Arms Around Bainbridge

ARMS AROUND BAINBRIDGE SWIM PLAN

1. Overview of swim

a. This is an open-water swim, to be performed in the cold and often rough waters of Puget Sound.
All swimmers must be strong, experienced and fearless. All swimmers must wear a full-body wet
suit with a neoprene hood or cap and goggles; booties and gloves are strongly recommended. All
swimmers must demonstrate prior to the swim their capacity to swim in the open waters of Puget
Sound. All swimmers must be capable of getting in and out of a boat during the swim without
assistance. All swimmers will agree to follow the instructions of the swim director. Each
swimmer must be aware that there are many obstacles to avoid along the way. Cold water, sheets
of seaweed, jelly fish in all sizes, curious seals, shoreline anchor buoys, docks and submerged
obstructions are just some of the anticipated obstacles. In addition, current, wind and moving
boats add real danger to the swim. Swimmers must be capable of tracking with an escort kayaker.
The escort kayaker will establish the route for the swimmer and the swimmer(s) must follow.
The kayakers will be observing the progress and condition of the swimmer. If a swimmer is
having trouble or if the conditions warrant, the swimmer will be signalled to stop and directed to
a safe exit from the water.

b. There are several stages to this swim as follows:

i. The main event is a swim consisting of a continuous relay of swimmers or groups of
swimmers around the the perimeter of Bainbridge Island. The swim is planned for a 6:00
AM start with an 8:00 PM finish. The start and finish point is on the north shore at the
foot of Blakely Harbor at the location of the public access on 3 T Road.

ii. There is a prologue swim beginning at 5:00 AM. This team has been designated the Pink
Team. This segment is reserved for one to three swimmers who will start prior to sunrise
on the southerly side of Restoration Point. When the lead swimmer from the Pink Team
arrives at Port Blakely, the main event — the big swim around the island — will
commence. It is predicted the swimmer will arrive at Port Blakely at sunrise.

iii. A one-mile open-water loop swim will be staged in Manzanita Bay. The start of this
swim is scheduled for 11:00 AM. The swim will be completed prior to the arrival of the
relay swimmers at Dock Street.

2. The Main Event: How it works

a. The swim is divided into four major sections. We are designating a color for each major section:
Yellow, Orange, Blue and Red, swimming in that order. A group of swimmers will be assigned
to each section and will work together in relay fashion to complete their assigned distance. The
start and finish times for the swim are scheduled such that each section will be completed before
the subsequent section begins. Should a section fail to finish within the allocated time the next
section will begin at their designated start time. This is necessary: (1) to hit Agate Pass swimming
with the current; and (2) to finish the swim before dark.

b. One or more swimmers will be designated to swim for a designated distance or time. When the
distance or time increment is reached, another swimmer(s) will enter the water and continue on
the next leg of the swim. The swim will be continuous around the island .

c. The starting swimmer will leave from the head of Port Blakely Harbor upon the arrival of the lead
Pink Team swimmer or no later than 6:00 AM. The finish of the swim is designated at the same
spot and is planned for approximately 8:00 PM.

d. Qualifying relay swimmers will be assigned to a team by the swim director based on a
combination of your desired swim times, the difficulty and required pace of the section and the
groupings of swimmers. To participate in any leg you must have prepared yourself both
physically and mentally in advance of the swim, and have the endurance to swim for a minimum
of one hour in open water. Additionally, to be eligible for the Yellow and Orange Teams, each
swimmer must demonstrate the capacity to swim a mile or more at an average pace of 25
minutes/mile. This is 1:25 per 100 yds. (Your pool time average should be 1:20 per 100 yds) We
need these two legs completed at this rate in order to time the currents through Agate Pass. For
the Red and Blue Teams, each swimmer must demonstrate the capacity to swim a mile or more at
an average pace of 30 minutes/mile. This time pace is 1:40 per 100 yds (1:30 per 100 yds in the
pool). Exceptions to this pace will be considered for the Blue leg provided the swimmer meets all
the other qualifying criteria.

e. The Blue Team is open to additional swimmers who are not specifically part of the relay
swimmers. Each swimmer will have the option of swimming 1 mile, 5 kilometers, or 10
kilometers. The swimmer must elect what distance he or she will swim when registering; in no
event will the swimmer be permitted to choose a longer distance after entering the water. The
swim director may limit an individual’s distance if the director is not satisfied that the swimmer
can complete a longer distance safely and in a reasonable time. Swimmers choosing to complete
the one-mile course must be able to complete it if one hour. Swimmers choosing to complete the
5- or 10-kilometer courses must be able to maintain an average pace of 40 minutes per mile
throughout their swim.

f. Preparations and Logistic plan

i. Swimmers will be required to sign up in advance of the swim. This information is
included on the Arms Around Bainbridge website. As the event nears, additional
information with respect to preparation and logistics will be issued. Each swimmer will
be issued a swimmer’s packet prior to the swim. It will be full of essential instructions
and helpful tips.
ii. Logistical preparations will include how to get swimmers to the start of their legs and
return them to their home or vehicle after they have finished their swim. Instructions will
be included in the swimmers swim packet.
iii. Swim bags, recommended clothing and food items will also be explained in the swim
packet. We plan to have some highly qualified volunteer support to assist the swimmers
throughout the day.

g. The Swim Plan

i. Section 1, Yellow Team. YELLOW

1. The Yellow Team swimmers and kayakers arrive at 5:15 AM at Port Blakely.
The lead swimmers prepare for water entry and start of swim at 6:00 AM. The
balance of the Yellow Team will be shuttled out to the boats via the skiff.

