2008 GCBS 4.4 LOTTERY GUIDELINES:
BAY SWIM UPDATES:   11/25 - 7:30 am
The 2008 4,4 GCBS ENTRY PROCESS WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE ON MON. 11-26-07 at NOON.

BAY SWIM UPDATES:   11/16
1.  A SECOND ROUND OF 4.4 LOTTERY NOTICES WILL BE SENT OUT ON TUES. MORNING 11/19 .
If you did not receive a notice make sure your spam filters permit emails from this site.  We are hoping to get all those notified who did make it in the first round!
Fri. 11/9/07 at 8:00 a.m.

___________________________________________________
4.4 Great Chesapeake Bay Swim Lottery is
now closed.
  On Thurs. 11/15/07 LIN-MARK will begin the automated selection of assigned lottery entry numbers, with emails being sent to the first round of lottery winners.
_______________________

The following is posted to help swimmers "be prepared" for the
Great Chesapeake Bay Swim 2008
ON-LINE LOTTERY ENTRY PROCESS! 
SWIM DATE:  SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2008

Please read all that is posted.  It details:
1.  Swim qualifications and who must submit
2.  Lottery Entry Process
3.  Lottery Time Line
 

• Again, after the first round of lottery winners, and their time line to enter is done -- if the event is not closed out from the first round of lottery entry winners, we will pull another list of assigned numbers, for notification, that they can now begin a second round of entry/payment into the 4.4 Bay Swim 2008, with their secured personal i.d. entry number.
   
• IF YOU DO NOT GET NOTIFIED IN THE FIRST ROUND, BE SURE TO FOLLOW OUR POSTED UPDATES STATING THAT A SECOND ROUND OF LOTTERY WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED.
   
• Reminders for this process will be posted on the
  LIN-MARK home page.
   
• An email blast will be sent to all who participated in the 4.4 and 1 Mile Bay Challenge 2007 swim. (EMAIL BLAST HAS NOW BEEN SENT OUT TO ALL PARTICPANTS IN BOTH SWIM EVENTS
•  FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.  If you did not receive the notice, please confirm or send us your current email address, and U.S. Mail address.

1. ALL new-potential 4.4 ENTRANTS
   (or those who have not participated in either
   2006 and/or 2007:
   MUST SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION VERIFYING (1) OF THE FOLLOWING ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: 
   (all past GCBS potential entrants will be required to use their GCBS times from the most current finish of either 2006 or 2007 and yes -- the 1 Mile Bay Challenge is an excellent event for entry into 4.4 time qualification.)

Potential new entrants into the 4.4 swim may use results from another event which would qualify them at the below qualifying criteria.  See documentation requirements below. No Swim Documentation Required for the 1 Mile Bay Challenge Entry Process.  QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS APPLY ONLY TO THE 4.4 SWIM EVENT !! Non-Lottery Entry Process for the 1 Mile Bay Challenge will open after the 4.4 is closed. We anticipate 1 mile event will open in December.

4.4 SWIM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Completion of a 1-Mile Swim, or longer, in open water at a pace of 40 minutes per mile or under in the last two years. This may include the swim portion from an Olympic distance triathlon..
   You must submit a copy of the race results with event date: 

2. Just your portion of the swim results page, with title & date, that contains your name and results -- please circle your name. 

3. Do not send in full results -- DO NOT TELL US TO GO TO THE RACE SITE AND PRINT OUT THE RESULTS FOR YOU. . . (IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WITH SO MANY APPLICANTS)      OR . . .

4. Completion of a Continuous 3 Mile Pool Swim in 2 hours 15 minutes or better in the last two years.
5.  A letter of verification must be submitted by the Pool Management, swim coach on either the pool's stationery or the coach's letterhead,  with the date of the swim and the witnessing lifeguard's/coach's signature and phone number, attesting to the actual time it took to complete the swim.  Falsifying records results in permanent removal from the event. 

WHEN DO I SUBMIT MY 4.4 SWIM QUALIFICATIONS?

