Handicapped Sea Swim - Perfect Conditions

Numbers might have been a little down this year due to all kinds of other events being on this weekend but there was a terrific turnout from those who were hanging around Auckland and didn't want to miss out on a bit more sea swimming.

Conditions couldn't have been more perfect if they had been ordered by the weather gods themselves. The day started out just overcast and dull enough to keep the crowds away which meant we had the beach and all the car parks to ourselves. No walking for miles this year to get to the picnic ground! Yet it was very warm, not a ripple on the ocean and the water temperature was a balmy 21 degrees at least.

The contest was swum over a choice of 2000m or 1000m with also a choice of wearing wettie or skins. Keeping track of everyone's times over the last couple of seasons has certainly paid off and the handicapping was magnificent with almost everyone coming in within a very small window. Awesome work handicappers - you've got the job!

After the swimming everyone is naturally thirsty and hungry and what a feast. Everyone excelled themselves with a wondrous display of both savoury and sweet delights. I hope no one noticed that I went straight to dessert (sshhh).

Thanks to all our helpers on the day - our handicappers, the starter, our safety team on the water and our chefs on the bbq and anyone else I have left out but shouldn't have. Thanks also to the sun which then came out right on cue about 5 minutes after the last swimmer came in.

Here are the results:
2000m
1st woman: Avy Judelson
1st man: Pat Castles
1000m
1st woman: Yoko Otani
1st man: Mike Wansink

Congratulations to our winners for some great swimming and for holding off the mass of swimmers that was coming at them from behind.

But wait, there's more........... we still have Swimmer of the Month and the Wooden Spoon to give out.

Swimmer of the Month
Mandy Attard has been hard at, heading on down to Kohi Beach every Thursday and putting in a mighty effort. Those of us who have done the Kohi series know how (strangely) Kohi gets windy to almost cyclone proportions at almost exactly 5pm every Thursday and it becomes like swimming in a washing machine. Mandy is coming 4th in what is a horrendously hard age group. Nice one Mandy.

Wooden Spoon
Well I chuckled to myself when I heard this one as it was exactly the kind of thing I could easily do myself. Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat, Pat - I'm so glad it was you and not me and thanks for dobbing yourself in too or none of us would have even known. What happened was this - Pat was enjoying a lovely swim down at Eastern Beach (as you do). Nek minnit he swims smack into the yellow pole. That's gonna hurt in more ways than one.