COOK STRAIT SWIM.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 January 1929, Page 5

COOK STRAIT SWIM.

MISS COPPLESTONE'S ATTEMPT

MAY BE DELAYED BEYOND TOMORROW OWING TO WEATHER

LANDING-P-LAOE NEAR MAKARA

BEACH

(By Tel"!jr?iph—Press Association * WELLINGTON, This Day. Miss Lily Copplestone, of A?hburton; who contemplates the attempt to swim Cook Strait to-morrow, leaves.by tbe 1 Tamaiiiae to-day direct for Pieion,. ■J."he present indications are for unfa voura<ble weather. -Miss Copplestone says she will stay in Picton until she makes the attempt.

Miss Copplestone had hoped to start I her* swim at 2 a.m. to-morrow, but evidently the weather may cause a delay. The swimmer proposes to enter the water at Cape Koamaru, which is a few miles west of the Brothers Light. Her objective on the North Island will be Ohau Point, near the Makara beach. The distance from point to point in a direct line is approximately 16 miles, but owing to the strong tides and currents, for which the Strait is famous, the swimmer will have to swim a course like the two sides of a triangle, the base or" which would be the direct lino. She will enter the water at a lime when the swim steadily towards her goal. The tide will carry her south, and she will turn of the tide, it is hoped, will carry her then in the direction or" the North Island. However, the influence of the currents in the middle of the strait is still an unknown factor,- and this stretch of water is. as likely to prove as full of eccentricities as is the English Channel. In making its conquest the swimmer will require to be aided by the best of good fortune. The swim is calculated to occupy from 10 to 39 hours.

There is no doubt about Miss Coppleston's ability to swim the distance, or her capacity to make herself at home in choppy water. Indeed, if the sea is somewhat rough, Miss Copplestone will probably be a great deal more comfortable than will be the people in tire accompanying boats. She has an easy trudgeon stroke "that permits her to swim very low in the water, a fact that is of tremendous advantage in rough water in avoiding the bugbear of "a mouthful." The chief obstacle, in the way of her success will be her incapacity to stand iiriniersion for so long a period in water that is much below the temperature of that in which swimming usually takes place. She is relying in this respect on her proved ability to stand cold, water' and on the assistance in this connection that she hopes to have from-the liberal coating of greas.; with which she will profee-ct herself.