March 28 - The Last Splash
This is our final race in the Clements Doors and Windows Endurance Series. The course is the reverse of the Eyebright Mile. It's 2km from the beach to the Yacht Club ramp. There's a decent high tide at 9.16am. We'll start at 8.45am, which means that we'll be picking up the last of the incoming tide over the final part of the race. It's a 4m tide, so there'll be plenty of water. At that time of day, much of the swim will be in shadow, before the sun pops over the port hills. If last year is anything to go by, it'll be cold on the beach, but the water will be clear and still. The forecast is for a fine day.
There'll be a short option from the Richardson St steps of about 600m. Registration for both races will be in the carpark by the beach from soon after 8am. After race start, swimmers in the short race will get themselves to the steps and will be started as soon as the bulk of the field in the long race has passed - about 9.05am.
Everyone will be in the draw for a wetsuit, thanks to Darren Randle, who's been looking after many swimmers with wetsuits throughout the season. There'll be lots of other prizes too.
Results: Click here
Story: click here
Photos: click here
March 18 - last night
It was the chilliest swim yet, with a water temperature of 18 degrees. As seemed appropriate, Matthew Hansen and Fraser Neill slogged it for for a dead heat. The swim wasn't that easy with a bit of wave action on the leg from the green post to the dolphin and a slight incoming tide. There were plenty of prizes given out and we celebrated the success of everyone in a wonderful season. Zoe Borrell and Matthew Hansen were our top swimmers, but they didn't get there easily. We have some top swimmers at a national level and our series is making them faster and stronger. We can look forward to some great racing next year.
Results: click here
Season points (please check and yell out if you spot errors - the final points are from the best of ten swims): click here
Story on Sportzhub: click here
Photos (including top swimmer lineups): click here
March 11
It's high tide after 7pm, so it'll still be coming in a bit. We'll go along parallel to Rocks Rd then head around the dolphin and back to the ramp.
Results: click here
Points to date (includes a column for best of nine swims, so you can see what the prize lineup is likely to be): click here
Story: click here
March 7
The Gaye Evans Beach Aquathon was great. Just over 30 took part and the format seemed to work well. Although it looked like a short race, it was fairly testing.
Results here
March 4
Lovely swim tonight, 122 swimmers. Water cooling down at 21 degrees.
Here's a couple of beautiful pics by Tony Bennett.
Caitlin Abbott, aged 14, time 18.41.
Derek Eaton, aged 68, time 18.43
Results: click here
Story: click here
Poins to date: click here
February 25
High tide was at 7.58pm, although not a very big one. Big enough to make an honest task of the first leg south to within 60m of the Richardson St steps. Leg two to the dolphin was aided by the tide, although not very noticeable. It was the second half of the final leg back to the ramp which caught many swimmers out, as they were swept past the final offshore buoy. Cunning swimmers aimed their swim at a point somewhere near the Boathouse and let the current carry them on to the buoy.
Competitors in the short swim were also tested with a longer swim of nearly 700m, but everyone seemed satisfied with a reasonably challenging swim. Just three to go.
Results: click here
Points to date: click here
Story: click here
February 18
With low tide at 7.07pm, there'll be next to no current and what there is will be flowing out of the harbour. That means we'll have the potentially dangerous scenario getting into the water of a very slippery ramp. Swimmers are reminded that your time will be taken when you reach thigh-deep water, but you must be between the cones. Do not stand up wide of the cones - your time will not be taken, so keep swimming until you are between them. In an experiment this week, the finish will be on the gravel beach just south of the ramp. It won't be slippery there.
We'll swim north to the green post, south to the dolphin, then back to an offshore buoy from the finish. The short swim will be slightly longer - to the green post and then back to the finish via the same buoy.
Results: click here
Points to date: click here
February 14
Race three of the Clements Endurance series is the Wildside Travel Ironman Distance race over 3.8km starting and ending at Tahunanui Beach. A short option of 1.3km is from the Richardson St steps to the beach.
Results: click here
Photos (thanks to Miranda Van Dyke): click here
February 11
With a 3.15pm low tide, there'll be an incoming tide. The course will be from the ramp to the dolphin, back to the green post, then back (against the tide) to the ramp via an offshore buoy.
Results: click here
Points to date: click here
Photos: click here
February 4
A record turnout. In 23 years of swimming there's never been this many - 144 starters. You couldn't have got a better day, water temperature of 23 degrees. The tide was going out rather quickly but that didn't seem to be reflected in the current. We made some new plans to cope with the slippery ramp scenario so we'll make some changes next time that happens on an outgoing tide. People have suggested water blasting the ramp - it already happens occasionally, but doesn't last more than a week or so. In the meantime, here's tonight's results: click here
Story: click here
Photos: click here
Points to date: click here
January 31
Race three of the Clements Endurance Series took swimmers on a 2.8km course out to the dolphin, through the cut and on around Haulashore Island and back to the dolphin, then back to shore. Another swim in perfect conditions, 49 swimmers in balmy waters of 22 degrees. Matthew Hansen led from start to finish in a strong solo effort, with Ben Van Dyke also swimming solo for second. Kirstin Ramsay and Kerry Mathieson stuck together until just before the final dolphin turn, with Kirstin pulling away to win by a few seconds.
