last Saturday of May. The final regatta is always held in Tórshavn on the national day, or actually on the day before the national day, which is called Ólavsøka. The boat race on Ólavsøka is the only race which is not necessarily held on a Saturday, but on the 28 July, whatever the day of the week it is. The regattas in between the Norðoyastevna and Ólavsøka are held in these locations: Jóansøka is every even year held in Vágur and every odd year in Tvøroyri, both villages are in Suðuroy (South Island), and this is the only place which is not possible to drive by car from Tórshavn, people have to take the ferry Smyril to Suðuroy, which is a two-hour journey. Jóansøka is held on a Saturday around the 24 June (St. John's Wake). Eystanstevna is always held in Runavík, but the boat race is only held there every second year (even years), odd years the regatta is held in Fuglafjørður at the Varmakelda Festival (Varmakeldustevna). Swimming Swimming is a quite popular sport in the Faroe Islands. The Faroese freestyle swimmer Pál Joensen is the sportsperson of the Faroe Islands with the best international result for the country, a bronze medal at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships. In July 2011 he qualified for the finals in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai. He placed fourth in the 1500 meter freestyle event, 0,67 second behind the bronze medalist. At the same competition, he placed fifth in the men's 800 meters freestyle. In 2010, Joensen won silver in the 1500 meter freestyle swimming event at the European Aquatics Championship. As of 2012, he trained in a 25 meter long pool because there was no 50 meter pool in the Faroe Islands. The first 50-meter swimming pool is under construction in Pál Joensens hometown Vágur, it is expected to open in 2015. It is named after Pál Joensen: Pálshøll Joensen competed at the Olympics in London 2012, but he didn't make it to the finals. He competed for Denmark, because the Faroe Islands are not allowed to compete at the Olympics, as they don't accept countries which are not independent. He swam for Denmark in the men's 400m free, 1500m free and the 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay. He was the first Faroese swimmer to compete at the Olympics.