2. When the swim starts, the boats will trail the swimmer and kayakers. Drops and
pickups of a swimmer will be made in the water, not on shore, with assistance
from the skiff.

3. Yellow Team swimmers and kayakers may choose to exit the water at Fay
Bainbridge State Park. The skiff will support the exchange.

ii. Section 2, the Orange Team. ORANGE

1. All swimmers and kayakers arrive at 9:00 am at Fay Bainbridge. The lead
swimmer(s) prepare for a water entry and start of swim at 10:00 am. This could
be sooner if the Yellow Team finishes early. (We want this to happen, so be
ready.) The other swimmers in the section will be transferred via the skiff to the
boats.

2. When the swim starts, the boats will trail the swimmer and kayakers. Drops and
pickups of a swimmer will be made in the water not on shore with assistance
from the skiff . When swimming through Agate Pass, all swimmers must stay
close together due to the boat traffic through the channel.

3. After exiting Agate Pass, the Orange Team will continue to Dock Street. Orange
Team swimmers and kayakers may choose to exit the water here. The skiff will
support the exchange.

4. Parking is limited at Dock Street. We will be issuing special instructions for all
swimmers planning to enter or exit at Dock Street. Off-site parking and shuttle
service will be arranged to limit the vehicle load at this road end.

iii. Section 3, the Blue Team. BLUE

1. One-mile swimmers arrive at Dock Street by 10:30 AM. The one-mile swim will
begin at 11:00 AM and finish at 12:00 noon.

2. All other Blue Team swimmers and kayakers arrive at Dock Street at 11:45 AM.
The lead relay swimmer(s) will prepare for a water entry and start of swim at
12:45 PM, or sooner if the Orange Team finishes early. The balance of Blue
Team relay swimmers will be shuttled out to the boats via the skiff.

3. All non-relay swimmers for the 5- and 10-kilometer distances will leave in a
group immediately after the lead relay swimmer(s).

5. The 5-kilometer swimmers will be ferried to shore by skiff. We will provide
transportation to return these swimmers to their vehicles.

6. The Blue Team will continue in relay fashion with drops and pick-ups made in
the water until the finish at Point White. The 10-kilometer swimmers will also
exit the water at Point White.

iv. Section 4, the Red Team. RED

1. All swimmers and kayakers arrive at 3:00 pm at Point White. The lead
swimmer(s) will prepare for a water entry and start of swim at 4:10 PM, or
sooner if the Blue Team finishes early. (We want this to happen so we can finish
our swim before dark)

2. The Red Team will continue in relay fashion with drops and pick ups made in the
water until the finish at the head of Blakely Harbor.

3. As many participants as possible coordinate with each other to greet the last
swimmers at Blakely Harbor.

v. Section 5, the White Team WHITE

1. The white team is the ground support, and post-event party organizer. Post-event
party to be announced. Stay tuned

3. The Prologue Swim: What is this anyway?

a. The prologue is necessary to improve on the distance we covered last year in 2007. The distance
of the swim will now extend to 32 miles, and include two laps around Restoration Point. We also
need a reason to get everyone out of bed to see the sunrise. The plan will be to leave the public
dock in Winslow at 4:15 am on the skiff and with the lucky early-bird swimmer. Be advised you
can’t sign up for this leg. Fate has already chosen at least one lucky swimmer. At 5:00 AM sharp,
the swimmer will dive in on the south side of Restoration Point near the Country Club outdoor
pool. When the swimmer arrives at Port Blakely the main event, the big swim around the island
will commence. It is predicted the swimmer will arrive at Port Blakely at sunrise.

4. The One-Mile swim in Manzanita: How it works

a. The one-mile swim is a loop course in Manzanita Bay. A fixed course is anticipated. The start
and finish of the swim will be at Dock Street. There will be not planned exits to and from a boat
during the swim. There may be a staged start of the swim. This event will be run between 11:00
AM and 12:00 PM prior to the arrival of the relay swimmers at this location.

b. Parking is limited at Dock Street. We will be issuing special instructions for all swimmers
planning to swim the one-mile event. Off-site parking and shuttle service will be arranged to limit
the vehicle load at this road end.

5. Safety and Emergency Procedures

a. There will be a swim director with a designated chain of command on the water and on the
ground. Swimmers must agree to follow the instructions issued by the swim director which may
include specific instructions on how we keep track of the swimmers in the water. We will have a
pre-race check of swimmers gear and and equipment. Safety instructions and communications
protocol will be issued prior to the swim. Swimmers must arrive one hour in advance of the
starting time for their section in order to receive these pre-swim instructions. Swimmers and
kayakers will be checked for proper gear and preparation. Weather conditions may change
rapidly. The director will communicate conditions and instructions regarding the swim to the
support team on the water and to the swimmers.

b. Safety and emergency procedures will be communicated to each participant prior to the day of the
event.