1. Not when you submit your name for YOUR assigned lottery entry number. 
        a)  You must first wait to see if you are selected:
   and receive your secured-coded winning entry form number from
   LIN-MARK.
        b)  Go on-line within 3-days of that notice, to complete the swim entry form/on-line payment:
        c)  THEN SUBMIT THE SWIM QUALIFICATION DOCUMENTATION, IF REQUIRED, AS STATED ABOVE.
2. FAX TO:    856-468-4018
   MAIL TO:  Lin-Mark Sports: BAY SWIM QUALIFICATIONS
                   7 Westwood Dr., Mantua, NJ 08051
   EMAIL ATTACHMENT (in Word or PDF): (just your page!)
                   lindat@lin-mark.com
3. If required, documentation MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 24-HOURS AFTER YOU SUCCESSFULLY ENTER THE 4.4 BAY SWIM THROUGH THE ON-LINE ENTRY AND PAYMENT PROCESS.
    
   PLEASE GET THIS DONE ON TIME .  WE WILL NOT BE CALLING THIS YEAR TO REMIND SELECTED LOTTERY ENTRANT'S WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THEIR DOCUMENTATION. 
   
   IF IT IS A SWIM COACH WHO IS SENDING IT IN -- YOU MUST FOLLOW WITH THAT PERSON TO MAKE SURE IT IS DONE AS REQUIRED or you are "out" if set deadlines are not met.

1. NO, once again to alleviate the high tension and pressure of being cut off when the event numbers are reached, the lottery process is again in place.
2. When you click on the 2008 4.4 Bay Swim Lottery Entry, you will just follow the prompts on the lottery entry form.  Once completed you will receive your personal & secure 4.4 Swim Lottery Number. 
3. When the winning lottery application numbers are drawn, you will receive your winning lottery notification from Lin-Mark.
4. You will THEN HAVE 3 DAYS in which to go to the live, on-line lottery winners 4.4 entry form.  YOU WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT YOUR WINNING LOTTERY NOTIFICATION NUMBER IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE 4.4 BAY SWIM ENTRY FORM.
5. You will then complete the 4.4 SWIM entry form, submit it.  You must charge your payment.
6. Upon the successful completion of your entry and payment, you will receive a swim confirmation-with a transaction number.  SAVE IT.
7. Then go to the Bay Swim's On-Line Entry List.  Your name will be there!  You are In.
    
8. Already on the Entrant's List will be those who were mailed a hard copy entry form, COMPLETED & RETURNED IT WITH THEIR ENTRY FEE, because they earned the "2008 EARLY BIRD" entry process due to their meeting the 2007 criteria of the Bay Swim Charity Program. . . .Submitted a contribution/pledge funds at a minimum of $300 or more, in addition to the $250 entry fee.
   The 2008 Bay Swim Charity Program info. page and form will not be posted until the entry process is closed.
    
9. Remember, predicated on the number of Early Bird entries, will dictate the number of lottery names for on-line entry drawn.
    
10. IF THE SET NUMBER OF ENTRIES ARE NOT MET IN THE FIRST ROUND, THEN AFTER THE 3 DAYS OPEN WINDOW TO ENTER THE LOTTERY, ANOTHER LIST OF NAMES WILL BE DRAWN TO FILL THE 4.4 SWIM ROSTER.
     
11. There is NO WAIT LIST.
     WE ALWAYS PULL AN OVERAGE TO ALLOW FOR DROPS WHICH HAPPEN PRIOR TO SWIM DAY.
    (real life does happen to many of us).
12. There WILL BE NO SWITCHING, CHANGING OR SELLING OF SWIM SLOTS.  DO NOT EVEN ASK, please.  TO DO SO RESULTS IN PERMANENT DISQUALIFICATION.
     
13. EARLY BIRD hard-copy entry forms will be mailed out on or about October 12, 2007, to all those who qualified in 2007.
14. The Early Bird list of names:  
                 2008 GCBS Early Bird Listing

1. Early bird entry process entitles entrants from the preceding year to receive a "hard copy" entry form three weeks prior to the on-line entry process opening in the current year.  There is nothing anyone can do at this point in time to take advantage of the Early Bird entry process for the 2008 swim.
2. In 2007, all swimmers who participated in the swim's pledge program, and submitted funds, which were $300 or more over the $250 entry fee, received the Early Bird mailing entitlement.
3. The 2008 Early Bird Entitlement listing:
                   2008 GCBS Early Bird Listing