Swimming past Supertubes

May 2, 2012

Unexpected water temperatures caught swimmers by surprise in Jeffreys Bay as the first ever BloodScan Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge took place in 14 degree water.

Only 14 swimmers braved the cold water at Main Beach for the 4 K swim along the coast past the world famous surf break Supertubes.

Eventually 13 swimmers finished the swim, with five swimmers having to receive treatment from 24/7 paramedics for hyperthermia after negotiating rocks to get back onto the beach.

“When the water temp registered 14 degrees this morning before the swim, we thought there was something wrong with the thermometer and checked and rechecked the temp to make sure it was really 14 degrees”, said event organiser Brenton Williams.

With the event being swum according to English Channel Swim rules, the swimmers were not allowed to wear wetsuits.

The swimmers who pioneered the Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge

“Suddenly the biggest risk changed from the danger of being caught by sets of waves at Supertubes, to the risk of swimmers getting cold in the water”, added Williams.

“Our water safety and back up support on the beach were excellent and at no stage were any of the swimmers in danger, although a few had to dig really deep to complete the swim”.

A small swell and a light cross wind greeted the swimmers as they entered the water for the unique swim which took them past some of the best surf breaks in South Africa. Supertubes is regarded as the finest right hand point break in the world.

Phil Weddel doing the Jeffreys Bay cha cha cha

Matt Stow, a visiting swimmer from Cape Town said that is was a classic swim and he really enjoyed the format.

“There were no position places, just Tshirts for those who finished, so all of us could really enjoy the swim and going past Supertubes was really special. I will be back next year for sure”.

Ralph West who was one of the swimmers treated for hyperthermia afterwards said, “It was really cold at the start and I battled to breathe at first. Then I settled down but got really cold towards the end. I don’t really remember much about the last 800 m of the swim but I am stoked I managed to finish”.

Ralph West trying to warm up after the swim.

Lewis Khoury, the sponsor of the event said that he was blown away by the commitment of the open water swimmers.

“Watching some of the swimmers being carried up the beach to the ambulance was mind blowing. These guys are hard core and we are proud to be the sponsor of the BloodScan Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge.

Next year the Swim Challenge will be opened to 25 swimmers, with slots being automatically allotted to the 13 swimmers who pioneered the swim this year.

The results of the 2012 BloodScan Jeffreys Bay swim Challenge:

J C Van Wyk 1 Hour 5 minutes

Kyle Harris 1: 12

Matt Stow 1:14

Kevin Grey 1:16

Rebecca Newman 1:24

Richden Jute 1: 24

Phil Weddell 1:30

Ralph West 1: 31

Buzz Friday 1: 31

Rebecca Baard 1:32

Brenton Williams 1:32 (butterfly)

Jan Du Plessis 1:48

Burget V/d Westhuizen 1:51

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Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge set to test open water swimmers

April 26, 2012

There would not be many takers to surf Jeffreys Bay in late April wearing just boardshorts. In fact year round, most surfers would opt to wear wetsuits when surfing Supertubes, regarded as one of the best waves in the world.

Swimmers will be passing the world class Supertubes surf break during the first ever Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge.

This could change as for the first time ever, a group of open water swimmers will take to the water in Jeffreys Bay wearing only a speedo type costume, goggles and a swim cap.

Comfortable in their own skin, the 20 swimmers will start an epic swim from Kitchen Windows and hug the coast down to Supertubes and then onto the Point for a swim of around 4 km on Saturday morning.

According to English Channel rules, swimmers may not wear wetsuits or use any other swimming aids.

The additional challenge facing the extreme swimmers will be negotiating the white water and rocks when finishing the swim at Lower Point, the venue for the Bloodscan Surf Challenge taking place over the weekend.

“We are excited to include the Bloodscan Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge as part of the event and to see how the swimmers deal with the ocean conditions in Jeffreys Bay”, said event sponsor Lewis Khoury.

“Open water swimmers are part of the ocean community and hosting a swim as part of the surf contest is a perfect fit”, added Khoury.

There is an experienced field taking part in the first ever JBay Swim Challenge and all the swimmers have solid open water pedigrees.

Ralph West, JC Van Wyk, Greg Tucker and Brenton Williams are part of the sextet of swimmers who set a new world record of 350 km for a continual open water relay swim in March, have all confirmed their entries. Rebecca Newman, the Eastern Province 25 km champion will also be taking part in the swim.

The youngest entrant is 12 year old Jeffreys Bay swimmer Rebecca Baard who had a good season of ocean swims in Port Elizabeth as well as a few 5 km open water swims under the belt.

Brenton Williams who is one of the few swimmers to have swum the Jeffreys Bay coastline, says that the swim will be demanding because swimmers will have to come in over rocks to finish and will also have to time the sets to avoid getting caught in white water.

“It will be a unique swim as we will be starting at Kitchen Window surf break, then swimming past Magnatubes, Boneyards and Supetubes to finally end at the Point. Swimming past some world class surf breaks will be something special”.

Swimmers will have to take care not to hug the coast too closely and risk being caught by waves at the surf breaks.

“There will be experienced surfers paddling with the swimmers to help negotiate the various surf breaks” said Williams who will be the only swimmer using only the butterfly stroke for the entire swim.

The NSRI will provide water safety for the Jeffreys Bay Swim Challenge

The swim will start at Main Beach at 8 am and spectators will be able to walk along the beach and watch the swimmers for the entire route. An excellent vantage spot will be the Whale Watch lookout at Tubes to watch the final part of the swim.

