77 ‘ticked’ Bold & Beautiful Swimmers.
What a beautiful swim it was too !!! A little chilly maybe, although the air was warm so it felt fine and the conditions are just perfect at the moment. The sun’s out and the water is sooo calm and clear. It doesn’t get any better !! John Bond and James Goins even squeezed in a bonus early lap to make the most of it.
Some lovely photos this morning courtesy of James Goins…. Sandy McIndoe, what is that on your head ? 😉
Christine Armour annouced at Shelly Beach that she was suffering from Nose Freeze this morning, now that’s a new one but a goodie 🙂
Winter is over that is true, but there is an amazing reason to keep on swimming and most importantly ticking…
The launch of the B&B Pacific Challenge !!!
Check out our amazing new challenge it’s absolutely “Mind Blowing”, there is no other word for it. We are swimming the Pacific, the data has been pre-loaded back to 1st June 2011 and the first badge stop is South West Rocks !!
You can see how you and your friends are tracking along the route by clicking here.
If you hover over a dot along the route the names to the right will highlight to show you who is in that range, alternatively hover over the names and it will highlight their place along the route. You can also click and drag on the map to see the full lenght of the route. Watch this space to see where the next stop is as we continue to swim our way around the Pacific. You will be able to see yourself progress along the route each day that you swim, as long as you remember you tick !! 😉
We will also be seeing how many times B&B collectively circumnavigate the globe, this data will be back dated from 1st June 2010 and the map will appear very soon, so please keep an eye out for that also.
Only the regular 1.5km 7am B&B Manly to Shelly swims count towards these challenges.
A permanent link will appear on the left hand side of the blog and from within the daily attendance graph for you to use each day.
Thank you very much to John Masters for the inspiration of this challenge and to Magnus Butlin for making it all possible, you are a total gem, not to mention a genius, thank you !
Winter Badge Ceremony this morning went very well , thank you to every one who participated and helped to make it such a success !
Also thank you very much to our sponsor Manly Wine for catering for us all, putting on a fabulous breakfast and setting up a PA system for us.
And to James Goins who organised the amazing 2011 winter badge cake for us all. Thanks so much James, you’re a champion !
There were 134 swimmers plus Baby Bump Bowes who qualified for their 2011 winter badge, 32 of whom also qualified for the Winter Without Wetsuit badge.
This smashed our previous record so great job, well done everyone !!!
Nearly 400 people swam at least once over winter and collectively we swam ~8000km and Neil Cowin only missed one winter swim !!! Now that’s all pretty amazing by anyone’s standard.
Check out some of this morning’s fantastic photos taken by Michael Christie at the badge ceremony, they are great, everyone is looking so happy in all of them. All the photos from the badge ceremony can be seen by clicking here. There should hopefully be a photo up there of everyone who was presented with their badge this morning.
Tim Ettle is happy to provide a copy of the full res version of the beautiful group photo that he took of us all on the sand this morning before we swam, so please let us know if you would like a copy.
Congratulations to Gerd Bernhard who’s wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday, Lale Zehra weighing 3.91kg 🙂
Check out another great on tour photo of Michelle Harris in Lindos.
Water Temperature 16.5 degrees.
Air Temperature 15 degrees.
Sunrise 6.01am.
Sunset 5.43pm.
High Tide: 7.30am.
Low Tide: 1.23pm.
22 comments
Anna Alvsdotter
September 11, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Wow, the Pacific challenge is magnificent, and the tracking tool very cool.
Thank you Julie and Michael for organising such a well run and enjoyable winter badge ceremony and breakkie. You really do spend a lot of time and energy into our swim group, and I hope you know it is much appreciated by us all!
John
September 11, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Great clear water conditions this morning. Congratulations to all swimmers who received their winter badges. Thanks Julie for organising the presentation which is always an enjoyable time. Also thanks James for the cake depicting our winter badge.
Stephen Coulter
September 11, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Look what was on Today today! http://today.ninemsn.com/videoindex.aspx?uuid=3c01d378-9be4-4c81-9d89-621ca54e816b
neil
September 11, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Thanks for a very nice day every day. I am very appreciative of the very thoughtful gift. It will go next to my other picture that says. Life does not require us to be the biggest or the best it only asks that we try. Great work Jules and James and to all the swimming team.
