Championship Relays 2024

Thanks and more ...

Many thanks to all the Clubs who attended the relay championships last Sunday (29 September). We hope that all the swimmers enjoyed the event. From the feedback so far this certainly seems the case.

I would also like to thank Lynn Gates (Thanet), David Harker (Thanet), Mark Leman (RTW Monson), Heilco van der Ploeg (Saxon Crown) and Kevin Sugrue (Saxon Crown) for all their hard work both on the day and in the lead up in delivering the event particularly the entries, timing, results and announcing.

Also thanks to Jean Scott for organising the officials without which the event cannot run. Finally a special thank you to all those clubs who provided other volunteers particularly RTW Monson and Orpington O’Jays both of whom went well beyond the call.

The results are at http://results.thanetsc.co.uk/20240929KT/

John Handley

Kent Relay Championships Update - 24 September 2024

29 September 2024 – Glass Mill Centre 41 Loampit Vale, London SE13 7FT

ALL ENTRIES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED

As we have the time, all events will be run with both heats and finals

Timings

Session 1

0900 Swimmer and coach entry
0910 Spectator entry – upper level
0920 Commencement of warm-ups – see timings and lane allocation below.
1040 Commencement of racing

Session 2

1300 Swimmer and coach entry
1310 Spectator entry – upper level
1320 Commencement of warm-ups – see timings and lane allocation below
1440 Commencement of racing

Results

Live results will be available here

Presentations and Medals

The medals table will be on the balcony behind the spectator gallery. Trophies will also be presented on that balcony. This will allow parents the opportunity to take photographs of their swimmers with their medals etc. There will no formal presentations

Spectator Tickets

Spectator tickets for sessions are available for purchase at £3 a session using this link. The number is limited to 250 – once that number is reached no further tickets will be sold and anyone without a ticket will not be admitted to the gallery. There are no cash sales on the door.

There will be an area where those without tickets may sit in the cafe area. Folding chairs will be permitted in that area but there will be no room for their storage in the spectator gallery.

Those parents who are spectating from the gallery are reminded that room is limited so they should not take up more than one seat for each ticket. They are also reminded that they should not place bags on the seats.

Cafes at the Pool

We understand that the café will be open in the Centre. In any event there is a Starbucks, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer in the Shopping Centre (approximately 5 minutes walk away).

Travel News

The pool is five minutes (or less) walk from Lewisham mainline and DLR stations. Please check the TFL website for any planned closures on the Underground and Overground, and check the South Eastern website for any planned closures on the Mainline

There is a car park at the Pool which, we are informed, is open 24/7. You must pay at the machine before leaving the car. The fee for all day parking on Sundays is £2.00. It is up to those parking their cars to pay the correct fee. KCASA will not be liable for any unpaid charges, fines or penalties. The Shoppers Car park in the Lewisham Shopping Centre is open from 1030 to 1700 so please be aware of this if you park there

Many roads in the vicinity have unrestricted parking on Sundays particularly in the area near St Stephens Church and the Police station

Warm-Up Schedule

The timings are generally based on Clubs' proximity to the pool so the further away the later the warm up. The number of lanes allocated is based on the number of teams entered by each Club in the relevant session.

Session 1			Session 2
Time	Club	Lane(s)	Time	Club	Lane(s)
0920	Greenwich Royals	1234	1320	Greenwich Royals	12345
0920	Saxon Crown	5678	1320	Saxon Crown	678
0940	Beckenham	12	1340	Beckenham	12
0940	Bexley	345	1340	Bexley	345
0940	Orpington OJays	678	1340	Erith and District	67
1000	Erith and District	12	1400	Orpington OJays	12
1000	RTW Monson	34	1400	Maidstone	34
1000	Tonbridge	56	1400	Sevenoaks	56
1000	White Oak	78	1400	Tonbridge	78
1020	Maidstone	123	1420	White Oak	1
1020	Sevenoaks	456	1420	Thanet	234
1020	Thanet	78	1400	RTW Monson	567
			1400	Sheerness	8

WAVEPOWER REMINDER 2

WavePower 2024 has further restricted all mobile use and other devices as part of their changing rooms policy.

It prohibits all use of a mobile phone or device in a changing area' which will also include the call room area

NO:

Taking photos or videos
Texting
Making phone calls
Browsing the internet

Please remind your swimmers of this.

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

As you know from your own galas one needs a number of helpers to enable the Meet to run smoothly. At the County Championships Clubs have volunteered to provide helpers for each whole day of the Championships but I am hoping that if each Club with a substantial number of entries can put forward 2/3 people each to fill the volunteer gaps we will not need to go down that road. If we do not fill the gaps by Wednesday 25 September then I will be approaching the Clubs with a request for a given number of helpers each. The roles are either for a limited time mostly whilst swimming is not taking place or have full view of the swimming from the balcony or on poolside.

Please let me know if you can help us as soon as possible either directly or via your Club.

Many thanks to those who have already volunteered and in anticipation.

John Handley

Kent Relay Championships Update - 29 June 2024

These will be held at the Glass Mill Centre at Lewisham on Sunday 29 September 2024. Links to the Conditions, Programme and Entry file are below:

The exact details are in the Conditions and Programme but please note the following:

There will be two sessions Female in the morning Open/Male in the afternoon
Closing Date for entry 15 September 2024
Age Groups 12/u 14/u 16/u and Open
Each event will limited to 24 teams (3 heats) based on submitted times. Please be realistic when calculating entry times – we may ask for proof of times if we consider any to be unusual.
Clubs may enter more than one team
A teams for all Clubs will be considered first then B teams and so on.
There will be A Finals and if time permits B Medley Finals and if still time B Freestyle Finals
The fastest 8 times recorded in the heats will be allocated a place in the A final irrespective of whether the times are recorded by an A B or other lettered team. The next 8 fastest will be allocated a place in the B Final if run. It is not logistically possible to do anything else given the limited times available to process the finalists.
Coach passes from the Kents or other Kent promoted events can be used. If you need new ones please apply to John King – details in the Conditions. Lunch will be available to those coaches who purchase it in advance – again please see the Conditions.
There will be limited spectator space – approximately 250 seats and further details about ticket purchase will be published nearer the event. The Centre has plenty of public space available for use by those who cannot get into the gallery.
As usual we have a small number of committed volunteers operating the timing system etc but we do need help on all sorts of roles such as door entry, marshalling, medals, refreshments for officials, etc.
Any other queries please contact john.handley@kentswimming.org

The team championships take place at the Glass Mill Centre, Lewisham on Sunday 29 September

We expect to issue the Conditions, programme and other entry details during the course of June but in the meantime can confirm that there will be separate sessions for Open/Male teams and Female teams.

There will be 4 x 50m freestyle and medley relays for all the following age groups 12/u, 14/u, 16/u and Open. We will be running A finals for all events and if time allows B Finals to give as many swimmers as possible the chance of multiple races. This will entirely depend on the number of teams entered and the amount of warm up time needed before each session. We also hope that the timing will help clubs in the lead up to the first weekend of the National Arena Swimming League in October.

For those of you who do not know the Glass Mill Centre it is centrally located in Lewisham within 2/3 minutes of the mainline railway station and DLR. For those parents who do not want stay London Bridge can be reached in approximately 10 minutes by train. The Centre does have a car park and there is also plentiful unrestricted free car parking on Sundays in the vicinity. We appreciate this is another event nearer London and subject to availability would intend to look at a venue in East (or Mid) Kent in 2025

I do hope that as many Clubs as possible will enter and we can get this running again as an annual event.