Vanuatu Ocean Swim

12th June 2010

The inaugural Vanuatu Ocean Swim, a 3.2Km course starting and finishing at the old Rossi Restaurant with a circumnavigation of Iririki Island, was held in 2002 when 46 swimmers from Australia, New Caledonia & Vanuatu took part. In recent years, the event has grown to include over 200 swimmers annually.

The Vanuatu Ocean Swim has spawned an interest in swimming for fitness among Port Vila residents and most weekday lunchtimes and Saturday mornings will see swimmers, the famous “Port Vila Masterbathers”, taking to the harbour waters just off Nambawan Café adjacent to the ‘Mamas Craft Market’. There are also several “Masterbathers” Swim competitions held throughout the year.

The Vanuatu Ocean Swim features a swim clinic with some of the world’s top swimmers, welcome functions, unique cultural entertainment and Awards Dinner.

The Course
The Vanuatu Ocean Swim follows a rough diamond shaped 3.2Km course around the shore of Iririki Island, a beautiful wooded island nestling in picturesque Port Vila Harbour and home to Iririki Island Resort.

Starting at the sea wall adjacent to the Craft Market and Nambawan Cafe, the first 700m leg takes swimmers south across Port Vila's inner harbour to Iririki Island and another 800m stretch hrough the deep water yacht moorings in the lee of Iririki to the South Iririki Turn Buoy which guides swimmers over the shallow reef at the Southern tip of the Island.
Here the course turns sharp right and follows the south-west shore of the Island for 1000m to the North Iririki Turn Buoy, then another 700m over the deep water channel to the finish back at the seawall.

The 1.5Km course follows the same start as the 3.2 to a marker off Iririki Island and follows a triangular course back to the finish at the seawall.