37th Annual Foster’s 800m sea swim

This past Saturday, the Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association (CIASA) held the 37th Annual Foster’s 800m Sea swim on Governor’s Beach.

On a beautiful, sun-splashed afternoon, 82 swimmers of all ages took to the water to partake in this enjoyable event.

After rescheduling the swim on two different occasions due to weather and COVID-19 precautions, participants found out first-hand that “third time was the charm”, with calm seas and soft, fresh breezes a welcoming site for their swim.

The favourable conditions led to a tight finish that saw Seven Mile Swimmers’ Will Sellars finish first in a time of 10 minutes 1 second, narrowly beating fellow SMS teammates Dominic Hilton (10:04) and Jordan Lisle (10:08). Camana Bay Aquatic Club (CBAC) swimmers Luca Burns, and Connor MacDonald rounded out the top five. Jasmine Lambert-Wragg, also of SMS, was the first overall female finisher in a time of 10:25.

“I really enjoyed my first Cayman Islands open water event,” said Coach Jacky Pellerin – Cayman’s new Technical Director who arrived in Cayman in November. “The conditions were perfect, and I truly believe in CIASA’s vision that the Cayman Islands can host world class open water competitions.”

Cayman Swimming has traditionally done well in open water events at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, largely due to the valuable experience younger swimmers gain in these regularly scheduled sponsored sea swims.

Lola Haworth, from Stingray Swim Club, won her 13-14 age group. Ginny Harrison (9-10) and Coco McGrath (11-12) topped their respective age groups as well. On the boy’s side, Colt Higgo (9-10) and Lev Fahy (11-12) led the way in their age divisions.

The event also featured the 400m distance for swimmers who are new to open water.

The next event on CIASA’s open water calendar is the CUC 800m swim on Saturday 15, January.