Coastals

It is that time of year when the Xterra Triathlon comes to town and safety boaters are needed for the swim portion on the James River. Michael Stratton is heading safety this time around so we can certainly use our veteran safety boaters to help out if you are available. This race is Xterra's East Championship race and it also serves as the USAT offroad national championship. This means the crowds are going to be even bigger. There are 2 races on Sunday, June 15th, and they occur in the morning. PM me, or post here, if you are going to show up and I'll send Michael your name and contact info.

This swim course is the most talked about in the championship race series because of the rocks and currents (it is the mountain bike version of swimming) and also because of how many boaters show up to help the swimmers. That's a big testimony about our boaters so I hope you consider being a part of the event. There are 2 swim starts for the longer swim course and 1 swim start for the shorter swim course between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Boaters will need to be at the Tredegar boat ramp by 7 a.m. for the safety meeting and to receive swim course assignments.

Parking is very limited. You can drop your boat and gear at the Tredegar boat ramp around 6:30 a.m. and go park. Most boaters set shuttle then paddle down to the boat ramp. If you do this, please make sure you arrive in time for the safety meeting. Our involvement will be done by 9:30. Once all the equipment is in, you are welcome to hang out on Brown's Island for the festivities and go boat and have fun.

No t-shirts this year

Why YES! There will be t-shirts! Last year, they were the technical/wicking stuff. The meet director stated that volunteers will get t-shirts and "stuff". Whatever "stuff" is, I have no idea. Typically, it includes water and snacks at the volunteer booth on Brown's Island.

That was a good question. ('')

Count me in.


Nate
8oh4-38oh-fife93seven

Anybody else signing up to support this? I've heard this is a rewarding experience, and I'm looking forward to it, but I'd be looking forward to it more if I knew that I could link up with other boaters, set shuttle, and start the morning paddling down from Reedy Creek.……

My son and i are going to try to be at the take-out at 5:30am ish to set shuttle...hope to see ya there!!!

Final call for boaters to help Sunday morning. Predicted river level will make the swim quite difficult for the competitors. The level will be on the high end of ideal for the really good swimmers, challenging for good swimmers, and a problem for novice and first-time open water swimmers. Based on the swim clinic this morning, there will be swimmers who are going to have a problem. Veteran boaters who have helped in the past know how much of a positive difference their presence makes for those swimmers. Consider coming out Sunday morning to help. Boaters meet at the Tredegar boat ramp for the safety meeting by 7:00 a.m.

Thanks

RVERRNR wrote:My son and i are going to try to be at the take-out at 5:30am ish to set shuttle...hope to see ya there!!!

See you at 14th st at 5:30. Thanks Bernie.

Neal F. wrote:It is that time of year when the Xterra Triathlon comes to town and safety boaters are needed for the swim portion on the James River. Michael Stratton is heading safety this time around so we can certainly use our veteran safety boaters to help out if you are available. This race is Xterra's East Championship race and it also serves as the USAT offroad national championship. This means the crowds are going to be even bigger. There are 2 races on Sunday, June 15th, and they occur in the morning. PM me, or post here, if you are going to show up and I'll send Michael your name and contact info.

This swim course is the most talked about in the championship race series because of the rocks and currents (it is the mountain bike version of swimming) and also because of how many boaters show up to help the swimmers. That's a big testimony about our boaters so I hope you consider being a part of the event. There are 2 swim starts for the longer swim course and 1 swim start for the shorter swim course between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Boaters will need to be at the Tredegar boat ramp by 7 a.m. for the safety meeting and to receive swim course assignments.

Parking is very limited. You can drop your boat and gear at the Tredegar boat ramp around 6:30 a.m. and go park. Most boaters set shuttle then paddle down to the boat ramp. If you do this, please make sure you arrive in time for the safety meeting. Our involvement will be done by 9:30. Once all the equipment is in, you are welcome to hang out on Brown's Island for the festivities and go boat and have fun.

See you in the morning.

YOAD

Thank you to each of the boaters who showed up and helped with the swim this year. Many swimmers needed assistance and with the encouragement from the boaters on the water, all swimmers finished with the one exception of a pro racer. That was an amazing accomplishment. A special "Thank you" goes to Michael Stratton for bringing out his student boaters from Trinity High School. 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning and a bunch of teen-agers showed up to help!

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29847057@N03/14245423620" title="Xterra 61514_3219 by sandy's dad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3881/142 ... b2d4_c.jpg" width="800" height="378" alt="Xterra 61514_3219"></a>