Cook Strait conquered

Press, 30 March 1985, Page 6

Cook Strait conquered

PA Wellington A Feilding teen-ager, Scott Barry, yesterday joined the select band of swimmers who have completed a Cook Strait crossing. Barry, aged 18, swam from the South Island’s Perano Head to Cape Te Rawhiti in the North Island in seven hours and 51 minutes. His feat came just in time for him to be able to join a reunion of Cook Strait conquerors. Many of the swimmers, who now number 24, are making a crossing on the ferry, Arahura, this morning as part of rail ferry week. It was Barry’s second at-

tempt at a crossing and he received some expert assistance. As well as the pilot, John Brown, Barry was helped along his way by two of New Zealand’s best long distance „ swimmers, Phillip Rush and Sheryl McLay. J He began his swim at 7.20 i a.m. and finished at 2.31 p.m. j Karen Bisley, of Wellington, also completed another cross- < ing yesterday, but failed in her ' attempt to break Rush’s record of seven hours 51 minutes for a 1 north-south swim. 1 Bisley, who holds the fastest time for a south-north swim by ! a woman at six hours 46 j minutes, finished in 11 hours 11 t minutes, the best time by a . woman from north to south. ,