Bitterly cold conditions faced the 35 swimmers in the Blue October charity fundraiser for Prostate Cancer sufferers. Fresh snow on the hills was a chilly prospect visually, but the blustery winds that brought those icy temperature down to the Nelson Yacht Club boat ramp were nearly the undoing of otherwise brave souls.
Adding to the challenge was the strong current bringing in a 4.5m tide – about as big as it gets in local waters.
Traditionally, this swim is set at 600m, a reference to the 600 men who die each year from prostate cancer.
The first leg was a hop against the current to a yacht moored to the south, the second leg a skip to another yacht nearby, with the finale a tide assisted jump back to the shore.
Local knowledge played a big part, with many taking a line along the shore where the current was less apparent, while others plunged straight out into the torrent. Many made hard work of the latter choice with several swimmers making little or no progress.
Mark Oliver led the charge along the shoreline and opened a big lead over Terry Bone, who chose the direct route. Terry used his strength to edge ahead when Mark had to leave the relative safety close to shore, but for most of the field the shoreline option gave the best results.
Once swimmers turned for home, the current played more tricks. Setting a course straight to the finish meant risking a short sharp swim past the wharf. Tactics called for striking out direct for shore, using the current to carry swimmers to the finish.
Terry managed pretty well, but Mark was way out at sea until he took drastic action. These two finished first and second, with Christina Harris not far behind.
Dave Loose, Fran Harris and Steve Malthus were next ashore, followed by teenagers Nia Linyard and Sophie Pahl.
Competition starts in the weekly Rylock Sea Swim Series on November