If you’d managed to pick the afternoon weather after the biblical deluge we slogged through in the morning, MetService wouldn’t just hire you—they’d hand over the keys and ask you to run the joint.
I think lasts nights swim was a collective ‘WTF just happened?’ moment for most as more of you exited the water grimacing and looking exhausted than smiling!
As the memories of no alarms, undisturbed sleep-ins and endless free time fade into history it is time to work off those extra pieces of pavlova and medicinal xmas morning samosas with a short sharp shock to the system being a friendly evening swim in the clear blue waters of the Nelson Harbour (creative license taken).
Tata Beach turned on a classic Golden Bay morning for our annual swim, with 131 swimmers taking to the smooth, calm water.
The first swim of 2026 brought 87 swimmers to the yacht club for a refreshing start to the year.
If I hear one more time, ‘don’t worry the wind will drop away before start time’, Brendon will become the anchor for one of the buoys! Luckily, the wind did drop away before start time so please be careful pulling in the buoys. I may have slightly overreacted.
You would be forgiven if you thought that the sea conditions were a marked improvement on last time. For once, MetService appeared to get it right and the wind did drop away to wheezy whisper before start time, and the sea surface looked like one of Rylock’s classic glass finishes.
If you didn’t end up with PTSD after the last race, then congratulations – you probably developed it from this aquatic circus instead! A mix of wind-versus-tide created the kind of chaotic soup that our very own adrenaline-addict-in-chief, James Blacklaws, would call ‘Character Building!’ For everyone else, it can only be described as a group therapy session led by the village idiot!
Another glorious evening in our little part of paradise with 116 swimmers choosing to give up their precious evening hours to showcase their athletic prowess, and/or secure another week of bragging rights in the workplace.
Opening Splash kicks off the Rylock Endurance Series with 66 swimmers under perfect conditions.
Season opener under sunny-grey skies with 102 swimmers and strong starts across all divisions.
The Blue September Swim kicked off our season with 32 swimmers braving 13°C water at the Nelson Yacht Club. Together we raised around $600 for prostate cancer on a stunning calm day. Congratulations to winner Eddie Swain (6:44.5) and all participants. Click for full results and upcoming events.