33rd Annual Point-to-Point Compo Beach Swim

The Family Y’s Point-to-Point Compo Beach Swim – which is one of Westport’s longest-running annual sports events and draws competitors from New York, New Jersey and all of New England – will be held on Sunday, July 10. Registration and check-in begin at 7:30 a.m., and the race starts at 8:30 a.m.

Starting at the cannons at Compo Beach, participants swim around buoys, ending with a sprint across the sand to the finish line. All registered swimmers get an official Point-to-Point T-shirt. By tradition, the top three men’s and women’s swimmers in each of 15 age groups are awarded a collectible mug.

“This one-mile open-water swim is a great race for first-time participants as well as seasoned veterans, and with its beautiful, crescent-shaped beach, Compo is the perfect venue,” says Jacquie Tumminia, the Family Y’s Senior Director of Aquatics and Competitive Swimming.

The Point-to-Point race, which last year drew more than 100 participants, is separated into heats based on predicted finish times, giving everyone an appropriate field in which to compete. To track official race times, this year’s Point-to-Point will feature a state-of-the-art chip timing system provided by Road and Track Sports Timing.

The registration fee for Point-to-Point is $35 and may be made online at www.westporty.org or in person at the Family Y’s Member Services Desk through July 9.  Swimmer check-in and day-of-race registration ($45) begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 10 at Compo Beach, the Town of Westport’s 29-acre public park along the shore of Long Island Sound. Non-resident registered swimmers and spectators will be allowed into the park free of charge for the duration of the race.

All proceeds from the Point-to-Point registration fees benefit the Family Y’s annual Strong Kids Campaign. In 2010, the Family Y provided $305,000 in direct aid to nearly 300 local families in the form of free or subsidized membership, child care, camp scholarships and financial aid for specific programs and activities. Last year, the Family Y provided an additional $172,000 in support of the dozens of allied charitable organizations and government agencies that we work with to help those in need in our community.

For more information about the 33rd Annual Point-to-Point Compo Beach Swim, contact Jacquie Tumminia at 203-226-8981, ext. 119, or jtumminia@westporty.org. Come out to Compo Beach on Sunday, July 10, to participate or to cheer on the swimmers!