Sports opens registration on Monday for the 24th L’Illa-Port Popular Swimming Crossing in Benidorm

On Sunday, August 30, Benidorm Bay will host one of the most eagerly awaited sporting events of the summer. It will be the 24th edition of the traditional L’Illa–Port de Benidorm Popular Open Water Swimming Crossing, which was presented this morning by Councillor for Sports Javier Jordá. The event, organised by the Sports Department, is supported by other municipal departments including Citizen Security, Mobility and Beaches, as well as the Nautical Club and other sponsors.

According to the councillor, registration for the crossing will open at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 3, via the website www.chiplevante.com, with a limit of 300 participants, who will be accepted strictly in the order in which registrations are received. Jordá recalled that participation in the event “is open to anyone who is at least 18 years old on the day of the race.” He also stated that “all participants must indicate when completing their registration whether they are local swimmers or not.”

Race bib collection will take place on the same day as the event at the port’s dock area from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m. Boarding the boat from the port and the transfer to the island will take place at 7:45 a.m., with the crossing from the island’s jetty starting at 8:15 a.m. Participants will complete a distance of two nautical miles (3.6 kilometres).

The Councillor for Sports reminded participants that a safety tow float is “mandatory” for all swimmers taking part in the event. “Failure to have one may lead to the swimmer’s disqualification and, therefore, they will not be authorised to participate or start the race,” he explained.

Finally, the councillor announced that the maximum time allowed to complete the distance will be two hours. “Once this time has elapsed, any swimmer still in the water will be collected by the accredited support boats provided by the organisation,” he concluded.