Cayman has the most perfect open water swimming conditions in the world, so it is little wonder that the Flowers Sea Swim has grown into a world leading event during its 18 year existence.
 
With an entry cap of 800 swimmers, the organisers expect the one mile swim, set to take place on Saturday 19 June, to sell out well before the 16 June entry deadline.

Founding father
Frank Flowers, the founder of the event, came to swimming relatively late in life after a knee injury forced him to give up running. In an attempt to find an outlet for this competitive spirit, he founded the Flowers Sea Swim.
 
According to Frank, the mile is the perfect distance for the event.
 
“Anyone can swim a half mile without much training, but for the mile you have to do a little bit of training, so I think that is the optimum distance to stay fit,” he says.

Prizes
Frank realised that top swimmers would attend the event regardless, as they were competing for trophies. He decided to focus on attracting recreational swimmers, and hit on the formula of great random prizes. This year’s prize list includes airline tickets to various destinations, watersports vouchers, restaurant vouchers, spa and gym packages, Dolphin Discovery packages and numerous other surprises, the event guarantees a one in six chance of winning a random prize.
 
This year’s prize list will also feature a cruise, which is a first for the event, as well as the Flowers special prize, which will remain a surprise until it is drawn. Frank would only say that it is an awesome prize.
 
Finishers also receive a goodie bag containing a t-shirt and various other treats.
 
“There’s something new in the goodie bag this year that we are really excited about,” says Kate Alexander, event assistant for the Flowers Sea Swim.

Top swimmers
Over the years the event has featured top swimmers from around the globe, including Olympians from Cayman and abroad. The defending champion, Cayman Olympian Shaune Fraser, will be back, as will last year’s runner up Brett Fraser. Defending women’s champion Bethany Robertson of Australia will also be back.

Take a walk
Another popular innovation for the swim is the Walk&Watch event, which allows non-swimming supporters to be a part of the event as well.
 
“A lot of the people watch their kids swimming, they like to keep an eye on them,” says Frank.
 
“There are a lot of people out there who now get to take part in a meaningful way,” says Kate.
 
This year will also feature an open water swimming clinic in the days before the event.
 
The event has grown and improved every year, and Frank puts this down to a simple philosophy.
 
“To me the swimmer is a customer, you’ve got to motivate them, you’ve got to show them appreciation, you’ve got to keep them happy and you’ve got to inspire them to want to support the event,” says Frank.

Charity
The event also has a very important charity component, with a different beneficiary each year. This year the money raised will go to the Sunrise Training Centre.
 
“It’s a community event, and by participating people are helping the community,” says Frank.
 
Volunteers
The Friday before the event there will be a pasta dinner for the volunteers at the Brasserie, which will also be open to participants and the public for $10.
 
With about 200 volunteers on the day and in excess of 300 volunteers working on the overall, the event takes a lot of organisation. With doctors along the course, the safety of the swimmers is also assured.

Family affair
The Flowers family are also regular competitors in the event.
 
“It gives us a high, we get excited because when you see the people coming in, the smiles on their faces, it is just wonderful,” says Frank.

Event details
This year the event will finish at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, with the race start to be decided during race week. Depending on weather conditions, the start could take place either at Royal Palms or at the Gecko Beach Bar.
 
Check in will start at 1pm on race day and close at 1.45pm. A race briefing will take place at 2pm, with the start of the swim at 2.30pm. Swimmers have 75 minutes to complete the course. At the finish line swimmers will receive their goodie bags as well as a selection of food and drink, with the prize giving set to start at 5pm.
 
The entry fee is $25.
The event website has an extensive race information section containing tips for all participants, explaining how the event runs in order to assure that everything runs smoothly on the day.   WH

For more information, visit the event website at flowersseaswim.com.