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Displaying items by tag: Swim Safe

The RNLI says it wants to help children Swim Safe with free water safety sessions at the Share Discovery Village on Upper Lough Erne for the first time this September.

The fun, hour-long sessions teach young people how to swim safely outdoors and what to do if they, or others, get into difficulty in the water.

There will be four sessions held each day on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September and there are up to 20 places available per session.

Parents and carers can book their child’s free place online at SwimSafe.org.uk

To take part, children must be aged between seven and 14 years and be able to swim 25 metres unaided.

The sessions are run by qualified swimming instructors and lifeguards, supported by a team of volunteers and give children:

  • Up to 30 minutes of practical, in-water tuition led by qualified instructors.
  • Essential open water safety advice.
  • A free Swim Safe goody bag take home.

All the kit needed to take part, including wetsuits, swim hats and flotation equipment, is provided for each child during the sessions. Children only need to bring their swimsuit and a towel.

Ashley Jones, RNLI Swim Safe Manager, says: “Children love swimming outdoors, but it’s very different to swimming in a pool, where most children learn to swim.

“It’s essential children learn about open water safety — where it is safe to swim, how to stay safe and what to do if they get into difficulty in the water.

“We want all children to have access to this training, so all Swim Safe sessions are funded by the RNLI and Swim England partnership and so are completely free of charge.”

This year is the first time Swim Safe is being run on inland waters in Northern Ireland.

For more information about Swim Safe, visit SwimSafe.org.uk

Published in Water Safety
Tagged under

#Swimming - Northern Ireland will be included for the first time in Swim Safe, a programme offering free outdoor swimming and water safety sessions for children aged 7-14 across the UK.

Swim Safe teaches children how to stay safe when swimming outdoors, which is often more challenging than swimming in a pool.

The programme was created by the RNLI and Swim England, the national governing body for swimming in England.

The free, hour-long Swim Safe sessions are run by qualified swimming teachers and lifeguards, supported by a team of trained volunteers, covering both land-based safety and practical tuition in the water.

Wetsuits, swimming hats and a free goody bag with a t-shirt are all provided. Children must be able to swim at least 25 metres to take part.

Since Swim Safe started in 2013 with just one site in Bude, Cornwall, over 18,000 sessions have taken place across the country – last year over 7,000 children took part in England and Wales.

Now in its fifth year, the programme continues to grow and in 2017, Swim Safe sessions will take place at 20 sites across the UK and Ireland including beaches, lakes, reservoirs and other inland locations.

“Children love swimming outdoors, but swimming in the sea, rivers and lakes is more challenging than swimming in a pool, where most lessons take place,” said Guy Botterill, Swim Safe project manager for the RNLI. “Thanks to Swim Safe, thousands of children will learn how to keep safe when swimming outdoors and know what to do if they get into trouble.”

To book a free Swim Session at Groomsport, near Bangor on Belfast Lough, visit Swimsafe.org.uk — and find out more about the programme via #SwimSafe hashtag and at Facebook.com/SwimSafeOutdoors

Published in Sea Swim
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Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat

For the first time in sailing's Olympic history, a Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat event will be on the slate at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition.

The Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat will join kiteboarding, windsurfing, multihulls, singlehanded and doublehanded dinghies and skiffs, promoting the diversity of the sport. This, in turn, will support World Sailing's desire to promote and grow universality in all disciplines and increase female participation with gender-equal medals and athletes.

Offshore sailing is the ultimate test of endurance, skill, discipline, navigation and critical decision making.

Embracing a major part of sailing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will enable new stars of the sport to come to the forefront.

Qualification

Offshore sailing is a universal discipline that every World Sailing Member National Authority (MNA) can participate in.

Up to 20 nations will be on the start line at Paris 2024 and sailors from every continent will be represented. To qualify for the Olympic Games, continental qualification events will be held and competition for a spot will be hotly contested.

Equipment

For qualification events, World Sailing will approve a list of one-design boats that are already regionally available and can be accessed as a charter boat. Boats will be equalised to ensure fair competition.

For Paris 2024, World Sailing's Council will select a list of different Equipment it considers to meet the key criteria by 31 December 2020 and then make a decision on the Equipment, selecting from the list, no later than 31 December 2023.

MNAs, Class Associations and Manufacturers have all been invited to propose Equipment for the list and a World Sailing Working Party will evaluate each proposal. A recommended list will be presented to Council for approval in November 2020.

This recommended Equipment list will ensure that event organisers, MNAs and the sailors have opportunities to train and compete in Equipment that is readily available and affordable within their continent and country. It will also ensure each MNA has a fair opportunity to prepare for qualification events and eventually, Paris 2024.

Format

Starting and finishing in Marseille, the Mixed Offshore event is expected to last for either three days and two nights or four days and three nights off the French coastline and whoever crosses the finish line first will be declared Olympic champion.

The race course and length will be announced in the lead up to the start so the competition can take advantage of the latest weather forecast. Current options proposed include long and short courses heading towards the West and East of France.

Safety and Security

The French Navy and Mediterranean forces have extensive experience of supporting major oceanic sailing races. They will provide safety and security at Paris 2024.