Results: click here
Story: click here
January 28
What a lovely night. Water temperature 25 degrees, a brisk incoming current that didn't impede the first leg too much but which caught many swimmers out on the final stretch to the finish. The long course covered about a kilometre, the short course about 400m. A total of 118 swimmers, including the social group. A lead bunch of three, who could have had a blanket thrown over them at the end. It was the same with the first five women, who were separated by only 17 seconds, with only Malcolm Anderson coming between them.
Results: click here
Series points to date: click here
Story: click here
January 21
High tide this week is 3.8m at 2.16pm. That's not a huge tide and it'll be past the worst of its outward flow. The provisional course for the long swim will be north to the green post, south to the dolphin, then back to the ramp via a final buoy. The short course will also go to the green post, then back to the ramp via the same off-shore buoy.
That was the pre-race story. On the night it proved a tougher assignment, but the strong tide only proved to demonstrate the maturity of Nelson swimmers as they handled the conditions with an aplomb that would be hard to match anywhere else in the country.
Results: click here
Story: click here
Series points to date: click here.
January 14
With low tide at 4.15pm, the inward flow was picking up - very noticeable in the final leg of the race, which started with a stretch to the dolphin, on to the green post, then back to the ramp. Matthew Hansen stood up just a second ahead of Ben Van Dyke, with Daryl Henehan close behind. Zoe Borrell was the first woman, three seconds ahead of Kirstin Ramsay with Kerry Mathieson in third.
Full story: click here
NB: Story online thanks to Sportshub. The photo in this week's story isn't identified, but you'll recognise the swimmer as Zoe Borrell, leader of the women's series.
Results click here
Series points to date: here
January 7
Another rotten night,strong winds, big seas, race cancelled.
January 1, 2010
 Harrison Dean in a close finish from Mike Phillips.
Photo: Margot Bennett
Race two of the Clements Windows and Doors Endurance Series - the Eyebright Mile. A southwesterly, which shifted to northwest during the race led to choppy conditions and kept Cadman Irvine's 1993 record safe for another year. Jono Lee from Blenheim, Mike Phillips from Christchurch and Harrison Dean, now a student in Christchurch but back for the holidays, formed a lead pack all the way from the yacht club. In the approach to the beach, it was Harrison who made a break, winning from Mike, with Jono in third. Kirstin Ramsay was the first woman to finish ahead of Christina Harris and Kerry Mathieson.
Results:click here
Story, click here
Photos: http://www.3rd-eye.co.nz/Home.html
December 20
Race one of the Clements Windows and Doors Endurance Series - The Prices Pharmacy Inner Harbour Circuit. Raced over 2km, the event heads from the yacht club to a buoy 50m beyond the Richardson St steps, back to the dolphin, on to the green post by the wharf, then back to the ramp via an off-shore buoy. Wind and tide made it a battle to the first mark, particularly as the buoy dragged its anchor, settling in a spot more than 100m to the north and further out to sea. water temp was 20 degrees, 69 swimmers started, 66 finished. Great support flotilla of inflatables, jet ski and kayaks.
For full story, click here
Results - click here
December 17
Low tide, 0.8m at 5.04pm. Water 20 degrees. A much better night, with only a slight bit of chop. The current hadn't picked up. There wasn't enough water for the planned swim alongside Rocks Rd, so we headed out around the dolphin instead. Strange to think that this used to be our longest swim but now people generally seem to regard it as a short option. Nice barbecue to follow. We now break for two weeks, resuming on January 7.
Results - click here
Story - click here
Series points to date - click here
December 10
High tide 3.6m at 5.18pm. Water 18-20 degrees. Course, north to green post, south to dolphin, back to ramp. Conditions blustery before the race, but a squall during the race mad eit one of the toughest on record. Well done to everyone who took part. If you did this race you can handle anything.
Results - click here
Story - click here
Series points to date - click here
December 3
Low tide, 0.4m at 5.10pm. Water temp 18 degrees. Conditions quite flat despite string NE wind. All-time record of 139 swimmers. By the end of the swim there was quite a current pushing swimmers up the harbour
Results - click here
Series points - click here
November 26
High tide 3.3m, 5.23pm. Water temp 20 degrees. Wild weather. Racing cancelled. Many swimmers had a splash anyway
November 19
Opening night. Low tide at 5.53pm. Water temp 19 degrees. Non-competition swim. results - click here
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