Little Tiger
September 11, 2011 at 1:29 pm
What a lovely morning. Fantastic swim, winter badge ceremony, cake, company, brekkie and photos. How exciting is the Pacific Challenge, my kids loved seeing how far we’d all swum. Looking forward to continuing my Pacific journey.
Sherieli
September 11, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Thanks to everyone who had a role in today’s badge ceremony.
A special thanks to Jules & Mike for the organisation, James for the ceremony cake, and to anyone else I missed – thanks 🙂
As always it was a great morning spent with an outstanding group of people.
I love the pacific challenge – I wonder where we will all end up?
rob
September 11, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Go Ms. M!!
Cae Tolman
September 11, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Hi!
Does anyone fancy and early swim tomorrow? I’ll probably go anyway so will meet anyone who happens to be there…
Rob T
September 11, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Thanks for the badge ceremony Julie and Michael. I am very pleased with the new additions to my sleeve. I have less badge envy now that I have 2 more.
We are a funny bunch being so keen to get up early in winter and swim rain hail or shine. I am amazed that people come from over the Spit Bridge to join us on a regular basis as well.
I have just spent more time than I can spare examining my position on the Pacific Challenge. It’s great fun. Good idea John and fantastic page Magnus. Thanks for another thing for me to obsess about. Big Rick and Jim I am closing in on you!
Julie thanks for all the time you spend organizing this so we have such a good time at the B&B. We all appreciate it.
Anna Alvsdotter
September 11, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Oh, and that CAKE! It really took the cake in terms of cakes. Not just impressive looking, but also one of the tastiest cakes I’ve come across.
Thank you very much James Pecan Pie Goins for bringing it! Would you let us know the name of that bakery, as it was indeed outstanding.
The badge itself is gorgeous as usual; my left arm is very heavy now. Thank you Vanessa Wilton!
heidi
September 11, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Thanks Jules and Michael and all the b&b community who collectively make a morning swim so much more than that. I love being part of it. Cheers.
Pacific Jules
September 11, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Fantastic Yasmin, what a wonderful thing to be doing with all those kids.
Iain
September 11, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Pure Gold,
Yasmin when does the B&B get our turn to remake a movie???
Iain
September 11, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Done!
Iain
September 11, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Ok All,
Call me a frigging hippy, a suck up, or just a bit too much but I would like to say this:
The B&B is about love, of our special patch of ocean that we share with such great people each day and the warmth it gives all our hearts (despite some inaccurate temperature measurements).
So I want to say a big thank you but more importantly lets keep loving our patch of ocean, swimming and each other (not too much love for each other mind you as we need to keep the gene pool growing).
We do have something magic and its worthy of great note.
Love yous alls,
Iain (If you can do a 6km swim in Dec you can do 46km by August)
ps. During the somewhat turbulent rugby world cup we may at times feel the need to belittle each other for the country we support. In the interest of keeping harmony, peace and love i would also like to say this:
“England suck they really really suck, they cannot run the ball cause they really really suck! If they cross the line it’s all because of luck, cause England suck they really really suck! …. Peace
Gaetan
September 11, 2011 at 9:56 pm
Spot on! (about the rugby ahahaahaha :-))
Anna Alvsdotter
September 11, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Naaaaaw. Very nice Iain (from 6 to 46 in 8 months) Well put.
Also lovely for the Aussies to endulge in a bit of bravado early on in the World Cup. I’ll bring you some tissues at the end of it. Kamate kamate ka-ora.
Iain
September 11, 2011 at 10:37 pm
You forget Anna, I have 2 passports one OZ one NZ. Anybody but England right Nick?
Tacomajim
September 12, 2011 at 8:52 am
The cake was done by Heavenly Cakes, in North Curl Curl. They put out some amazing stuff there and are also very friendly and easy to work with. Thanks to Vanessa for the badge design. The colours came out so well. I did not qct alone on this cake thing, either!! Little Tiger and Annette Willows were partners in the fun as well.
Back to the pecans now….
fifi
September 12, 2011 at 9:46 am
What a great fun idea!
Thanks for including all the newbies like me. I was so excited to see my name on the list and not even at the bottom!
Nick
September 12, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Don’t start me , Go the Blacks!!!
Nick
September 12, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Wow, just checked by Pacific Status.. Ive just swam to Toronto ( Not Canada Christie) , it is where all the Axe murderers get on the train to Sydney.. Better keep swimming ..