Mark Doig swims to victory in the two-mile race. Photo: TODD VANSICKLE

On Sunday, Virgin Islands Search and Rescue hosted its Swim the Sound fund-raising event on Virgin Gorda.

 All told, 134 people participated with 97 competing in either a two- or three-mile swim from Saba Rock to Leverick Bay Resort and Marina, while 37 stand-up paddleboarders competed on the same course.

Mark Doig swims to victory in the two-mile race. Photo: TODD VANSICKLE
“We had record numbers,” said VISAR Operations Manager Katie Claxton. “I am really excited.”

For the second year, the event hosted a standup paddleboard race from Saba Rock to Leverick Bay.

“I was surprised with the numbers,” Mark Cochran said. “It was nice to see that many people on a variety of boards.”

It was Mr. Cochran’s first time competing in the SUP event. He would finish in fifth place.

Earlier this year, he participated in the Painkiller Cup — a team event that starts at Trellis Bay and finishes at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke.

On Sunday, he was talking with his former teammates — Kim Takeuchi and Mike Hirst. All three agreed that the VISAR race was very challenging.

“It is short enough that it is still a sprint, but long enough to make it tiring,” Mr. Hirst said. “The course is difficult because it runs across the wind.”

Ms. Takeuchi, who was the first female in the SUP event, competed last year and wasn’t surprised with how much the event has grown.

“It is a sport that is catching on,” Ms. Takeuchi said. “It was good to see a lot of people from Tortola.”

Ms. Takeuchi, along with several of her coworkers at Mosquito Island, was wearing a red one-piece Virgin Limited Edition bathing suit. The company provided corporate sponsorship for the fundraiser.

The event is one of VISAR’s largest fundraisers. Each year, the organisation needs to raise $250,000 to meet its annual operational costs. This year’s Swim the Sound netted $21,000.

Participants also raised money through individual sponsorship. This year’s top earner was Ria O’Hagen who raised more than $800.

“We really do save lives,” Ms. Claxton said. “That is why VISAR is so important. “

In the last two weeks, VISAR has made two critical rescues, which included an unconscious diver who needed CPR. And in a separate incident, seven people were rescued by VISAR after a boat accident during the Leverick Bay Poker Run, according to Ms. Claxton.

“That is why it is so important to keep us going and to support VISAR,” she said. “Because when you are in need on the water, we are the people you are going to call.”

She added that Swim the Sound is an ideal event for VISAR to host.

“We promote safety at sea, that is why it fits in so perfectly,” Ms. Claxton said. “We are having a safe event on the water and people enjoying the water in a safe way.”

Mark Doig won the two-mile race. He said he would like to see more open water swimming events in the VI. Last year he finished in second place.

“I was really going all out today,” Mr. Doig said. “I had a good start ahead of everyone and took a very different line than everyone. I didn’t get caught up in the crowd. I just swam my own race.”

In a category of his own, Biltong was the first dog to complete swim.

“He was our first ever dog,” Ms. Claxton said.

Biltong had to sign a waiver with his paw print before competing. He wore a doggy-sized life jacket and was kept on track by his owner Gilbo Simpson, who threw a tennis ball about 20 feet ahead of him. Biltong was also tied to his owner with a piece of rope about six feet long to prevent him from jumping on other swimmers.

“I don’t think we would have made it without the motivation of the ball,” Mr. Simpson said. “He got to the first mark quite happily, but then he got bored and we had to play fetch the rest of the way. But we made it.”

Mostly residents of the Virgin Islands support the event. However, several participants hail from the United States Virgin Islands and places as far as Australia, the US and England.

Traditionally, a VISAR member swims the Sound in full gear, which includes a helmet, boots, a life jacket and foul weather pants.

This year, it was Andrew Ball’s turn.

“It is lots and lots of drag,” Mr. Ball said after the race. “I figured I would get it out of the way. Now I can say I have done it.”

Mr. Ball has been a VISAR member for the past year and a half. He planned to train for the swim, but never got around to it. Despite a few cramps along the way, he finished the race and was proud not to have come in last place.

“Tomorrow it is going to hurt, but it is all for a good cause,” Mr. Ball said.

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SUP

Cap #

  

