NYCkayaker Anyone doing this Sunday's Governors Island Swim support?

[mike]

Richard I never saw or had a kayak escort at any of the open water swims I
did, they were all triathlons and Greenwich 1-mile open water swim.
Open water swim navigation was a skill that was taught and practiced.
I am surprised they let a swimmer use a kayaker as their guidance.
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: nyckayaker-bounces at rockandwater.net [mailto:nyckayaker-
>>bounces at rockandwater.net] On Behalf Of Richard Clifford
>>Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 10:36 AM
>>To: nyckayaker at rockandwater.net
>>Subject: NYCkayaker Anyone doing this Sunday's Governors Island Swim
>>support?
>>
>>NYCKayaker:
>>
>>    The assertion in this post in incorrect. I have participated as a
>>kayaker escorting swimmers in these events for 15+ years. I have done
>>this at the US Nationals Open Water 25K swims in Florida repeatedly.
>>And, I have done the escorting for the chair of the Open Water Committee
>>of the US Masters swimming. And, the post mixes several
>>
>>    It is not helpful when people jump on the list and make these bold,
>>unsupported assertions. Support what you say. Otherwise mark what you
>>say as assertion/opinion not fact. - Richard Clifford
>>
>>
>>mike wrote:
>>>  *I am always surprised they allow the guiding by kayak in these races.
>>It
>>> would be a violation in any sanctioned open water-swimming event.* A
>>huge
>>> component of the challenge of open water swimming is the ability to
>>navigate
>>> and swim in straight line, In a pool it Is quite easy to follow the
>>lines in
>>> the open water it is a different stroke technique to navigate.
>>> *I would think *the kayak escort would have to stay behind the swimmer
>>for a
>>> proper race.
>>> I guess the rules are much different in these swim from the 1-mile open
>>> water swim races and triathlons
>>> *It sounds like* an unfair advantage if some equally ranked swimmers got
>>a mix
>>> of very good and mediocre kayak guidance.
>>> As far as you people being dissed, you should also request to see the
>>books
>>> of the events to make sure that you are being equally treated.
>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>
>>> . The skills of the kayakers to guide their swimmer in
>>>
>>>>> the
>>>>> water can be key to the swimmers time it takes to get to the finish
>>line.
>>>>> Plus we have to often communicate with police, race officials and
>>power
>>>>> boaters on our GPS. I have found that it is really a team effort
>>between
>>>>> the
>>>>> kayaker and the swimmer. If I make a mistake in a Hudson River
>>crossing
>>>>> and
>>>>> tell my swimmer to move to the left instead of the right I could cause
>>him
>>>>> to lose time.
>>
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