Tide challenges swimmers

A strong incoming tide provided a challenge over the first few hundred metres of last Thursday’s race 13 of the Rylock Swim Series in Nelson.

Hayden Squance leapt out to an early lead, heading south to round the first marker at about 300m and striking out into the sun towards the Haulashore Island jetty, 400m away.

If it was hard to get moving over the first leg, it was hard to see where you were swimming to in the second leg, with the setting sun almost in a direct line with the turn buoy.

Terry Bone, Gus Marfell, Hamish Neill and Lilly Claridge were in hot pursuit, but the chasers were being strung out as Hayden turned for the final leg of 600m back to the Nelson Yacht Club ramp.

That section was less complicated, but carried the risk that as the swimmers entered the full flow of the current over the last 100m they’d be swept north past the final buoy, about 20m offshore.

The order stayed the same as they finished, with Hayden, Terry and Gus cementing their positions in the season table. Barring incident, that’s the way they’ll stay with five races to go.

Fifth-placed Lilly Claridge is now unbeatable in the women’s section. She was followed to the finish by Jasper Sneddon, in one of his best races of the season, Finn Bryant and the indomitable Haydn Lockie.

Keshia Linyard is also secure in second place for the season. She finished in ninth ahead of M70-79 champion Ben Van Dyke.

Nia Linyard was the third woman to finish, ahead of Christina Harris. These two are only separated by a point in season rankings, so the next few races are critical in deciding who will be the third-placed woman for the season.

In the age groups, there are still a few battles going on, with Max Stanton and Jasper Sneddon hard to separate in U-16 men..

F20-29 is the most wide open age group. Katie Malthus leads, but with five races to go either Harriette Dunphy or Remy Aubrey could snatch the lead. Kate Alexander is in with an outside chance, as she’s been unbeaten in all four swims she’s completed this season, but she will most likely run out of time in the best-of-12 series.

While the long course was taking on 1300m, the short race of 600m faced the same challenge in the first leg, before peeling off on a smaller triangular course.

Liliana Perrett and Rob Sheridan dominated as they often do, the pair separated by three seconds at the finish, ahead of Billie Maskel, Annabel Reburn, Matanga Marsden and Catherine Taylor.

Swimming continues for five more weeks from the Nelson Yacht Club.

Full results and details, nelsonseaswims.co.nz.