According to the organizers, although the 44th Lidl Balaton swim on July 18 is not threatened by the low water level, the small motorized boats carrying the equipment of the participants cannot safely approach the Révfülöp shore, so a giant jetty will be temporarily built on the waters of the Balaton, to which the boats can already moor smoothly, reports MTI.
The specialists are currently investigating how long the jetty must be extended into the lake to reach the appropriate water depth. The announcement also reveals that the distance between the two coasts will not decrease, but swimmers will reach the southern coast earlier than usual this year. The shallow water arrival section is already about 100 meters longer than usual, and this distance is expected to increase over the remaining four weeks of the race.
Those preparing to swim across the lake will be assisted by a free BAHART boat transfer and luggage storage system, which guarantees that personal belongings will cross over to the other side faster than the swimmers themselves. The task is performed by two cars and four speedboats, with more than thirty turns.
Equipment for those starting at Révfülöp awaits the finishers at the Balatonboglár finish, while those arriving at Boglár can drop off their bags on the south coast before sailing to the start at Révfülöp. At both locations, the “stay package” service is also available for those who return to the starting point after swimming. A dedicated depot awaits those arriving by bicycle.
According to the Budapest Sports Office (BSI), this year’s event will be the biggest open water swimming event in recent years, and the entries are completely full.
