is not cancelled but the New York Harbor’s water quality has been compromised, NYC Swim will inform swimmers of this issue and leave it up to them to decide whether they still wish to participate. Swimming in water that is compromised increases the chances of developing a bacterial infection, and it would be our recommendation that swimmers begin a course of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin immediately after the swim.

The race director has full discretion to cancel a race at any time. In the event of an advance cancellation of an event by NYC Swim:

If the event has a scheduled back-up date:
NYC Swim will automatically transfer the registrations of all approved applicants to the back-up date.

If the event does not have a scheduled back-up date:
If the event cannot be rescheduled, all approved applicants will receive 50% off the entry fee for any NYC Swim race in the current or next season, with the exception of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, the Manhattan Island Relays, and the Ederle Swim.

If an event has to be canceled or halted while swimmers and race staff are on site, the above advance cancellation policies do not apply. If conditions continue to be unsuitable for allowing swimmers into the water or if the event does not have a scheduled back-up date, race souvenirs will be distributed to all swimmers and volunteers who are present.

Safety Policy

The race officials have authority to pull a swimmer from the water at any time for the swimmer’s own safety. Potentially dangerous conditions may include, without limitation, hypothermia, changes to weather or water conditions, or interference by shipping or other watercraft traffic. The race courses are patrolled by lifeguards and government safety officials, and each race includes a medical team. The race officials shall have full discretion to pull any swimmer from the water for safety reasons, and to determine when and if the swimmer may resume swimming.

Substitution and Withdrawal Policy

Swim Series Withdrawal Policy (with the exception of the Manhattan Swim, the Manhattan Relays, and the Ederle Swim)
NYC Swim will not reimburse registered swimmers who voluntarily withdraw, do not show, or fail to submit sufficient qualifications to meet the event’s requirements to participate. (This is because NYC Swim incurs nearly all race expenses before race day. If you are not sure you will be able to meet a specific event’s requirements to participate, please delay your enrollment until you are able to do so.)

Process for Submitting Medical Withdrawal Documentation
If your inability to participate is due to a medical reason, please e-mail info@nycswim.org or fax (+1 212-784-6850) verification from a medical professional for review by NYC Swim no less than two weeks prior to race date. Swimmers who withdraw in this manner will receive 50% off the entry fee for any NYC Swim race in the current or next season, with the exception of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, the Manhattan Island Relays, and the Ederle Swim. The credit must be used within 365 days of the date of issue.

No Sale or Transfer Permitted
No entrant may sell, trade, or otherwise allow another person to use an entry. Anyone found to be participating under another person’s entry will be disqualified from the event, and both the participant and the original registrant will be barred from all future NYC Swim events. NYC Swim will not grant any other refunds, credits, or exchanges, except in instances where we are forced to cancel an event (see Race Cancellation Policy, above).