TRAVESSIA LISBOA – CASCAIS 20KM

2024-09-21

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An open water swimming race, point to point, with approximately 20km, starting at Belém Dock in Lisbon and finishing at Pescadores Beach in Cascais.

DETAILS

22ºC

Avg. Air Temperature
in September

20º / 21º C

Avg. Water Temperature
in September

River / Ocean

Laps:

Point to point

Distance:

20km

Start:

Lisbon, Belém Dock

In the water

Finish:

Cascais, Pescadores Beach

In the water

Max Participants:

60 individual + 5 relay teams

Cut-off:

8 hours

Check-in Time Limit:

8:30 am

Start Time:

9:05 am

Award Ceremony:

2:00 pm

COURSE DETAILS

The Ultramarathon swim Travessia Lisboa-Cascais 20km, will start  at Belém Dock. in Lisbon, where swimmers will enter the Tagus River and follow the ebb tide for the first 9km into the ocean.

This is a race point to point with World Aquatics rules and supervised by officials. There will be guidance buoys every 500 meters and 4 aid stations to feed the swimmers’ support kayaks.

While the first 9km are considered swimming in the river, the following 11km will be an ocean swim.

The finish line will be waiting for swimmer’s at Pescadores Beach in Cascais.

The tide flow speeds inside the river are normally greater than 1.5 m/s (5.4 km/h), and can reach 2.5 (9 km/h).

This course also requires swimmer’s to be accompanied by a kayak that will not only serve as added safety but also be responsible for all of the swimmer’s nutrition, making this a true team effort.

SCHEDULE

TIME EVENT LOCATION
03:00pm Press Conference Lisbon, Padrão dos Descobrimentos
04:00pm Briefing & Accreditation Lisbon, Padrão dos Descobrimentos

TIME EVENT LOCATION
07:00am – 08:30am Accreditation Lisbon, Belém Dock
08:30am Swimmer Call Lisbon, Belém Dock
08:50am Event Anthem Lisbon, Belém Dock
09:05am Race Start (Men) Lisbon, Belém Dock
09:10am Race Start (Women) Lisbon, Belém Dock
12:45pm ETA First Swimmer Cascais, Pescadores Beach
02:00pm Flower Ceremony Cascais, Pescadores Beach
05:30pm ETA Last Swimmer Cascais, Pescadores Beach

TIME EVENT LOCATION
01:15pm Team Award Ceremony Cascais, Pescadores Beach

REGISTRATION

Don't miss your chance and register now!

Phase 1

February 26th - April 30th
150
  •  

Phase 2

May 1st - July 31st
170
  •  

Phase 3

August 1st - August 31st
200
  •  

Phase 1

February 26th - April 30th
200
  •  

Phase 2

May 1st - July 31st
240
  •  

Phase 3

August 1st - August 31st
280
  •  

Teams of 4 elements can compete in Travessia Lisboa-Cascais 20km.

Each team must have a support boat and skipper to accompany them.

Please check further details

Phase 1

February 26th - April 30th
150
  •  

Phase 2

May 1st - July 31st
170
  •  

Phase 3

August 1st - August 31st
200
  •  

RACE LICENSE

All swimmer's must have a race license. This can either be a federation license from the Portuguese Swimming Federation (FPN) or any of their international counterparts, or even from the Portuguese Triathlon Federation (FTP) ,or a race license obtained when registered online. Please choose whichever applies when you complete your registration.

KAYAKS

All participants must be accompanied by a support kayak.

If you need, the organization can assist you in providing a kayak, a kayaker or both.

Please check further details

DISTANCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Participation in Travessia Lisboa-Cascais 20km requires swimmers to have completed an open water swimming event of at least 10km in the last 5 years.

Haven't participated in one yet?

GENERAL RULES

Reading and complying with race regulations is mandatory for participation as well as ensuring every swimmer's safety.

Check the rules and regulations below

EQUIPMENT

Swim Cap

Compulsory to wear the swim cap provided at accreditation

Goggles

Optional

Wetsuit

Allowed if the water temperature is inferior to 21ºC
Compulsory if the water temperature is lower than 18ºC

Timing Chip

Compulsory use on the wrist
Delivered before entering the start area

Watch

Allowed

BIB Tattoos

Athletes who do not wear a wetsuit will be marked with numbers on their back, arms and hands.
Athletes wearing a wetsuit will be marked with numbers on their hands.

Safety Buoy

Forbidden

BANNED EQUIPMENT

Materials or objects to aid buoyancy, propulsion and breathing such as, but not limited to: pullbuoys, fins and snorkels

SWIMMERS

SWIMMER'S GUIDE

Check out the Swimmer's Guide below

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Race Regulations contain mandatory information, fundamental for a safe participation in the event. Reading and complying with the regulations is mandatory.

Training for this challenge can give you an ultimate experience. Be prepared for the great day with a training plan.

Discuss and include your kayaker in your plan so there are no surprises on race day.

Each swimmer must bring their own supplies and nutrition, and rely on aid stations as a supplement where you can find, banana, water, and cola drinks.

Race Briefing is mandatory. Swimmer’s will be able to check-in and colect their swimmer’s kit at the race briefing location.

