The entries are a 40 per cent increase on last year’s numbers, which club coach Josh Sobey said was a boon for the event.

“It’s huge. We’re getting a range of junior athletes and the older athletes,” he said.

“It gives the juniors something to look up to.”

More than 60 Warrnambool swimmers will take to the pool for the event, including seven members who will be making their competition debut.

Sobey said the club had welcomed 15 new members since the start of July.

There has also been an increase in the volume of swimmers coming from the Ballarat and Geelong regions to take part, with many swimmers chasing short course country qualification times.

“The committee do a really good job running our meets,” Sobey said.