The Barbados Open Water Festival will partner with the internationally known aquatic brand Vorgee for its upcoming event in November 2018. BOWF organisers are delighted with the new deal which includes Vorgee providing their premium reinforced seam silicon caps as the official cap for each of the four races at the Festival.   Additionally, they will donate multiple random prizes for the swimmers.  Vorgee, an Australian owned and managed company, was established in 2005 and is an all-encompassing aquatics company, offering products for those getting into a pool for the first time through to the competitive swimmer.  The company takes its social responsibility seriously and has developed custom product ranges to promote and support important causes such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the national Kids Alive Do the Five Water Safety Program. 

The 7th Barbados Open Water Festival will take place on November 7-11, 2018.  The five day schedule offers three days with informal practice swims (2K) at three open water locations and two days of races (Nov 10-11) in Carlisle Bay. 1.5K, 3.3K, 5K and 10K plus a Just for Fun 1.5K for charity.  Swimmers can swim all five days or choose just one day. Learn more or enter online here: BOWF Website

Congratulations to Diego Lopez for his July 7 swim across the English Channel. According to the Channel Swimming Association he completed the crossing in 11 hours and four minutes. Diego competed with us at the Barbados Open Water Festival in 2017 and was the second placed male in the 10K in Carlisle Bay. 
 
The thirty six year old, a native of the Canary Islands, has an impressive resume of open water swims.  During 2018 he aims to becoming the first person ever to complete a major, iconic, challenging race in each of the seven continents including Rottnest Channel (OZ), Robben Island (ZA), Lake Titicaca (BV), English Channel (UK), Catalina Channel (US), Clean Half (HK) and Ice KM in Antarctica.  Follow Diego's progress here: global swimmer.com.

In August 2017 Diego completed the circumnavigation of Manhattan (48k) in the 11th fastest time ever and the fastest by a Spaniard. He has already completed open water swim races in 15 countries claiming podium positions in all. 
 
Diego swims with a purpose: keeping the waters clean of plastic waste.  He raises  money for Ocean Recovery Alliance, a USA / Hong Kong non-profit with extensive experience in fighting plastic waste in oceans, rivers and lakes.

Read more about Diego Lopez and his Continents Seven swims here: SwimSwam

The 2018 Barbados Open Water Festival is scheduled for Nov 7-11. Visit our web site for more info.