KIWI HARBOUR SWIM

Evening Star, Issue 21619, 15 January 1934, Page 4

KIWI HARBOUR SWIM

DOUBLE HONOURS TO P. E. RACE IN POURING RAIN In heavy rain, but in a calm sea, the Kiwi Amateur Swimming Cliib held its annual harbour race over a course of approximately one and a-quarter miles on Saturday afternoon,: and, following the recent unfavourable' weather, _ the water was very cold, so that it saida good deal for the stamina' of the-'en-trants that of the nine starters five finished, and all the others did over half the' distance. Heavy rain'-delayed the start, and continued, throughout the race, but, nevertheless, there was a large crowd present to witness the event, the spectators seeking . vantage points right along the wharves. Starting from the Harbour Board puntf the swimmers proceeded ground' the white pbstl outside the batin and across to the buoy still further b tit, and then back to The punt. , Swimming a strong race and showing surprising dash, P. E. Mathieson, the Otago hack stroke champion and exNew Zealand intermediate diving champion, not only won the evefll from 1 the 2J mm' marie, thus taking- the Fogg Challenge' Cup, but he also secured fastest time, with which goes, the William Lang Memorial Cup. Mathieson’s time, vyas 28min ISsec. which has been beaten only once in the'history of’the race, and’which was 3min, "all but one second, faster than . that of the , next man. The winner is a brother of Miss Maxine Mathieson, the Dunedin Club’s noted harbour swimmer, who won the Annette Kellorman Cup race at Napier last year. ■ ■.... iV ■ Second place was filled By i the only ,lady;competitor. Miss, (off *l3min), who occuoied a similar placing last "year. -Miss Boulton maintained a good even pace all the way, and swam a .very good race.- h-Third 4 place was filled. lay A. Thomas, who 'took ,second fastest time after having -fastest time to his credit -on three‘previous occasions. Thomas’s time-was 31min . l4sec, the best he .has registered-in the race to date. ‘ O. -Holland.-' swam,a, good, solid race for fourth place, and .1, -Holland stayed the distance well in finishing fifth; ■ " , I :: ’ . * THE RACE. The-limit man. E. C. Isaacs (luimin), was sent away by the starter (Mr W. A. Jenkin's) about 2.40, and before Miss M. Boulton (13min) started had covered 160yds.' Before the next swimmer, A. J., Leeden (lOmin) left the punt Miss Boulton had changed to side stroke and was 200yds.out. Leeden had covered about' 250yds before .1. Holland (6min) got away, and the latter covered’ 50yds before E. Taylor (4min) started. " 0., Holland (3imin) was the next to., leave, and Taylor had gone 30yds before Holland dived in. Soon afterwards P. E. Mathieson (2Jmin) was on the way, and was a good distance out before A. Thomas (imin) took off.

Thomas started strongly, and was 30yds on his way when the scratch man, Reg. Geddas, [eft ISitnin after the limit man, } Isaacs', who'was by this'time well round the white post beyond the wharf. Mathieson was picking up on the earlier starters now. and by the time the first man reached the buoy at the halfway mark was lying fourth. The order then was Isaacs, Miss Boulton, '■Leeden, Mathieson, Taylor, 0. Holland, and J. Holland, ■ ith Thomas and Geddes, the two back-markers, drawing up. Isaacs turned' first twenty yards ahead of Miss Boulton who passed him 50yds past the buoy. Leeden retired just before ranching’ the buoy, and left Mathieson in third position, 100yds behind Miss Boulton as he rounded the buoy. Mathieson was swimming very easily, and passed Isaacs midway between the buoy and the post, and soon afterwards Isaacs retired. Tie whole field had rounded the buoy and were on the homeward stretch when Mathieson caught Miss Boulton, who was swimming a solid race, just before entering tie basin. By the time Mathieson reached the basin he was 50yds ahead of Miss Boulton, and, steadily drawing awav from the rest of the field. Thomas,, had left the other hackmarkers. and before entering the basin caimlit O. Holland. This pair swam together till they were 150yds from the finish, and by this time Mathieson was home to win by over 1 '' r *, tls from Miss ■ Boulton, after' swim- 1 ' a fine race and finishing strongly. .With 75yds to

