Racing Format

Read the sections below for details about our Club meets, racing formats and other information:

About the Weekly Events

Club races are held each Saturday morning commencing at 7.30am and concluding at 10.30am. Please be at the pool by 7.15am to allow time for marshalling the early races.

See our calendar for dates of Saturday race meets and other Club events in the current season.

Members may participate in three races each week:

  1. A freestyle sprint – 50 and 100 metres, generally alternating weekly, as per programme.
  2. A form stroke – breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly, generally alternating.
  3. A distance event – 200 metres and 400 metres freestyle and a medley, generally alternating.

For younger swimmers not able to complete 50 metres – 20 and 30 metre races are held. This is also the case for distance events – instead of 4 x 50 metres (200m), younger swimmers are encouraged to swim 4 x 30 metres or 4 x 20 metres.

Handicap Races

With the exception of championship events, races are handicap starts, so a new swimmer needs to first swim a time trial in each event in order to establish a time. Handicaps are revised weekly, based on the fastest of the swimmers’ last three swims.

Races are conducted on the following basis:

  1. Handicap starts will apply with the slowest swimmer starting first
  2. Swimmers will be allocated to their race according to their times irrespective of their age or sex.
  3. A swimmer’s handicap is based on the fastest time swum in the last three races for that distance and/or stroke.
  4. Times and places are determined by the electronic timing system, but may be overruled by the Race Referee in cases of system or operator malfunction.
  5. Where a member swims two races of the same category on the same day then the results in the first race are used to determine their point score points and the second swim is disregarded. (The situation can arise when a swimmer competes in a special trophy final in addition to the normal Club races or when a swimmer competes in both their age group and Open Championship races).

During the season where a member has not swum a particular event, his or her first race will be treated as a time trial. Swimmers swimming a time trial will be awarded 1 point for that race (i.e. the same points as a non-placegetter in a handicap event). Swimmers who have never swum an event at the club will need to let the marshaller know of their intent to time trial.

Points

Members accumulate points on a 4, 3, 2, 1 basis for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place or for completing a swim or for swimming a time trial (provided that the swimmer has not earned points from a corresponding event). Progressive points are displayed on the Club’s web site.

400 Metre Qualifying

To qualify for a 400m freestyle swim, members must record a 200m freestyle time of 200 seconds (3 minutes and 20 seconds).

Club Championships

The Club Championships are determined through a series of races, which are held during the season. The races are for boys and girls separately and are based on age and groupings – under 8, 9 , 10, 12, 14, 16 and senior (over 16’s) plus the Open Championships. Age groupings for Championships are determined by the member’s age at the 1st October 2020.

Competitors in the open events will be the eight fastest swimmers on the day, irrespective of age for the particular event. When one or more of the eight qualifying swimmers does not swim, then the allocation of other swimmers to that event will be based on swim times starting from the next fastest swimmer.

Points are allocated for the results in each race and the member who accumulates the most points wins the championship. On Championship race days, the Championship race will be the first on the programme for that day and the Championship races will be swum in the following sequence:

  1. Seniors, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8 then Open.
  2. Boys will precede girls in each category.
  3. Swimmers are eligible to swim in Championship events only if they have swum at three Club meets during the current season in an age race.

Lanes will be allocated on the basis of Club times with the fastest swimmer in lane 4, second fastest in lane 5, third fastest in lane 3 and so forth. When there are more than eight swimmers, the swimmers will be divided into heats according to their times with the fastest heat having the maximum number of swimmers, provided there is a minimum of three swimmers in any other heat.

The Championship points will be awarded on the basis of times swum irrespective of which heat the swimmer races in.

Championship Events

Age Group Freestyle Breast Back Fly Medley
Open 50m 100m 200m 400m 800m 50m 100m 50m 100m 50m 100m 4x50m
Senior 50m 100m 200m 400m   50m 100m 50m 100m 50m 100m 4x50m
Under 16 50m 100m 200m 400m   50m 100m 50m 100m 50m 100m 4x50m
Under 14 50m 100m 200m 400m   50m 100m 50m 100m 50m 100m 4x50m
Under 12 50m 100m 200m 400m   50m 100m 50m 100m 50m   4x50m
Under 10 50m 100m 200m     50m   50m   50m   4x50m
Under 9 50m 100m 200m     50m   50m   30m   4x30m
Under 8 30m 50m 4×30     30m   30m   30m   4x30m
Under 6 20m 30m 4×20         20m        

See the calendar for the dates of Championship events.

Trophies

There are numerous trophies that can be won by swimmers during the season. The trophies are perpetual trophies that are held by the winner until the completion of the next swimming season. In summary these trophies fall within one of the following classes:

Championship trophies: These are awarded to the winner of each age Championship point score.

Point score trophies: A number of trophies are awarded to the members who accumulate the most handicap points during the season in each of the trophy categories. Each member’s accumulated points are displayed on the Club web site. The point score is updated each week and accumulated points are shown separately for the freestyle sprints, BBB events and the long-distance races.

Specific event trophies: A number of trophies for specific events are run on a handicap basis during the course of the season. All members who have swum the relevant stroke and distance may compete for these trophies.

Trophies are presented at the annual Presentation event which is held several weeks after the end of the swimming season.

Swimming New South Wales – North West Area (SMNW)

This Club is a member of Swimming New South Wales, operating in the Swimming Metro North West Area (SMNW).

For further information on regional swim meets, see the SMNW web site at www.metronwnsw.swimming.org.au or contact our Club Secretary.

Race Referees

Race referees will oversee all Club races to ensure that swimmers are using the correct stoke and are swimming according to the Club Rules and the rules of Swimming. If the referees believe that the swimmer should be disqualified then the swimmer will be advised before the swimmers leaves the water at the end of the race. When a swimmer is disqualified they will be awarded 1 point in the handicap point score but their time for that race will not be used for the future handicapping purposes. Swimmers in 20m races will not be disqualified but will be advised of any stroke correction that they need. Stroke correction following disqualification will be advised to you by the Race Referee.

Squad Training

A swimming squad is held on weekday mornings in lanes 1 and 2 in the pool from 6am to 7.30am.

Junior Squad is held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

If you are interested in joining the Squad or seek more information about the Squad, speak to our Squad Coach, Phil Hayward on 0414 713660 or email phil@haywards.com.au.

Winter Meets – Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview

Subject to demand and available pool facilities, during the winter season, when Drummoyne Pool is closed, we may hold monthly meets on Sunday afternoons.

New members, family and friends are welcome to join us for some fun sprint, form stroke, medley and relay racing over 25m, 2 x 25m and 4x25m distances.  It’s a great way to keep up your swimming fitness over the winter period.

We charge a casual entry fee, which covers our costs of pool hire and other running expenses.  We also have some fun race prizes and a raffle on offer.

See our season calendar for dates and times of winter meets.

Club Merchandise

Club members are strongly encouraged to wear club swimming costumes and other swim wear on race days.  We have a full range of sizes of all club swimming costumes and other swim wear, which can be purchased or ordered pool-side on race days.

General Information

Whilst the above offer a general explanation of how the club is run, please ask one of the Club Officials if you are unsure of procedures.

Please also see our Frequently Asked Questions section for answers to common questions.

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