Surf Club Declares War On Strait

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

Surf Club Declares War On Strait

WELLINGTON, Feb. 11. The Maranui Surf and Life-saving Club has declared war on Cook Strait and has guaranteed to have surfers in the water before Wellington’s next anniversary day—January 22. Club officials made this decision after a club member W O Penny, aged 21, failed by a mile and a half to two miles on Saturday in an attempt to swim the Strait. Exhausted and numbed with cold when he was taken from the water by Maranu' clubmates who had been swimming with him over the last stages. Penny made a good recovery and took his place in the Maranui A team at a surf carnival at Paekakariki today. He told inquirers he was “a little stiff in the joints” after the strait swim but otherwise “all right.” The carnival was for the Sanderson Cup and it was no fault of Penny’s that his team was narrowlv beaten into second place by a Lyall Bay eh’b squad. Club-mates would not have wished it upon him—but the first time up Penny drew the belt position. His patien' was one of the last to reach the buoy so the Cook Strait challenger was late leaving the beach. He improved from

about fifth to second on the race out Maranui A won the heat.

In the final Penny drew first line. His obligations to the team fulfilled, he asked if he could be dropped from the surf race and this was agreed to. . The chairman of the Maranui club (Mr C R Mentiolay) confirmed tonight that the club was challenging the strait with a five-man team

He said he hoped Penny would agree to take his place in the squad. “If anyone is going to crack this thing it is going to be a surf elub swimmer.” said Mr Mentiplay The elub had a number of members assisting Penny on Saturday, but now the effort would be a full club affair. M. Haxton, one of the Maranui swimmers in the water with Penny on Saturday. would take charge of a long . distance swimming squad which would begin sea and bath training immediately. Tiroa Sails.— The 226-ton motor vessel, Tiroa, which returned to Lyttelton on Friday evening, two hours after departure because of an overheated cylinder, sailed again for Wellington on Saturday evening.