BLS Swimmer Central 2025

Welcome 2025 Boston Light Swimmers!

This private page has info on the course, rules, safety, and pre-event requirements. Use the links above to navigate, and if you have any questions after checking out the public FAQs, BLS General Info, and the below, feel free to reach out via the contact info at the bottom of the page. Happy training! 🌊🏊‍♂️

Swimmer and Boater Info Sheets & Map

Course drone footage and video production provided by Evan Scales at May Street Films. (Thank you, Evan!)

Key information for race day, including timing, waypoints, and rules.

Safety Info

Safety Meeting

It is mandatory that all swimmers and swimmers’ crew attend one of two safety meetings in which our Safety Director, Kellie, will review the course, rules of the swim, safety and emergency protocol, and answer any questions you have. We also encourage all boaters to attend, or review the recording.

You and your crew only need to attend one of two of these meetings, but you are welcome to attend both, or review the recording.

SAFETY PROTOCOL

This document provides safety guidelines and procedures for the organizers, officials, boaters and others involved in the 2025 Boston Light Swim. 2025 Safety Protocol

SHARK PROTOCOL

MOWSA’s rules are largely the same as the widely accepted Rules of Marathon Swimming as detailed by the Marathon Swimmers Federation to govern unassisted open water marathon swims. A major exception is our Shark Protocol. This protocol will be in force during all cross Cape Cod Bay swims and will come into force if a shark is spotted during any other solo or group swim. Shark Protocol

Track.rs Instructions

Track.rs allows your friends and family on land or back home to follow along with your swim from their computers or smartphones, and also helps us track you during the event.

The system is easy to use. Follow the setup instructions below, turn on your tracker on your boat a few minutes prior to the start of your wave, and the magic of technology will update your position on the map every minute during the swim!

Do NOT go to the main website or pay; the fee for the system is covered by your race entry, if you register as below.

For relay teams, only one person on your team should set up the tracker.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

  1. Download the Traccar Client on Apple App Store or Traccar Client on Google Play Store on your mobile device, if you do not already have it. You do not need to download it again, if you already have it installed, but make sure it is up-to-date.

  2. Register at https://group.track.rs with the passphrase Wicked-Salty-Islands and follow the directions.

  3. Configure the Traccar client in the app as instructed via scanning the QR Code (open on your computer and scan with your phone), OR entering the details manually. If scanning the QR Code does not work for you, that’s ok. Just manually enter the info.

  4. Select your name and enter your device identifier, as directed on the screen.

  5. Test your device registration with the instructions. Note that it may take a few moments for the map to display your location initially first time.

That’s it! At race time, you’ll need to have your device with you and turn on the tracker just before race time.

Please register your individual or team device by August 8th.

Remember to turn on your tracker after you make it to the Light and before the race begins. Spectators will be able to watch you and other participants with active trackers move along the course at track.rs/bostonlight from their computer or mobile device.

Swimmer-Boater Matches and other Info

The following table will be used by BLS race officials to aggregate information on swimmer and boater assignments, as well as tracking swimmer tasks such as providing crew information, bios, course tour reservations and more as we get closer to race day.

Swimmer Task List

There are 6 tasks to complete before race day regarding your boat, your crew, sharing a bio, making dinner reservations, attending our safety briefing and setting up the tracker for race day. We appreciate you working to complete the tasks by the due dates provided so that we can organize appropriately with the information provided.

  1. Due May 15, 2025: Confirm Boat - complete form here 

  2. (Optional) July 15, 2025: Submit Bio - complete form and upload picture here 

  3. Due July 15, 2025: Provide Crew Info - complete form here 

  4. Due July 15, 2025: Provide Dietary Restrictions and RSVP for Dinner - complete form here 

  5. (Optional) Due August 1, 2025: Reserve Course Tour - form here

  6. Due August 6, 2025: Attend Safety Meeting - August 5th & 6th

  7. Due August 8, 2025: Set up Track.rs tracker - instructions to setup your tracker are now available here

Swimmer Message Archive

  • 1 Week to BLS Countdown email with a LOT of info on the safety meeting, Track.rs set up, course, race day logistics, swimmer wave assignments and more. (Email corrected to fix the erroneous date and time in section 4.)

    Click here for the full message.

  • 1 Week to BLS Countdown email with a LOT of info on the safety meeting, course, race day logistics, and more. [Erroneous date and time included in section 4. Please see the link for the correction email above.]

  • 5 Weeks to Boston Light Swim - Get Ready! Finish your swim tasks and gear up for the event.

    Click here for the full message.

  • MassOpenWater:

    Hello BLS Class of 2025! A ~7min welcome msg from BLS Race Director, Mina E. https://mcsms.io/ace8e6

  • MassOpenWater: Welcome 2025 Boston Light Swimmer! Do you have a boater? Yes - send name; No - MOWSA can help! Let us know here.

  • As messages are sent out to 2025 BLS swimmers, they will be archived here.

    Stay tuned!

Countdown to BLS

Countdown to Boston Light Swim 2025

Contact Info

Can’t find what you’re looking for in FAQs or swimmer emails? Contact us at one of the mailboxes below.