RULES

We must remind all participants of the importance of respecting the environment around us at all times, and therefore helping us to protect it.
The team requests everyone’s cooperation in leaving no trace of our pres-ence behind and, after the event, to leave the area in a better condition than we found it.
As an open water swimmer you respect and protect the environment.

INTRODUCTION

Morocco Swim Trek

A careful reading of the rules is mandatory.

The MOROCCO SWIM TREK is an open water event open to amateurs and professional swimmers. This first edition took place in the beautiful lagoon of Dakhla in the south of Morocco and offered 25km of swimming to the 60 participants.

The third edition of the MOROCCO SWIM TREK, as the second has, will still attend in Dakhla from november 28th to december 3rd of 2017. Six days on full immersion in the desert, between ocean and sand dunes, 4 heats of competition with different level for each one.

We want the swimmers to have fun in a friendly atmosphere. That’s the spirit of the Morocco Swim Trek!

In any case, all participants of the MOROCCO SWIM TREK should not commit themselves beyond their own limits.

The heats are timed by gender category, with over all. The winners of the MOROCCO SWIM TREK will receive a trophy.


REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPANTS

  • It is possible for individuals of any nationality to participate, no matter whether they are members of clubs or not.
  • You must be 18 at the time of participating in the race.
  • You must know and accept the conditions of these rules.
  • You must have successfully completed all of the steps and met all of the requirements for signing up.
  • Accept the disclaimer and declaration and bring a physical fitness dated of less than two months.
  • Registration for the event is personal and non-transferable and implies the acceptance of these rules.

REGISTRATION

  • You can only register via the MOROCCO SWIM TREK website.
  • Closing date for registration is on November, 14th of 2017 or when the maximum number of participants has been reached.
  • The registration at the MOROCCO SWIM TREK involves that the participant have read the MOROCCO SWIM TREK regulation
  • All the participants must respect the instructions given by the organization team To book and to confirm your registration, you need to pay the fees online.

Your registration includes :

  • The accommodation during the event
  • The full board
  • All the transfers during the event (except the flight ticket)
  • Chip ranking and timing.
  • Swimming cap and a whistle for the event
  • Accident insurance
  • Medical assistance during the journey
  • Event t-shirt and cap
  • The meditation sessions and pilates & yoga
  • Trophies for absolute winners and t-shirts for finishers

CANCELLATION

Management of withdrawals:
Up to 1 month prior to the event, if there is a valid reason for the withdrawal (medical report), 50% of the registration fee will be refunded.

After that period no refund will be given.

Changing of name: the organization offers a service to changing the name of a subscription until 15 days before the beginning.


EQUIPMENTS

One of the goal of the MOROCCO SWIM TREK is to swim in complete freedom and in a beautiful and natural location, far from the trafic, concrete, cars and noise.

Swimmers are not entitled to any artifice or other assistance except a wetsuit and swimming goggles.

All participants are obliged to wear the following items, which may be checked at the starting point and/or any point of the race.

  • Swimsuit
  • Swimming goggles
  • Cap provided by the organisation with your bib number.
  • Chip provided by the organization
  • Race number marked by the organization on the skin

Are prohibited :

  • Any artificial swimming aid / buoyancy as diving mask ,snorkel, palm , board, boy sweaters , gloves, shoe , jacket or wetsuits not designed for the practice of swimming
  • Watch, jewelry, piercing
  • The uncut nails

Are allowed :

  • Neoprene swimming wetsuit
  • A nose clip
  • Ear plugs
  • The GPS watch with rubber strap.

STARTING POINT

All the swimmers have to put on their wetsuits 30 minutes before the departure and be equipped with the official cap, the timing chip, the safety whistle, and the swimming goggles in the area mentioned in advance by the team.
They have 10 to 15 minutes to warm up and adjust their equipment.
At the beep, 5 to 10 minutes before departure, all the swimmers have to be out of the water, and line up, facing the sea.
Three minutes before the start, competitors have to move in the water and join the starting line materialized by an imaginary line which is joining two buoys.
At the starting call everybody have to be in line along the lagoon in shallow enough water to swim immediately.


