Report by Roger Dietrich
Nine Vikings and some suffering swimmers’ spouses travelled to Tathra for the Tathra Wharf to Waves event on 27 January 2013. A very friendly and social long weekend was enjoyed by all and even though it rained a bit it did not spoil the fun, friendship and fitness component of the Masters Swimming motto.
The swimming kicked off on Sunday morning under overcast skies and the ocean looking a bit angry with choppy conditions and a reasonably large swell.
The organisers contemplated moving the event to the mouth of the river the previous evening and were to make any such announcement at registration on the day. However, no such movement was necessary and we braved the conditions to swim very well.
Club Captain, Caroline Makin said that although the water temperature was relatively warm this year, the conditions were the worst she has swum in at Tathra, since competing in the event for the fourth time time since her very first ever open water swim in 2010.
Brenda Day was to swim very well and win her 60-69 (female) age group in the 600m event with a brisk time of 13:42.5. When asked if she would be swimming the 1200m as well, Brenda said “No, I am not that crazy”.
Coming second in the 50-59 (female) age group was Anne Smyth, who set a fast time of 10:37.9 in the 600m event and also a great pace in the 1200m coming ninth in this race overall out of 52 female swimmers, in a time of 21:21.5.
Caroline Makin came third in her 40-49 (female) age group ploughing through the waves in the 600m event to record a time of 10:42.5. In the 1200m event she was only a couple of seconds and the place behind Anne with a time of 21:23.7 to claim 10th place overall female.
Atsuko McGowan punched through the chop extremely well to come third in her 30-39 (female) age group in a time of 10:46.5 in the 600m event. She came 21st in the 1200m in a time of 23:40.9.
Our Vikings got placings in each of the female 600m age group categories where we had swimmers entered … well done ladies!
Only a place and a couple of seconds behind Caroline in the 600m group was Nicolee Martin who completed the course in 10:45.3 coming 4th in her 40-49 (female) age group, and she came 14th in the 1200m in a time of 21:41.3.
Kristen Leydon did not only swim. She lived up to her ‘Iron Person’ reputation and competed in the Bega to Tathra Mountain Bike ride the day before and then swam in both the 600m and the 1200m. Kristen came 10th in her 40-49 (female) age group in the 600m with a time of 14:29.6 and then swam a 28:48.6 in the 1200m. Kristen earned the quote of the weekend when she said that she was just staying with Roger in the 600m event and then just powered into shore to beat him at the end. Roger was standing on the wharf as he was in the next race!
Our president, Annette Britten swam in the 600m and did an energetic time of 14:55.6. Annette is a local to the Bega Valley and had a great weekend catching up with family in Bega and many friends on the beach on the day.
Thomas Boyce finished 5th in the 50-59 (male) age group in the 600m in a time of 10:32.8 and finished 18th overall male in the 1200m in a time of 20:46.3.
Finally, Roger Dietrich in his first ocean swim ever did both the 600m and the 1200m events. He did not know what to expect and put in a gutsy effort with sea sickness in the testing conditions. In the 600m event he swam a 16:19.0 to come 22nd in his age group 50-59 (male) age group. In the 1200m event he kept being washed towards the beach after rounding the third buoy like a bottle with a message in it and was continually being directed by the life guards. None the less, he completed the course legally in 30:10.7.
One non-Viking, Stephen Reynolds (Nicolee’s husband) also swam in the 600m finishing 7th in his 60-69 (male) age group in a time of 16:06.6.
All in all, the Tathra Wharf to Waves was as always a great event to be involved in and we all can’t wait until next year, when we can do it all again!
Tathra Wharf to Waves 2013 full results are online at
www.tathrawharf2waves.com.
Event photos are also available at www.facebook.com/
