Contents
Introduction
Masters Inter-County Championships 2013
Future World and European Masters Meets
County Masters Records
Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2013
FINA Rule Change - Breaststroke
ASA Insurance Cover for Masters
Review of the East Region Masters Championships

Introduction
Many thanks to those who have sent comments and reports included in this issue of the newsletter. As always, the reports are the sole views of the authors and Beds ASA bears no responsibility for their accuracy. Because this newsletter will be put in the public domain on the county website there is the possibility of misuse of photos contained in it, so we are asking those who appear in photos to agree to their display.

Masters Inter-County Championships 2013
The regional heat of the Masters Inter-County Championships will be held at Newmarket on Sunday the 17th November 2013.
While the format of 50 Metre sprints and 4x50 Metre relays is unchanged, there is a major change to the rules for this year's competition in allowing Category 1 (Cat1) swimmers to compete. This will help counties to find swimmers for all the age-groups. It will also give many new swimmers the opportunity to swim competitively and hopefully encourage them to take up regular competitive Masters swimming.
John Bellis, our Team Manager has sent out requests to swimmers selected for the Bedfordshire team. We have sufficient swimmers to enter a team, but there are some gaps and weaknesses in some age-groups. So, if you have not had a request from him and would like to swim, please email him at john.bellis123@btinternet.com. You may be the swimmer we need.

The World Masters for 2014 will be in Montreal, Canada.
The World Masters for 2015 will be held in Kazan, Russia, immediately after the elite swimmers World Championships in the same complex.
The European Masters for 2016 will be in the Olympic pool in London, immediately after the elite swimmers European Championships in the same complex.
As from 2015 the World Masters will be switching to odd number years from even years, and the European Masters will be switching to even years from odd. This is so that the Masters championships can be held at the same venue as the elite swimmers.

Report from John Bellis

County Masters Records
After two years of doing a great job as our County Masters Records Keeper, unfortunately we are losing Keith Spence, who is moving to another part of the country at the end of the year. So as a farewell gesture, here is a picture to remind us of him with coach John Bellis at a club social event.

John Bellis has offered to take over from Keith, so the records, which have so carefully been built up, will continue.

At the recent East Region Masters Championships fifteen County Masters records were broken.

Women record breakers included:-
Liz Woolner (Flitwick 45/49) 50M Free 30.85, 200M Free 2:37.73, 100M Fly 1:14.87(ER)

Suzanne Turner (Biggleswade 45/49) 400M Free 6:43.03

Christine Ayres (South Beds 60/64) 400M Free 5:57.64 (ER), 100M Breast 1:37.86, 200M IM 3:18.74 (ER)

Pat Reynolds (Beaver Master 60/64) 200M Back 3:13.35 (ER)

Andrea Minor (South Beds 65/69) 200M Free 3:28.81

Men:-

Doug Kerr (Biggleswade 25/29) 50M Back 30.16

Peter Leadbetter (South Beds 25/29) 400M Free 5:27.58, 200M IM 2:56.15

Chris Lewindon (South Beds 30/34) 200M Free 2:18.16

Ian Murray (Fliwick Dolphin 55/59) 400M Free 5:14.63, 200M IM 2:53.58

Normally, records should be claimed by the persons concerned, but we have a system of "automatic" records for those broken in meets in Bedfordshire, East Region Championships and National Championships. So the above were claimed automatically.

New record claims should be sent by  email to keithspence1@btinternet.com  or  by  post  to: Mr  Keith  Spence, 19  Roxburgh  Way,  Bletchley, Milton  Keynes  MK3  7NZ.  
Claim forms are on the Beds ASA website ( http://www.bedscountyasa.com/ ) under Swimming -> Records -> scroll to bottom of page.

Beds Masters Decathlon Challenge 2013
With more than half the season gone, the results so far show big changes. For the women, South Beds Masters now have a clean sweep of the top five. For the men, there are six new leaders since the May results. It could all be resolved at the Nationals.

The "Rowson" formula has been used in place of the "Finnish" formula to calculate this years points. This seems to give slightly more advantage to longer distances and slightly less advantage to old age.

The Beds results (with national position in brackets) so far are:-

And new swimmer Alastair Gibb (Team Luton) close behind in sixth place.

In the club team results, for the ladies, South Beds Masters are currently 11^th in the national rankings and Biggleswade ladies are in 48^th place. Well done to them.

For the men, Team Luton are in 29^th place and South Beds are close behind in 32^rd place. Both have shown great improvement.

