Last weekend, Bridgetown, Barbados played host to one of the most vibrant open water events to take place in the Western Hemisphere. The Barbados Open Water Festival is a three-day event where participants have the option to compete in 1.5k, 3.3k, 5k, and 10k races, including a 1.5k fun swim for charity. Warm water racing and the exotic destination make this event a must-attend for open water enthusiasts. The seventh annual Open Water Festival was put on by Swim Barbados Vacations, and was the first year to feature Vorgee as an official sponsor.
This year, Nkosi Dunwoody of Barbados took the spot as top male in the 10k, with Ceri Edwards of Great Britain securing her place as the top female athlete. The 5k race was won by Nikoli Blackman of Trinidad and Tobago. The top female in this event was Caroline Pennington of the United States. The top male and female 3.3k swimmers, both Canadians, included Ethan Campbell from Bowmanville, ON, and Canadian Olympian Martha McCabe, of Toronto.
Of particular interest this year was the triumph of South African, Cameron Bellamy, in his second attempt at the 96-kilometre swim around the island nation. His first attempt last year took him to about two thirds of his goal, and lasted at least 27 hours. Determined to accomplish this incredible feat, Bellamy made his appearance again this year. He achieved his goal this year, after upwards of 40 hours of continuous swimming, making him the first person to completely circumnavigate the island in a single swim.
Congratulations to all the participants who swam at the 2018 Barbados Open Water Festival! Vorgee will be organizing a trip package next year for Canadian open water enthusiasts to take part in the 2019 festival! Details to follow!