go Thomas drew away from O. Holland, and i challenged Miss Boulton, who finished second, 2bycls ahead of him. O. Holland followed, to take fourth place, loyds behind Thomas. The other swimmers had now retired, with the exception of J Holland, who finished strongly on his own to take fifth place. THE PLACINGS. P. .E. Mathieson (2}min), 28min ISsec ... ... , ... 1 Miss M. Boulton (13min), 43min 43sec ... 2 A. Thomas (imin), Slmin Msec ... 3 O. Holland (3£min), 35min 17sec ... 4 J. Holland (Smin), 40min 5 Also started: E. C. Isaacs (15imin), A. J; 1 Leeden (lOrnin), M, ' Taylor (4min), and Reg. Geddes (scr). ' -FASTEST TIMES. P. E. Mathieson', 28miil ISsec ... 1. A. Thomas, 31min Msec ... ... 2 0. Holland, 35min 17sec ... ... ... 3 WINNERS TO DATE. The following shows the winners of the race to date, with the names of the swimmers gaining fastest time ini each case:— .1930—N. H. Bailey; N. H.- Bailey, 25min 40sec. 1931 W. Hunter; A. Thomas. 1932 Miss J. Taylor; A. Thomas, 34min ISsec. - ' 1933 W. Mason; A. Thomas, 32min 20sec v ■„ , 1934—P. E. Mathieson; P. E. Mathieson, 28min ISsec. ZENIT.H CLUB’S RACE. R. NUTTALL SECURES DOUBLE. Immediately ' following the Kiwi Club’s event, the Zenith Amateur Swimming Clug staged its first harbour race over a course of approximately a more than half a mile, the race starting, at the punt, proceeding to the white post, and return to the point. Although the Zenith Club has been in existence less than a year, the enterprise shown by the committee in deciding ,to hold a harbour swim was well rewarded not only by an entry of seven swimmers, but by a well-con-tested race, which was won by the Otago 1 100ydb champion, R. Nuttall, who swpm a very good race and also secured time honours,-taking 17min 50 sec. Attached to the winning of the race was a challenge cup presented by Mr D. Thomson.

Second place and second fastest time went to G. Field, who was only fourteen seconds ’ slower than the. winner, and a most meritorious performance was put up by .Miss Olive Buckland in gaining third place and third fastest time. Miss Buckland has not long left junior ranks, and as recently as last year won the. Ney Zealand junior girls’ breast-stroke championship. The only other lady in the race, Miss L. Harris, completed the course. THE RACE. Miss L. Harris (7Jmin) was first Away, and was soon followed by Miss O. . Buckland (7min). Swimming breaststroke, Miss Buckland had nearly caught Miss Harris when C. K. Jenkins and W. Stewart (3}min) started off, Stewart retiring early in proceedings. W. L. Colvin (SJmin), R. Nuttall (irnin), and the scratch man, G. Field, followed in that order. Entering the basin on the return journey, Miss Buckland was in the lead, .but • Nuttall had overhauled thei others and was lying second, only fifty yards back, and swimming strongly. Nuttall passed Miss Buckland halfway down the basin. Field then being thirty yards behind •‘the leaders. The scratch man, Field, drew ahead of M.iss Buckland 75yds from home, and Nuttall, still going well, finished first with thirty yards to spare from Field, who also came in strongly 25yds ahead of Miss Buckland. Miss Harris, the onlv other swimmer still going, was' still 75yds from home when Miss Buckland finished in third place. Miss Harris keeping,on to take fourth place.

THE PLACINGS. R. Nuttall (imin). 17min oOsec ... 1 G. Field (scr), IBmin 4sec 2 Miss O. , Buckland (7min), 26min lOsec .... ... ' ... 3 Miss L. Harris (7Jrnin), 30min 7sec 4 Also started: W. Stewart C. K, Jenkins (3Jmm), and W. L. Colvin (3\mirj). FASTEST TIMES. B. Nuttall, 17 in in 50sco 1

G. Field. ISniin 4sec 2 Miss O. Buckland, 26min lOsec ... 3