FINA Rule Change - Breaststroke
I have heard that there is an additional rule covering the Breaststroke turn. It is not allowed to touch with one hand higher than the other. Some swimmers had been overlapping their hands (similarly to when diving). This is no longer allowed.

Full details should be on the FINA website.

ASA Insurance Cover for Masters
Details of the ASA scheme are on their website. Masters are covered in the same way as any other registered ASA club members. However Masters should take careful note of the following. (a) With increasing active lifespans, Masters should note the 70-75, and over-75 age-related exceptions described below. Those over 75 need to make personal accident insurance arrangements. (b) Masters tend to travel abroad to European and World competitions and to ensure insurance coverage, should make to ASA aware of the place, purpose and dates of these journeys. (c) There are restrictions on the activities that are covered by the insurance, for example popular Masters activities are sub-aqua /scuba diving and water skiing which would not be covered. Most dangerous and extreme sports are not covered, see the list on the ASA website. If in doubt, contact the ASA advisor before partaking or claiming.

The following detail was taken from the ASA website:- The scheme covers ASA affiliated clubs and club members (including officials and administration helpers). The insurance cover includes (a) Civil Liability Cover, (b) Employer’s Liability, (c) Personal Accident Insurance for under 75 yr-olds with limited insurance for 70–75 yr-olds, [where the meaning of "limited" is to be investigated further], and (d) Legal Expenses Insurance.

The indemnity is set for:-

1. Civil Liability - £20,000,000 per any one occurrence
2. Employer’s Liability - £10,000,000 any one occurrence
   (but limited to £5,000,000 in respect of Terrorism)
3. Personal Accident - <not stated>
4. Legal Expenses - £50,000 per claim. There is no policy excess.

The ASA civil liability insurance provides cover for club members for the following activities:

• Training for competitive swimming

• Competitive Swimming

• Social activities

• Fund-raising activities

• Administrative activities

There is a requirement on the Amateur Swimming Association to provide information on approved activities, which fall into the above categories.

Cover is provided for all Club members, including volunteers/casual helpers.

Indemnity extends to:

* club activities, including training for and competitive swimming, as well as social, fund rising and administrative activities.

* a club member who causes injury, damage or financial loss to a fellow member

* a club which borrows, rents or leases a premises for sporting or social purposes and is held liable for damage to the facility.

The personal accident cover provides cover for members under the age of 75 years of age (with restricted cover for those aged between 70 and 75 years of age) providing they are participating in an activity approved by the ASA.

The website has a list of excluded activities which is not exhaustive and if you wish members to participate in any activity under the auspices of your club which are outside the core activities relating to the disciplines of swimming which your club traditionally offers, please contact Ash Cox on insurance.query@swimming.org.

The ASA is aware that many clubs which do not traditionally offer open water swimming activities may, from time to time, wish to do so and therefore specific guidelines will be drawn up providing advice and guidance on this topic.

The ASA/IoS encourages all clubs and swim schools to have appropriately qualified teachers and coaches covering all sessions but also recognises that from time to time both clubs and swim schools may have difficulty in finding volunteers with the appropriate qualifications (especially in the smaller disciplines) and therefore providing the sessions are operated within the standard safety framework and in line with the procedures laid down by the Pool Operator the insurance policy is valid.

Review of the East Region Masters Championships
The seventh ASA East Region Open Masters & 18-24 Age Group Championships took place on 5^th October 2013 at Newmarket Leisure Centre. These fine facilities saw a full day of excellent swimming with competitors travelling from all over the country plus eight enthusiastic swimmers making the journey from Spain just for this competition.

The East Region President, Ian Mackenzie was on hand to present the medals to the successful swimmers. A total of sixteen individual East Region records were broken as were two East Region relay records.

The star of the show was Annette Thatcher of Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club who broke four East Region records in the womens 60/64 age group; she lowered the records for the 50m & 100m breaststroke and for the 50m & 100m freestyle

(Report and photos taken from East Region website)

Bedfordshire women Masters were on great form getting four of the sixteen ER records broken. The four records were set by
Liz Woolner (Flitwick Dolphin 45/49) 100M Fly 1:14.87

Christine Ayres (South Beds 60/64) 400M Free 5:57.64 and 200M IM 3:18.74

Pat Reynolds (Beaver Master 60/64) 200M Back 3:13.35

Here they are receiving their awards from Ian Mackenzie:-

The full results are available on the East Region website: http://www.eastswimming.org.uk/