The start, finish and transition area is at Jensen Point Park on the Burton Peninsula, which is on Vashon Island in Puget Sound.  Vashon lies between Seattle, Tacoma, and the Kitsap Peninsula.

Please park out on the Highway and bike in to the start, or park at the Camp Burton lots that have been reserved for the HOTS Tri; if all are full, you may park on the loop with your tires off the road and not blocking any driveways, then walk or bike to the start - there is no parking at the transition area at Jensen Point Park.

The swim is a salt water swim (near 60 degrees) starting at 9:30 a.m. in two waves three minutes apart.  The swim is followed by an open course bike ride and runs of gentle laps around the small, but quaint, Burton Peninsula.The race begins in protected Quartermaster Harbor off the east end of Burton Peninsula.  Athletes start in two waves - over 40 goes first, followed three minutes later by the under 40 swimmers and relays.  Your age is as of 12/31/2010, not day-of-race.  Triathletes swim a triangular route of 1/2 mile led and guided by kayaks, the buoys set by GPS according to the tide at the time.  Water temperatures are near 60 in the surface zone, and most (but not all!) wear wet suits or race suits of varying coverage. 
The racers exit the water at the point, run up the beach to the grass picnic area, and into T1.  Relays exchange the timing chip in T1.  Bikes must have bar-end plugs and racers must have their helmet straps fastened prior to mounting their bikes at the mounting line just outside T1.
Racers exit Jensen Point for their 14.6 mile open-course ride, staying to the right, and turn right out of the park onto SW Harbor Drive. Bikes must remain in the right lane and not cross the center line. Riders must follow traffic rules unless waived through intersections by King County Sheriff Officers or Race Marshals.  Racers circle Burton Peninsula anti-clockwise and turn right a mile later onto SW Burton Drive before turning left and south onto Vashon Highway. Bikers look forward to the challenging Inspiration Point hill to separate the wheat from the chaff.  The route turns right at the Tahlequah "Y" and heads north through Frog Holler on Wax Orchard Road, past the airstrip to 220th.  Turning east at SW 220th, riders ride past Misty Isle Farms and Paradise Ridge Park (former Nike Missile base) into Paradise Valley on 111th SW.  Here is the first down-hill where you can reach 40+ mph.  The joy is short-lived as racers head east on 204th past the Jesus Barn and up the hill back to south-bound Vashon Highway.  After heading up a short hill past Grannie's Attic the riders zoom down the second 40+ mph down-hill, taking care for the "S" turns on Morgan Hill.  Crossing Judd Creek Bridge, it is a short ride from there back to Burton and a left turn on SW Burton Drive back to Burton Peninsula.  Riders circle anti-clockwise the Peninsula again, turning right on SW Bayview Drive back to Jensen Point.  Riders must slow for the sharp turn back into the park, and dismount prior to T2.
Runners head out of Jensen Point for two anti-clockwise laps around Burton Peninsula for a gentle 3.6 mile run.  On the first pass of the park, runners keep going for a second lap - runners will be marked past the park for the two-lap verification.  Runners enter Jensen Point Park and finish.

You may move up a category but not down (Age is as of 12/31/10, the end of the year):

The Transition area is in the grass area at the edge of the paved lot, like this.

For kids, the bicycle courses are counter-clockwise loops on the Burton Peninsula from Jensen Point.  The older you are, the more laps you do.

For adults, the bicycle course is a clockwise tour of the middle of the Island.

The runs are gentle out and backs or laps around the Burton Peninsula: half mile, mile, 1.8 mile, and 3.6  mile runs.

There will be two water tables on the run route - one 100 yards up the road, the other at the Burton "T".