BOY’S GREAT WIN

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1935, Page 2

BOY’S GREAT WIN

FLANNAGAN CUP SWIM GAYTON’S DOUBLE HONOUR FIRST PLACE; BEST TIME NEW RECORD FOR EVENT With one of the finest swims in the history of the race D. Gayton, an intermediate member of the New Plymouth Swimming Club, secured the double honour of first place and fastest time in the annual open-water distance race for the Flannagan Cup at New Plymouth on Saturday. Although only a boy, Gayton had shown himself to be a good distance swimmer in the Waitara bridge to beach race, and he was on the lmin. mark on Saturday. His time was the fastest yet recorded. The race developed into a struggle between Gayton and J. Ryan, the plucky Stratford swimmer, on the 6min. mark. Gayton caught Ryan at the turning point off East End beach, gained a short lead on the swim in and won by nearly two minutes from Ryan, who had difficulty in the shallow water and on the run up the beach. Conditions for the race were ideal. The water was warm and the sea was perfectly calm, giving launchmen and swimmers a perfect view of the whole course, and all the competitors for the first time since 1928. Seventeen competitors took the plunge at the starting point off Kawaroa Park and 13 finished the course. The other four finished the course in the launches, not being distressed, but merely having dropped too far behind. One again there was a girl competitor, Miss W. Richardson, joint senior champion of the New Plymouth club, being placed on the limit of 10 minutes. She swam well to finish fifth to a race of a trying nature for a girl. Of the back markers D. Burton, Opunake, did best, although Gayton shaded him for fastest time by a margin of two minutes. He left H. St. George behind to swim into third place, while C. Maclean, last year’s winner, and B. Milne, off scratch, swam into sixth and seventh places respectively. MISS RICHARDSON STRONG. Miss Richardson swam strongly when the race commenced at 2.8 p.m. and, setting a good course, had a 200-yard lead when Ryan and Smith took the water. By the time the five-minute men had started Ryan had left Smith behind, and Smith threw in his lot with the bunch behind, in which Eddleston was leading. The three-minute men all stayed together and so did Gayton and Robson. Burton took a little time to settle down but before long Was ahead of St. George, who followed his habit and cwam well out on his own. When Miss Richardson was off the railway station Ryan was over 100 yards behind, but he was catching up as Miss Richardson was resting occasionally. Eddleston at this stage was third, 50 yards behind, and Chadwick had retired. The rest of the field was more or less bunched, with Maclean and Milne swimming at a good pace side by side fairly well out. Smith and Hellyar were tailing the field, Hellyar being picked up shortly afterwards. Miss Richardson was still leading off the end of WoOlcOmbe Terrace, but now Ryan was only 30 yards behind, with Eddleston third still about 100 yards away. Gayton had come into fourth position and Burton was moving up through the widespread field. Ryan gradually overhauled Miss Richardson and took the lead at the end Of Eliot Street 40 minutes after the start. Gayton was a definite contender at this stage, arid when Ryan had established a 30-yard lead the younger boy had drawn level with the girl. Then came Eddleston, Pettigrew and Burton, not very far apart but well behind the leaders, St. George, by now too far out, and then Maclean, Milne, Robson and Spiers. Simpson and Smith followed. A hundred yards from the turning launch Gayton had set out after Ryan and was a mere 20 yards behind, both swimming well and with the pace on. There was a considerable gap to Miss Richardson, who was keeping with Burton and Pettigrew. At this stage the competitors who had kept slightly inshore of the line from starting post to launch reaped the benefit Of their course as there was a definite backwash making itself felt. RYAN FIRST ROUND BUOY. The buoy about 200 yards from the finishing tape w r as first rounded by Ryan, followed by Gayton at a distance of five yards. Then considerably further back came Burton, Pettigrew arid Miss Richardson at intervals of about 10 yards each. Now began the gruelling race against the set. Excitement began to grow. The beach was cleared except for Officials; Eyes were strained towards the bobbing heads of the swimmers and the crowd listened eagerly to the broadcast of the announcer’s speculations. Gayton caught Ryan and by sheer determination gradually forged ahead. Both kept their course towards the finishing flags but drifted slightly towards the cliffs. Burton and Pettigrew allowed for the small side thrust of the set, keeping well on the western side of the course; but both drifted a little as they approached the finish. Gayton increased his lead on Ryan and both drifted to a line about 25 yards from the course. With a staggering run up the beach Gayton breasted the tape to make fastest time and win the cup. by a margin of a little over two minutes from Ryan, who, handicapped by his physical disability, made only slow progress along the sand. Meanwhile Burton and Pettigrew had drawn near, Burton finishing squarely ! on the tape, Im 59s ahead of Pettigrew. Miss Richardson, almost exhausted after battling in against an in-shore northerly drift, completed the face s66n after to take fifth place. Maclean, scratch man and last year’s winner, was the next to finish, and judging by the manner in which he jumped the tape he had plenty of spare energy. Milne, his co-marker finished strongly to secure seventh place. The next two competitors, Jennings and Robson, promised to provide an interesting finish. Both were abreast when they reached about four feet of water but Jennings was considerably off his course and consequently had a longer distance to run. Robson had the lead a few feet from the finish but he slipped and fell, his outstretched arm missing the tape by inches. Thus Jennings took eighth place and Robson the next. L. Eddleston was unfortunate not to gain a place higher than 10th, but near the home stretch he suffered an attack of cramp in his legs, thereby losing valuable minutes. Detailed results are:—