Training with the kayaker team member

Hydration and gels every 20 – 30 minutes

A good nutrition and hydration before the race and during the whole crossing can avoid moments of extreme fatigue and cramps

Extra goggles pair to be in the kayak

Bag with nutrition to be in the kayak

Travel to Cascais, Lisbon or Oeiras with time to acclimatize, prepare and adapt to the race courses and venue

RELAY

Relay teams must be made up of 4 elements.

Each element can only complete one 5km portion of the total 20km course, and cannot be replaced in case they are unable to fulfill their portion.

All swimmers must check-in on race morning at the Race Office.

After all swimmers check-in they will be escorted into the dock to access their team's boats.

Each team's boats will receive indication when they can exit the dock to wait for the start.

All boats must be out of the dock, and away from the start line area before swimmers enter the water.

Each relay team must be accompanied by a boat dedicated only to their team.

This boat will be responsible for the transport of the team members, nutrition supplies as well as safety support.

This boat must either belong to the team itself or be rented out through the organization.

The skipper must have, at least, a sailor's license (or higher).

The skipper must be reachable at all times (radio and phone).

The skipper must be present at the race briefing.

The swimmer's exchange will be made next to the buoys that mark each 5km of the course.

The timing chip must be exchanged in the water (with both swimmers touching hands in the water)

During the exchange the boat's engine must be at idle speed or completely turned off.

KAYAKERS

Each swimmer will be accompanied by a kayaker who will support him and attend to any need he may have, and will perform tasks of provisioning, guidance and assistance of the swimmer under the established rules

Each swimmer must bring its own supplements and nutrition to be carried by the kayaker

We encourage team training between swimmer and kayaker to improve provisioning, guidance and communication.

The race briefing is mandatory for kayakers and swimmers.

 

Have a phone with charged battery all time and a charged power bank.

The kayaker and the swimmer have to agree on the signals they will use to facilitate their communication.

The kayaker will perform the tasks of provisioning, guidance and assistance of the swimmer under the established rules.

The kayaker is responsible for the direction of the kayak and the trajectory of the swimmer.

The kayaker must paddle at the appropriate speed to accompany the swimmer adjusting their pace.

The kayaker should ensure that the swimmer is about 3 meters on the breathing side.

The kayaker should never stand in front of the swimmer. This is considered drafting and it means disqualification.

The swimmer can approach at the time of the refreshment, never touching the kayak, only the feeding stick.

If the kayaker detects any signals in the swimmer such as extreme fatigue, dehydration, hypothermia, insolation, dizziness or vomiting, the swimmer’s emergency protocol must be initiated.

If the kayaker has to stop, retreat or advance for any reason, like going to an aid station, he must warn his swimmer, the organization by phone and another kayaker of a nearby swimmer or other organization boat must watch his swimmer.

In case of emergency, follow the protocol defined by the organization

We recommend kayaker hydration every 30 minutes and solid food and to feed the swimmer every 20 minutes, avoiding extreme fatigue.

The kayakers position themselves inside the Belém Dock, until the swimmers pass buoy 1 and wait to enter the river until the signal from the officials.

The kayaker will not follow the swimmer to the finish line.

They must go around the finish line arch, and head to the left side of the beach (Pescadores beach) in order to dismount and leave their kayaks.

The kayaker will take any waste accumulated during the course to the designated area in the finish area.

The kayaker can then access the recovery area.

Accreditation kit

Mobile phone and power bank

Sealed case for Mobile phone

Set of adhesive numbers (race kit)

Bag for waste

Personal supplies

Watch

Whistle

Lifejacket or Personal Flotation Device

Hat or cap

Sunglasses with UV protection.

Solar protection with high SPF

Video camera

Binoculars

Drag leash

The kayaker must communicate its condition – a kayak anomaly or his indisposition – to the swimmer.

The kayaker must call the organization/ boat coordinator to take any measures for the kayaker substitution, or find another way to guarantee the swimmer’s safety.

The swimmer can continue the race, if safety is guaranteed by organization.

The kayaker will be towed or rescued by the organization boat and evacuated to the nearest land evacuation point.

The organization can assist swimmers in finding their support kayak and/or kayaker for race day.

Please fill out the respective fields when you register online indicating if you need:


• Kayak
• Kayaker
• Kayak + Kayaker

(cost will be added to your registration)

AID STATIONS

4

aid stations along the course

Boat

Boat

Platform

Platform

(these aid stations are for the kayakers to re-supply the swimmers)

NUTRITION

Water

Banana

Cola Drink

Gels

AWARDS

The following rankings will be awarded per each category:

PRO MEN

1st, 2nd, 3rd

PRO WOMEN

1st, 2nd, 3rd

RELAY

1st, 2nd, 3rd

MEN OVERALL

1st, 2nd, 3rd

WOMEN OVERALL

1st, 2nd, 3rd

TEAMS

1st, 2nd, 3rd*

*Please note that Team Awards will be given according to the combined score from the event's 20km, 10km and 5km races.

SERVICES

SHUTTLE

Swimmers will have access to a shuttle before and after the race that will bring them from Cascais to Lisbon. Available schedules will be communicated closer to race day.

CLOAKROOM

Swimmers will be able to leave their belongings at the start, in Lisbon, in order to collect them at the finish and recovery area.

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