Name

105

0:37:10

Rodrigo dos Santos

128

0:37:27

Michael Hirst

109

0:37:37

Roy Keegan

121

0:37:47

Lee Donovan

127

0:38:00

Mark Cochran

118

0:38:23

Seth Webb

117

0:39:02

Marco Bava

136

0:40:24

Oggie Fitzpatrick

113

0:40:39

Johnny Ward

102

0:41:51

Craig Chomiak

130

0:42:00

Tai Thomas

139

0:43:52

Kim Takeuchi

119

0:44:09

Naill Reid

115

0:44:49

Abby Young

104

0:46:03

Fiona d’Ancona

123

0:47:06

Jaco Brand

107

0:50:11

Arnold Heins

142

0:53:42

Lucy Smith

112

0:56:07

Angela Smith

120

0:57:39

Helen Joseph

101

0:58:44

Sarah Bowman

132

1:00:14

Kirstin Collins

110

1:00:42

Jordan McDonough

116

1:00:53

Joby Tubby

133

1:02:19

John Pettigrew

111

1:03:13

Nicole McLoughlin

126

1:09:54

Jack Gorman

134

1:10:11

Derek Pettigrew

122

1:10:42

Meghan Cosgrove

138

1:13:34

Henry Creque

124

1:17:39

Danielle O’Doherty

125

1:19:34

Julean Johnson

2 Mile Swim

Cap #

Elapsed Time

Name

29

0:55:19

Mark Doig

30

0:55:20

Gordon Overing

27

0:57:58

Roelof Mulder

12

0:57:59

Amanda Grant

18

0:59:12

Cathryn Hempel

49

1:03:19

Carolina Pettigrew

23

1:03:46

Mungo Lowe

21

1:04:05

David Lane

34

1:05:44

Richard Smit

55

1:05:52

Kat Brownsdon

31

1:05:59

Emily Parsons

64

1:06:05

Vicki Bezener

63

1:06:09

Emily Drinkwater

44

1:06:55

Jenny Muller

1

1:07:17

John Argyros

13

1:07:37

James Grant

62

1:08:00

Dana Miller

37

1:08:42

Liezl van der Schyf

38

1:09:47

Paul Waldron

9

1:09:58

Kerry-Ann dos Santos

32

1:10:47

Andrew Seekts

25

1:11:26

Matthew Hosker

24

1:11:47

Erika Mandryko

60

1:12:42

Aaron Sedon

54

1:13:38

Aaron Gardner

42

1:14:42

Jaimey O’Leary

52

1:15:07

Emma Holmes

47

1:17:35

Gary Salter

45

1:18:00

Gary Cottreau

20

1:18:29

Gillian Howe

36

1:18:52

Emily Titchmarsh

56

1:19:12

Daniel Mitchell

61

1:19:47

Astrid Clausen

65

1:22:17

Ana Graziosi

15

1:22:26

Sarina Hancock

17

1:23:07

Rachel Haskovec

53

1:23:17

Rebecca Tyers-Smith

2

1:23:56

Laura Arton

26

1:24:30

Jeremy McIvor

66

1:26:59

Tiffany Houston

50

1:27:46

Samual Jones

10

1:27:54

Natalie Fay

22

1:29:38

Kevin Lenahan

58

1:30:47

Gary Williamson

5

1:31:28

Alida Christie

4

1:31:40

Floriana Christie

40

1:31:41

Emily McCleary

46

1:32:07

Casey McNutt

8

1:32:27

Ria O’Hagen

33

1:34:32

Gilbo Simpson

7

1:35:54

Cassandra Contreras

51

1:39:14

Patricia Wilson

57

1:43:59

Emily Fletcher

11

1:44:21

Simon Fox

28

1:54:46

Kate Mullan

59

1:54:50

Maxine Jones

3

1:58:10

Andrew Ball

39

2:07:58

Michael Fay

2 Mile Assisted Swim

Cap #

Elapsed Time

Name

77A

0:54:52

Adele Smit

73A

0:58:27

Becca Knight

6A

0:58:28

Rica Conroy

76A

1:01:28

Nici Singletary

48A

1:01:37

David Pettigrew

71A

1:05:40

Christine Goschler

69A

1:06:02

Elizabeth Besom

79A

1:06:09

Meryem Tekin

72A

1:07:19

Sandra Grisham

74A

1:08:15

Tara Murphy

78A

1:09:48

Anouk Sylvestre

81A

1:11:20

Marc Taggart

80A

1:14:10

Vivian Toro

75A

1:17:17

Ian Roy

68A

1:20:47

Michael Bell

70A

1:21:59

Luana Casoni

82A

1:23:51

Elisabetta Paradisi

83A

1:49:19

Chris Yates

3 Mile Swim

Cap #

Elapsed Time

Name

305

1:11:25

Barbara Crowder

306

1:14:52

Bob Crowder

301

1:18:46

Jennie Bucknell

312

1:18:52

Tim Marshall

318

1:19:05

Natasha Ruschein

308

1:24:03

Amanda Flaherty

314

1:24:54

Jeff Miller

310

1:26:04

Courtney Greene

315

1:28:43

John Olsen

311

1:30:23

Gina Harris

317

1:32:26

David Spark

309

1:32:28

William Garnier

302

1:35:47

Annette Baker

316

1:40:10

June Woodcock

303

1:43:45

Stuart Baker

313

1:48:52

Jenny McCleary

319

1:58:47

Jude Holmes

304

2:07:10

Tim Clipstone

307

2:20:27

Adrian Dale
     

3 Mile Assisted Swim

Cap #

Elapsed Time

Name

332A

1:22:08

Jason Kuczek

333A

1:23:42

Kay Reddy

Dog

Cap #

Elapsed Time

Name

DOG

1:34:33

Biltong

 

{gallery}swimsound{/gallery}