STRAIT SWIMMER ALMOST SUCCEEDS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29745, 12 February 1962, Page 12

STRAIT SWIMMER ALMOST SUCCEEDS

Courageous Attempt Foiled By Rip

( N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 11.

Three Maranui Surf Club swimmers forced W. O. Penny to board a surf boat at the conclusion of his Cook Strait attempt yesterday.

This happened after Penny had been fruitlessly battling, a vicious five-knot rip, a heavy swell and a savage chop for more than two hours.

His adviser, Mrs M. C. Ongley, had pleaded with him for some time to give up the attempt. Penny had refused.

Fellow members of the Maranui Surf Club who were aboard the launch Winsome heard Penny shout “No, no. I’m going on,” but less than five minutes later he was hauled bodily aboard.

The swim was abandoned close to the erosion-scarred cliffs of Arapawa Island. Penny’s great courage and endurance had taken him almost 19 miles, level with the Brothers Islands before a fast-moving rip swept him back towards Makara. The swim was, at the start, blessed with almost perfect conditions. Cook Strait was calm and the towering cliffs on both sides of the water could be clearly seen A few strands of cirus cloud hung in the windless sky pointing at Koramu Point, where seven hours later Penny came closest to the South Island.

Penny got off to a good start. He swam a few’ yards to shore from the surf boat.

clambered up on the rocks beneath Ohau Point and, with a casual wave to the accompanying boats, .struck out across the Strait. Supporters Optimistic All preseht at the beginning of the swim were optimistic. Penny said: “Conditions are as good as I’ll ever get them.” Mrs Onlgey was certain the attempt would be successful. “Of course he will make it,” she said. Others present shared her opinion. Looking westward from the San Bartolo and the Winsome, the South Island appeared no more than five miles away across the then placid Strait. The very slight chop around Ohau Point dropped altogether once the flotilla of launches, fishing smacks and the surf boat were out in the Strait proper. A slight heat haze developed about 9 am. when Penny, keeping up his selfimposed rate of about 76 strokes a minute, was six miles out. The cold waters of the Strait were already proving a nuisance. His comment to a press photographer who went alongside him in a dinghy was: “It’s b—cold." Fast Time A medium north-bound tide helped Penny to clock up a fast time. By 9.55 a.m. he was seven miles from Ohau Point. At 10.10 he was above the entrance to Tory Channel and at 10.18 he was three hours and eight miles out. .

About 10.15 a school of porpoises streaked past the Winsome to inspect the swimmer. There were a few fearful moments until the fish were recognised. A cry of “sharks” alerted everybody until the brown bodies leapt out of the water around the swimmer.

The original two accompanying ships were joined throughout the day by many others. At one stage six launches and four planes were circling around and above the swimmer. Many more had come and gone during the day, including National Airways Corporation and Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft and the Wel-lington-Picton ferry, Rangatira.

The Titahi Surf Club boat, which travelled all the way alongside Penny, had a difficult day. One of the five men on board was continually bailing out the water which spilled over the side and through a minor leak in the bottom. They also had a little trouble with a dinghy which was paddling around them, till it eventually lost an oar and drifted astern. Message On Course

Soon after 11 a.m. the San Bartolo skipper and Penny’s guide. Mr A. Hunter, received a. radio telephone message from Mr Gilbert Perano, the Tory Channel whaler. Mr Perano advised the San Bartolo that the best course would be north of the Brothers Islands, two miles out from the South Island and about five miles south of Koramu point. He later boarded Mr Hunter’s vessel from his whale chaser.

Members of the Maranui Surf Club who paced Penny in the afternoon reported that the cold was troubling him when they reboarded the Winsome.

Although he was still swimming with his typical short, powerful strokes he occasionally lapsed into breaststroke. The small chop which began late in the morning developed later in the day. At that stage it was still expected to give no trouble.

The strong northerly wind which began in the late morning rapidly became stronger, whipping up the sea and replacing the gentle swell with heavy waves and a troubling chop. At 1.15, after 17 miles, Penny was almost under the shadows of the towering cliffs—about two to , four miles off-shore. More Rests

Penny’s rests were becoming more frequent and lasting longer, although he was still striking out strongly and pressing on. The Maranui pacers reported that he was still determined and in spite of the cold and the worsening conditions he was reasonably confident.

Then he entered the savage rip. Almost immediately it was apparent he was making no headway and in spite of a great effort he made to cross the half-mile wide rip to the calm water at the west of The Brothers he was carried south. The swimmer lost a mile in the rapid current. Optimism fled and spirits were lowered as Penny and the surf boat were forced back towards Terewhiti. The owner of the Winsome. Mr P. Bradley, took his launch towards 'the mainland to test the force and width of the rip. It swung from north of Cape Koamaru to the seaward side of The Brothers before heading south towards Makara. When the Winsome returned and Mr Bradey reported this, Penny was taken from the water. He was forced over the surf boat and hauled on board. He collapsed in the arms of Mrs Ongley. Extreme Fatigue

When he was carried aboard the Winsome, Penny uas suffering from extreme fatigue. Every muscle in his body was twitching and his skin was ice cold in spite of the heavy layer of grease, petroleum jelly and olive oil The Winsome’s voyage back to Paremata was a morbid one. Surfers, swimmers and spectators lined the deck of the 50ft luxury launch while Penny was below being massaged and revived.

When he was up and about two hours later he told a swimmer he had “had enough of Cook Strait for a life-time.” “Until next time,” Mrs Ongley said. A reporter who asked: ’’Will you try again?” got two answers.

Penny’s was: “I don’t know yet.” Mrs Ongley: “No comment”

Penny was then asked if he had anything at all to say regarding the swim. Penny looked at Mrs Onglay. “No comment,” she said. Penny: “No comment.”