MIXED RECEPTION FOR NEW OPEN WATER COURSE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 9

MIXED RECEPTION FOR NEW OPEN WATER COURSE

'THE action of the Canterx bury Swimming Centre in tranefenring the annual tong distance open waiter events from Corsair Bay to Diamond Harbour, received a rather mixed reception from competitors and officials when the races were held at the new venue on Saturday for the first time.

There is no doubt that the new course at Diamond Harbour is superior to the old Corsair Bay course. However, the small and rocky nature of the beech and the comparatively greet distance from Christchurch are definite disadvantages of the new venue and ones which, to a certain extent, could govern the quantity and quality of entries. At Coraaiir Bay the course was restricted in size by the currents, which are often quite strong outside the entrance of the bay, and competitors had to do many more laps than was desirable. The Diamond Harbour course was perfect on Saturday, although in the afternoon at high tide, swimmers found it very uncomfortable starting and finishing on the stones. Two new events, a senior scratch race over three miles and a junior scratch

race over one mile, were held for the tart time. Berth attracted very amall entries, possibly due to the lactation of Diamond Harbour and the fact thart the Canterbury surf championships were being held the following day. The senior event, which attracted eight starters, resulted in an amazing deedheart for tat ptace between Miss I*. Harrow (Spreydon) and D. Johnston (Pendelton). Both swimmen sworn magnificently, but special credit must go to Mies Harrow for her exceptional stamina. The junior one mile scratch

race attracted only three startera—a very poor • how oonatdering the strength in numbers of Canterbury Junior swimmers. Both the new scratch events are expected to be given championship status before next season’s harbour swims. As a result of the poor entries in the senior handicap event, there was no teams’ contest for the HJMLS. New Zealand Shield. This was rather distreesing because in past yearn the teams’ race has been the premier event at the harbour swims. There were only 10 individual entries in the handicap event