New cold water swim race for Cape Town:

With increasing numbers of cold water swimming enthusiasts, a new organised swim from Clifton Fourth Beach to Three Anchor Bay has been launched.The Atlantic Dash, a distance of 5.4km, is already fully subscribed and will be tackled by 30 swimmers on Sunday, April 15. It is hoped the race will develop into a bi-annual event.The group training swim has been organised by respected businessman and dedicated cold water swimmer Theodore Yach, who feels the beauty of the route makes it one of the most scenic in Cape Town. Yach has done the Cape Town to Robben Island swim more than 60 times and hopes that the Atlantic Dash will become a feeder event for swimmers wanting to train for this “bucket list” swim.“What makes the Atlantic Dash unique is that we invite spectators and pedestrians to walk the route along the promenade and follow the swimmers. Support crew, media and the swimmers also have stunning views of Table Mountain and Signal Hill at the same time,” says Yach.Another unique factor of the race is its friendliness to the environment - all support boats will be lifesavers on paddle crafts, instead of motorised boats. A team of nurses and a doctor will be on standby for any injuries and to ensure no swimmers have hypothermia upon exiting the sea.“This is the birth of what will hopefully become one of the top swims on the Cape Town calendar.”The swim starts at 10am at Clifton Fourth Beach.