COOK STRAIT SWIM

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1929, Page 9

COOK STRAIT SWIM

WEBSTER CONFIDENT.

A DAYLIGHT VENTURE.

WELLINGTON, This Day,

Undeterred by the failure of Miss Lily. Copplestone to swim Cook Strait, R. Webster of ■ Auckland,, intends to make an, attempt at an early date in February.

Last year Webster attempted the swini, but after being in the water 21hours he was forced to give up on account of the..cold. .Xu that time he swam about eight miles, but owing to the effect of the tide the actual distance lie coveredin a straight line was fohr or five miles. ,

In preparation for'his'swim Webster has been training in Auckland, and recently he swam across Rangitoto Channel, 44 miles, and from Arkle’s Bay to Milford, 104 miles.

‘‘l realise that in the swim across the Strait my greatest enemy will.be the cold, but I mean to make the attempt, ’ ’ said Webster, He added that he would stay in Wellington and await the opportunity of fine weather and a favourable tide. Whether He would start to swum, front the North Island, as he did last season, or from the South Island, as Miss Copplestone did, depended ok circumstances. In the absence of any reliable information, he, was not sure which course to pursue. “Of one thing, however, I am sure,” said Webster. “I am going to start the swim in daylight, so as to have the benefit of the warm sun.” No doubt Miss Copplestone 1 had. started during the darkness so as to have the advantage of the sun in the latter stages bf her swim, but personally, as he hoped to accomplish the swim in seven or eight hours, he would start in daylight. If he could strike the tide, which it was reported travelled at eight knots, he should be able to swim the distance in that time. He would use a special preparation of grease to keep out the cold. Webster’s trainer, Mr Blomfield,said that despite what had been said, he thought dt possible for the Strait to be swum. The experience of Miss Copplestone .should not be taken as a criterion-—with all respect to that swimmer. Prior to her effort people had thought the Strait swim could be done, but because she had given up after an hour in the water the general opinion now was that the swim was impossible. Webster was a swimmer with a stylo different from Miss Copplestone ’s, and lie was faster. In any case, Webster would have a good try.

It is the intention of Webster on Sunday to swim between Day's Bay and Wellington, seven miles.