ROUTE AND BUOYS

The organization will place buoys at every 500m of the route, adding additional signs at the more difficult points which are harder to navigate. The swimmers must always swim between the buoys and the coast, to guarantee their safety.
So that the event runs smoothly, the organisation reserves the right to fully and/or partially change where it places the buoys, in the event of currents and/or the wind making it necessary to change the original route. You will be informed of these changes before hand, in the briefing.


OBLIGATION TO SWIM

During the contest, the swimmers have the right to stand up momentarily , but are forbidden to walk.
Swimmers should not rely on a fixed or floating object and should not touch or be touched by a boat of any kind other wise they will be penalized.
At the finish, all competitors should borrow the funnel materialized by floats before the finish line and continue to swim untill to reach the finish plate suspended under the floating gate.
Any competitor who walked or jumped before touching the plate will be disqualified.


SUPPORT VESSELS AND KAYAKS

The swimmers will be monitored from kayaks and support vessels, to ensure their safety.
At all times the swimmers must follow the line of kayaks which will guide them through out the crossing
All kayaks are marked with brightly-coloured to help the swimmers to swim in the right direction.


WITHDRAWAL

If a Participant decides to withdraw, we recommend:

1. Requesting help by lifting one or both arms.
2. Use his whistle to inform the closest kayak
3. The closest Kayak will assist you while you wait to be picked up.
The organisation reserves the right to force the swimmer to withdraw from the event:

  • Whenever a swimmer shows signs of extreme tiredness, dehydration, hypothermia, is swimming at an extremely slow pace or has any abnormal symptoms which prevent them from swimming normally.
  • Swimmer fails to comply with any of the regulations which govern these rules (see section on Disqualifications)
  • The obligatory cut-off time at the start of each event has passed.

EVACUATION

In the event of adverse conditions and/or force majeure, the organization will be forced to cancel the event and evacuate all participants.
If a participant has to be evacuated, the organization will establish one or more points of evacuation with medical assistance depending on the itinerary.


PENALITIES

TYPE OF FAULT PENALITIES
Disposing of rubbish in unauthorised areas or any kind of behaviour which does not respect the natural environment Disqualification
Unsporting behaviour to wards other athletes or the organisation Disqualification
Lack of compulsory equipment Disqualification
Participating in the event without having signed up Expulsion and a ban on participating in future
Participating with someone else’s bib number Disqualification
Not passing the obligatory chip control points(starting point, end point, mid-point if any) Disqualification
Not following the route marked out by the organisation, the rules and the program of the event Disqualification
Failure to assist another person Disqualification
Withdrawal without informing the organisation of your withdrawal Ban on participating in future events
Not following orders from stewards or medical staff Disqualification
Climbing into a support vessel, kayak or refreshment boat Disqualification
Exceeding the maximum permitted swimming time Disqualification and should give up the event in a boat of the organization

The organization reserves the right to penalise any form of behaviour not contained on the above list of faults which violates the provisions of these rules.


CHANGE TO THE ROUTE(S) AND/OR SUSPENSION OF THE CROSSING.

For reasons of force majeure beyond its control, the organization reserves the right to suspend, divert, neutralize or change the event’s time slots and/or courses and refreshments.


IMAGE RIGHTS

The MOROCCO SWIM TREK reserves all exclusive rights to the image, the audio visual, and print media of the event, and the competition.

Any media or advertising project must have the organization’s approval.


RESULTS & CLASSIFICATION

Swimmers will have access to their results at the end of each step.

There will be wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions.

The result of the classification of the Cup will be the sum of the scores of the different heats of the

MOROCCO SWIM TREK's trophies will be given to both categories.

The trophies will be given to the first three winners of men and women. All the finishers of the MOROCCO SWIM TREK will receive a finisher t-shirt.


DECLARATION OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

Registering for the event implies the participant’s acceptance of the rules and that they are properly prepared for the crossing, being aware of the severe weather conditions which can be found in the area where the race is being held. Consequently, the participant holds harmless the organisation for any possible health problems which may arise as a result of their participation in the race.


DOPING

Doping products are prohibited. Any participant who has made use of one of them will be disqualified.


DISCLAIMER

Participants registered in the event understand that they are taking part in the competition willingly and at their own risk and, therefore, they release the Organizers of the event of all liabilities and agree not to bring any cases against the organizers, partners, sponsors and other participants, or to make any claim of civil liability against the fore going parties. For this purpose, when registering, the participant must tick the box to accept the disclaimer to complete their registration.