106 swimmers to take on The Rip Swim

THE Rip Swim is returning this year with 106 people taking on the 3.5km open water event from Point Nepean to Point Lonsdale this Saturday.

Participants will take off at 9am, with this year’s event – made up of 26 solo swimmers and 18 team entries – being the second-biggest field.

Heading into its 10th year, the swim will include five of the six original participants from when the event began in 2014.

“One of the highlights for me this year will be the original guys that swam in 2014, it’s really nice to have them come back,” The Rip Swims founder Grant Siedel said.

Groups are made up of four to six people and are accompanied by a kayaker, with each member swimming the entire distance.

For the first time, organisers have opened the event for individuals to enter, where they will then be managed as one group.

The tide only provides one opportunity for the swim, meaning groups and individual participants will all head off at the same time.

Mr Siedel said the swimmers want to be able to say they have swum from one side to the other and cross it off their list.

“Anyone who ends up swimming can sort of sit back and really enjoy the feeling of satisfaction of swimming one of the most famous bodies of water in the world.”

All participants will be supported by jet skis and rescue boats as they make their way across the open water, with all ships be-ing stopped for the event as well.

It is expected participants will begin to hit the beach at Point Lonsdale from 9:45am where people are encouraged to welcome them in.

The winter Rip Swim will take place later in the year, on July 13.