Welcome to the 2013 Semana Nautica Summer Sports Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Santa Barbara Semana Nautica Association is pleased to announce the sporting events that make up the 76th annual Santa Barbara Semana Nautica Summer Sports Festival. For a detailed list of all events, please visit our newly redesigned website at SemanaNautica.com. This year’s festival officially commences Wednesday, July 3, and runs through Sunday, July 14, 2012. The various events take place throughout the Santa Barbara area. Events include: Ocean swims (1, 3 & 6 Mile), swim meets, stand up paddleboard racing, running races, beach volleyball, tennis, sailing, an art show, baseball, bike races and more.

The Santa Barbara Semana Nautica Association also announces the inauguration of a new designation to recognize an outstanding male and female ocean swimming athlete with the Semana Nautica Ocean Swimmer of the Year award. To qualify for this award, the recipient will have the lowest point score for finishing in each of the following ocean swim races: 1) the Semana Nautica 1 mile ocean swim, 2) one of the two Thursday Reef & Run 1 mile ocean swims occurring during the festival dates (July 3, 2013 through July 14, 2013), 3) one of the two Wednesday Night Moves (July 3, 2013 through July 14, 2013) 1k ocean swims, and 4) either the Semana Nautica 3 mile ocean swim or the 6 mile ocean swim.

For each of these swims, points will be allocated equal to the participant’s overall finishing place in his/her gender. Swimmers who are unable to compete in the 3 mile or the 6 mile ocean swims will be considered for the award but will be handicapped by an additional 40 points added to their total. If a participant swims in more than one of the weekly Night Moves or Reef & Run qualifying events, the best finish will be used for consideration.

The recipient of this award will receive a free entry for the final Reef & Run boat to beach swim on August 29, 2013 and will be recognized at the conclusion of that swim race. The male and female recipients of this annual award will also be memorialized with his and her names on a plaque at the East Beach Bath House.