HARBOUR RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 36, 12 February 1940, Page 5

HARBOUR RACE

* WON BY BLAKELEY

ANNETTE KELLERMAN CUP

The Annette Kellerman Cup harbour swinging race of three miles, held yesterday afternoon in conjunction with the , New Zealand swimming championships, drew twenty-four starters eight of whom were from other centres. Though the water temperature was about 6* degrees, sixteen swimmers completed ths course; and 2 hours 8 minutes 35 seconds [elapsed from the time the first man took to j the water until the last man finished.

The double honour of flrst home and fastest time went to J. C. Blakeley, of the Lyall Bay Club. P. K. Malthus (Maranui), who finished six feet behind Blakeley. obtained second fastest' time as well as second place, and C.Kyi dd (Otago) was third best In each section. The. scratch man, V Osmond (Hawke's Bay), who won the. event last year, did not come up to expectations, and finished fourteenth with seventh fastest time. His actual swimming time was. lOmln 50sec slower than thatyaC Blakeley, whose time was the fastest ever recorded for Uie race. ' ,; The event was held over a triangular course between the junction of the Dock Wharf an* Aotea'Quay, a .yacht anchored off the'end of the Dock Wharf dolphins, and a boat a short distance off Aotea Quay, and there were four laps E. Mcpherson (Wellington); the oldest competitor, went off the starting platform at 2.40 p.m J Reid (Wellington), who was third off. overhauled him on. the stretch between the yacht and the boat, and was fifty yards In the lead at the end of the first lap.: F. Adam and B. Jarvis (Wellington). who wers swimming together ,in third place, .completed , the first lap. .as Osmond started off: . At the end of the first lap. Miss A. Parr, the only woman competitor, and G. Usher (Poverty Bay), who haa one leg, were seventh and eighth respectively. F. C Ryan, who. had arrived In Wellington from Hawera an hour before" the race, was tenth. SCRATCH MEN COME UP. "Reid completed - tho second lap In firsr position, with Adam and Jarvis close behind, but retired at this point. This left Usher in third place, and Miss Parr fourth. Ryan had moved Into seventh position, and Kidd was ninth. Blakeley- arid.iMalthug,. swimming close _toJtether In •:>bpnt..-fl^eentft i .slac« v ,were steadily mrSrWs U?nd Adam weri-fstills toifether In first position at .the end of the third lap, -with Asher third. -Ryan, going .strongly in fourtH position, and Miss Parr fifth v Matthews. Blakelev. and Kidd were close hehlnd them. At this point R. Pelham (Wellington), wh© was eot^ff well In eleventh position, dropped At the last turn, round the boat 600 yards from the finish, there were seven v swimmer! in a group. Then Malthus and Blakeley drevr away from the others in a great finishing effort. They, swam stroke for stroke until th* last' hundred yards, when Blakeley drew slightly ahead and won by a length. Both seemed qtilte fresh. Kidd was 50 yards behind them, and Ryan 15 yards further hack. Blakeley has gained fastest time In the rac» several times before, but t'.is Is the flrst occasion In which he has achieved flrst place. Since 1922 the cup has been. won only twlc» before by Wellington men. C. E. Claridge la 1929 and A. Hepburn in 1931. Unlike Wellington's 1%-mile Peck Shield, it is an individual event. ■■■■-_ DETAILED RESULT. Placings. handicaps, and actual swimming times were as follows:—J. C. Blakeley (Wellington), l^min. 78min 15sec, 1; P. K. Malthus (Vellington), 2%min, 79min 19sec, 2; C. Kidd (Otago), 6%min, 84mln 26sec. S; P. G. Ryan (Taranaki), Bmin, 86mln Bsec, 4; B. V Jarvis (Wellington), 25%min. 5; C. Jones (Wellington), smin, 85mln ITsec. 6: F. J. Adam (Wellington), 25%min. 105min 56sec, 7; D. K. Evans (Wellington), 4%min, 85ml« 17sec, 8; G. Usher (Poverty Bay). 18%mln, 99mln.lsec. 9; Miss A. Parr (Wellington)* 21%m1n. lo3min 58sec. 10; C. Watson (Wellington), 11 %mm. 96min losec. 11; G. Balfour, (Wellington). 12min, 97min 57sec. 12: D. Sams (Canterbury), 10%niin, 99min Msec. 13: V. Os- . mond (Hawke's • Bay). scr, 89min ssec, 14; L. D-»Hon (Auckland), llmin, lOlmin Slsec, 15; S. 3. Guppy (Wellington). 28min. 128mln :sseti 16.