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Swanbourne Cup - Mixed Board Rescue - Sunday 18 January 10.00 am Start
- Tim Tucak
- Jan 8
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 17
Swanbourne Cup - Mixed Board Rescue - Sunday 18 January 2026 - 10.00 am Start
Date and Time
Sunday 18 January 2026, starting at 10:00 am Swanny time at Swanbourne Beach. Assemble 9:45 am (+/- faff) at Swanny.
Dress of Competitors
To promote competitor safety and assist with competitor identification, competitors entering the water beyond knee depth are required to wear a high visibility lycra rash vest as the top layer of clothing.
Course
The course is as detailed in the attached diagram.
Prize
Currently no Perpetual Trophy nor prize.
The winners shall be symbolically awarded the Swanbourne Cup for a photo opportunity after the conclusion of the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue Event. The Swanbourne Cup is not and shall not be engraved with the names of the winners.
Information
Details of Past Winners and Interesting Swanbourne Cup Statistics see below.
The Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue Race is conducted in accordance with the following By-Laws:
1.1 Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue
The Club shall conduct the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue annually during the season. The Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue shall be conducted in the following categories or as determined by the Surf Sports Manager:
Open Mixed
The Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue shall be conducted in accordance with the current SLSA Australian Surf Sports Manual wherever possible. Any departure(s) from the current SLSA Australian Surf Sports Manual shall be determined by the Surf Sports and nominated to the Points Races Officer prior to the commencement of the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue.
The Swanbourne Cup shall be symbolically awarded to the winners of the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue. The Swanbourne Cup shall not be engraved with the names of the winners of the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue.
1.2 Qualification for Events
Competitors in each event in Clause 1.1 must be qualified to start by being financial and have completed proficiency and patrol requirements of the Club relevant to their membership category.
1.3 Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue Race
General Conditions
(a) This event shall be conducted over a course which shall include a Swim leg and a Surf Board leg.
(b) Team composition – Teams shall comprise a Patient and a Board Rescuer. The Patient and Board Rescuer shall be of opposite genders.
(c) Losing control of patient and/or board – The rescuer may lose control/contact with the board on the way to their turning buoy without penalty. The rescuer and patient may lose contact with the board on the return journey. However, both the rescuer and patient must be in contact with the board when crossing the finish line.
(d) Replacing of boards – a handler or Club members shall be permitted to assist in replacing equipment during an event, but only to the extent of placing the nose of the replacement board on or behind the start line.
The Course
The course is as detailed in the attached diagram.
Procedure
(a) The swim section is conducted from the start line to the swimming buoys or equivalent.
(b) The board section is conducted from the start line to the seaward side of the
swimming buoys or equivalent, pick up patient and return to the finishing line.
(c) Turning of Buoys – The board shall be paddled around the allotted buoy (or equivalent) right hand in or as directed by the Points Races Officer.
(d) The race is concluded when the patient and rescuer have correctly completed the course, both in contact with the board and cross the finish line on their feet between the two green flags or equivalent.
(e) The patients shall take up their position on the start line in their allotted positions.
(f) On the starting signal, each patient shall enter the water and swim to their allotted buoy or equivalent. On reaching their allotted buoy or equivalent, the patient shall place their forearm over the top of the buoy or equivalent and then signal their arrival by raising their other arm to a vertical position whilst remaining in contact with the buoy or equivalent. The said signal, subject to all conditions being fulfilled, shall be the determining factor in judging the patient’s arrival at their buoy or equivalent excepting that should a competitor swim to a wrong buoy or equivalent and signal the team shall be disqualified. The patients must then release contact with the swimming buoys or equivalent, retire to the seaward side of the swimming buoys or equivalent and await arrival of their Rescuer.
Note 1: The swimming buoy or equivalent is described as the buoy only and does not include
any attaching ropes or straps. If there is no swimming buoy, then a real or imaginary line between two buoys shall apply.
Note 2: Competitors may touch buoys and buoy ropes but are not permitted to use the buoy ropes to drag themselves along the course to reach their allotted buoy.
(g) The rescuer shall take up their allotted position on the start line. On receiving the signal from the patient, the rescuer shall enter the water and paddle to and around the allotted buoy or equivalent. The rescuer shall turn the buoy or equivalent from left to right unless otherwise directed by the Points Races Officer. The patient shall make contact with any part of the board on the seaward side of the swimming buoy or equivalent. The patient pick up shall be effected on the seaward side of the buoy or equivalent. The patient may position themselves on the front or rear of the board, with or without assistance and may assist the rescuer by paddling the board on the return to shore.
Note 1: In Board Rescue races the team shall not be disqualified if the rescuer incorrectly crosses the start/changeover line and then resumes the correct position to correctly await the finish signal from the patient.
Note 2: A team shall not be disqualified if part of the board extends onto the shoreward side of the buoy or equivalent during the patient pick up process.
(h) The finish is judged on the chest of the first competitor of the team (i.e., patient or rescuer) crossing the start/finish line on their feet, with both the rescuer and patient being in contact with the board.
Note: Both competitors are required to cross the finish line on their feet to correctly complete the course.
10 Ways to be Disqualified in Mixed Board Rescue
01. Patient (Swimmer) breaks prior to the starting signal.
02. Patient (Swimmer) does not place their forearm over the top of the buoy before signalling their arrival.
03. Patient (Swimmer) swims to the wrong buoy and signals.
04. Patient (Swimmer) drags themself along the buoy rope to their allotted buoy.
05. Rescue (Board Paddler) incorrectly crosses the start/changeover line prior to the finish signal from their Patient (Swimmer), but does not resume the correct position to await the finish signal from their Patient (Swimmer).
06. Rescue (Board Paddler) turns the allotted buoy from right to left.
07. Rescue (Board Paddler) turns the wrong buoy or fails to turn the allotted buoy.
08. Patient (Swimmer) pick up occurs on the shoreward side of the buoy.
09. Either Patient (Swimmer) or Rescue (Board Paddler) is not in contact with the board when crossing the start/finish line.
10. Either Patient (Swimmer) or Rescue (Board Paddler) is not on their feet when crossing the start/finish line.