HARBOUR SWIMMING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22831, 16 March 1936, Page 4

HARBOUR SWIMMING

DUNEDIN CLUB’S RACE WIN FOR MISS P. DUNCAN Despite a strong south-westerly wind and rough, choppy water, six competitors faced the starter in the Dunedin Swimming Club’s annual harbour race, which was held yesterday at Macandrew Bay. Miss P. Duncan, who has swum consistently this season in open water events, scored a comfortable win, fastest time being registered by J. 0. Byrnes, the winner of this year’s Batt Cup race. On account of the adverse conditions it was decided to swim the event over a three-quarter-mile course instead of the usual mile' and a-half, and the competitors, therefore, started from a point a quarter of a mile from the mile pole off Chailis’s, and swam to the NorthEast Harbour Boating Club’s slip. The starters were: J. 0. Byrnes (scr), B. Kerr (imin), C. Elliott (2Jmin),j! J. Clulee A. Campbell (4smin), Miss P. Duncan (smin).

With the strong wind and ebb tide ir their favour the competitors who could stand the cold water made good progress over the journey, and Miss Duncan, taking every advantage of her handicap, swam a fine race to win by 200 yards from Byrnes, who, from the back mark, set a strong pace from the start and turned in the fast time of 20min 55sec. Kerr, the only other competitor to finish, was about 300 yards back in .third place, but his effort was particularly ’ creditable, as in the latter stages of the race he took an outside course and covered a longer distance than was actually necessary. The following were the results:— Miss P. Duncan (smin), 22min 50sec 1 J. O. Byrnes (scr), 20min 55sec .. 2 B. Kerr (imin), 26min 23sec) .. 3