D. Gay tori (N.P.), hep. Iftl, tinie 48m Ils 1 J. Ryan (Strat.), hep. 6m, time 55m 21s 2 D. Burton (Opke.) hep. 3s, time 50m 80s 3 H. Pettigrew (Strat.), hep. 3m, time 54m 50s 4 Miss W. Richardson (N.P.), hep. 10m, time 62m 34s 5 C. Maclean (Fitz.) scr, time, 52m 495.. 6 B. Milne (N.P.), scr, time 53m 56s .. 7 F. Jennings (Chch.), hep. sm, time 59m 27s 8

A. Robson (Strat.), hep. Im, time 54m 27s 9 L. Eddleston (East End), hep. sm, time 60m 7s 10 H. St. George (Wait.), hep. 30s, time 58m 27s U Others to finish were Spiers and Simpson. The fastest times were:— D. Gay ton, 48m Ils 1 D. Burton, 50m 30s 2 C. Maclean, 52m 49s 3 B. Milne, 53m 56s 4 A. Robson, 54m 27s 5 H. Pettigrew, 54m 50s ... t ............. 6 The trophies were presented by Mr. F. J. Eggleton, president of the Taranaki Amateur Swimming Association, on the balcony of the East End pavilion. Mr. Eggleton said he was very pleased with the successful conclusion of the race. Although the race had been postponed twice before it had only been for the safety of the swimmers. The day, however, brought with it the ideal conditions of calmness and warmth. He congratulated those who had organised the successful carnival day and those who had officiated and helped in the race itself. Thanks were due to the sports committee, broadcasting service and the Sacred Heart girls’ life-saving team for their services. It spoke very well for the competitors that such a large percentage of the big entry had finished. Mr. Eggleton congratulated Gayton on his fine effort and presented him with the Flannagan Cup and a replica, which became the winner’s prope- 1 ". In reply Gayton said he was pleased to have carried on his sister’s work. Gayton was also presented with the cup donated for fastest time. Ryan on receiving the cup for second place thanked, everybody and said that he was “tired, pleased and happy.” Miss Richardson, the first woman to finish, was presented with the Jago Cup. EAST END CARNIVAL DAY .SUCCESSFUL IN EVERY DETAIL. BRIGHT PROGRAMME PROVIDED. The carnival day held in conjunction With the Flannagan Cup race at the East End reserve at New Plymouth on Saturday afternoon proved a success in every detail. Several hundred enjoyed a programme of boxing, wrestling, children’s sports and a display of life-saving, while an excellent service of news received by short-wave from one of the launches, interspersed by music, was broadcast by four loud-speakers. In the cup race those at East End. were kept in close touch With the starting and the relative positions of the swimmers. A team Of Sacred Heart Convent schoolgirls gave a brisk display of land drill, followed by a life-saving and resuscitation demonstration which held the full attention of the spectators and received their appreciative applause. The finish of the swimming race held everyone’s attention for some time, and while those who finished the. face changed into their clothes before the presentation of trophies there was an exciting hour Of blind-fold boxing and really good wrestling. One exhibition bout in particular between Cullen and C. Williams was outstanding, both competitors throwing the other out of the ring arid indulging freely in other “professional” sidelines. The vanners of the first three bouts were presented with cups donated by Avery’s Warehouse, Ltd., as follows: Fenton 7.6 beat Baker 6.7. Jenkins 9.4 beat Kriuckic 9.6. Fake 9.12 beat Fiddis 16.6. C. Williams 10.7 drew with Culled 16.7. The referee was Mr. Brenmuhl. At the completion of the official presentation to Flannagan Cup entrants, sweet scrambles and a treacle bun race were held, the latter provoking laughter from the most solemn. Most Of the entrants stripped to the waist and with comic manoeuvres cornered their welltreacled buns and began more like animals than small boys to devour them. Hair, faces and bodies all came into contact with the treacle and the entrants’ appearance at the conclusion could hardly be imagined. One bad boy gave the cord, on which the buns were tied, a sharp shake, with the result that half the boys finished eating their bunS on the ground. Races of all kinds were held for the children arid picnic parties enjoyed the ideal conditions.