NSRI will provide water safety and good conditions are expected for the swim. “A light South West wind and a smallish swell is being predicted”, said Reichardt Janse van Rensburg, the base commander of the Jeffreys Bay NSRI and the man in charge of water safety for the event.

Another unique aspect of the swim is that there will be no prizes for the winners. Instead each swimmer who completes the swim will be given a Tshirt and there will be lucky draw prizes as well.

It is fitting that Jeffreys Bay, discovered in the 1960’s and long known as the home of the perfect wave, will now play host to the new breed of extreme ocean users – the open water swimmers!

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Code Red- the full movie

April 26, 2012

On August 27, 2011, the Billabong Pro Tahiti event on surfing’s World Tour was placed on hold due to a massive swell bearing down on the famed big wave spot, Teahupoo.

With forecasts calling for unprecedented surf, some of the greatest surfers in the world descended on the island to be in the water, despite a “Code Red” called by the Tahitian Coast Guard, which sought to keep everyone on shore.

See the historic day through the eyes of two surfers — the young gun Laurie Towner and the veteran Dylan Longbottom — as they catch some of the biggest, most dangerous surf ever recorded, much of it captured with the super slow motion Phantom Camera for never-before-seen imagery.

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South African swimmers qualify for the Olympics

April 24, 2012

The SA National Swimming Championships were successfully concluded on Sunday with 12 athletes making the Olympic  and 16 multi-disability swimmers clocking the Paralympic  Qualifying Times during the week-long competition which took part at the Kings Park Aquatic Centre in Durban.

Chad Le Clos was the star of the SA National Swim Champs

Karin Prinsloo, Wendy Trott, Heerden Herman, Kevin Paul, Charl Bouwer, Craig Groenewald, Challis Wright, Yvonne Smith and Natalie du Toit entrenched their names firmly in the minds of the national selectors as they added their name to the list of Olympic  and Paralympic  level qualifying mark on the last evening of the SA National Aquatic Championships.

Natalie du Toit was in fine form at the SA pool Champs.

Prinsloo sped to a golden finish in the 200m backstroke with a phenomenal 2:10.76 ahead of Jessica Ashley-Cooper in 2:16.53 and Natasha van Niekerk in 2:16.97.

Finishing over ten seconds ahead of the pack, Trott scooped the gold in the 800m freestyle with an Olympic Qualifying Time of 8:30.61. Jessica Pengelly and Michelle Weber came second and third in 8:41.40 and 8:44.10 respectively.

It was a heart-stopping race to the end as Heerden Herman took the lead in the 1500m freestyle, winning in an Olympic Qualifying Time of 15:07.99 ahead of Mark Randall in 15:27.38 and Myles Brown in 15:31.68.

Paralympian Natalie du Toit was once again in top form adding her sixth  Qualifying Time in the 200m individual medley in 2:37.30 while Renette Bloem  made her second time in 3:30.50.

Chad le Clos’s outstanding performances earned him his fourth gold medal of the Championship, three of which were raced with Olympic Qualifying Times, when he touched the wall in 52.45 in the 100m butterfly. Dylan Bosch claimed the silver in 53.89 and Neil Watson the bronze in 54.43.

Suzaan van Biljon qualified for the 200m breastroke.

In the 50m breaststroke, Suzaan van Biljon took home the title, clocking 32.61 with Taryn Mackenzie (32.78) coming in second and Justine Macfarlane (33.29) third while on the men’s side, Warren Karsten was victorious in 29.10 ahead of Rory Buck (29.16) and Jared Pike (29.26).

Besides the senior athletes, a pool of raising talent participated in the competition, proving once again that the future of swimming inSouth Africais indeed bright. 20 year-old Brad Tandy was close on the heels of Roland Schoeman in the 50m butterfly, settling for the silver in 22.35, while Schoeman grabbed the gold in 22.23 and Gideon Louw the bronze in 22.45.

Veteran Roland Schoeman has also qualified for London 2012

Trudy Maree was over the moon with her gold medal in the 50m freestyle, clocking a fast 25.38 ahead of Lehesta Kemp in 26.17 and Karin Prinsloo in 26.26.

Charl Crous collected his third gold medal when he won the 50m backstroke in 25.66. Ricky Ellis came second in 25.98 and Darren Murray third in 26.30.

Australia’s Sophie Edington showed great pace in the 50m backstroke, winning in 28.82 while Jessica Ashley-Cooper won the silver in 29.75 and Any Peens the bronze in 30.35.

During the week long competition, 17 Olympic  and 39 Paralympic  Qualifying Times were claimed by 12 and 16 athletes respectively.

The final Olympic and Paralympic team will be selected by SASCOC.

The following athletes swam Qualifying Times for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games which will take place in London:

  • Chad le Clos – 400m individual medley – 4:13.86
  • Chad le Clos – 200m freestyle (SF) – 1:47.20
  • Chad le Clos – 200m butterfly – 1:56.17
  • Chad le Clos – 200m individual medley – 1:58.34
  • Suzaan van Biljon  – 200m breaststroke – 2:26.74
  • Cameron van der Burgh  – 100m breaststroke – 59.90
  • Riaan Schoeman – 400m  individual medley – 4:15.60
  • Heerden Herman – 400m freestyle – 3:48.57
  • Heerden Herman – 1500m  freestyle – 15:07.99
  • Kathryn Meaklim – 400m  individual medley – 4:37.70
  • Kathryn Meaklim – 200m  individual medley (SF) – 2:13.33
  • Charl Crous – 100m  backstroke – 54.17
  • Gideon Louw – 100m  freestyle (SF) – 48.74
  • Darian Townsend – 200m  individual medley – 1:59.34
  • Wendy Trott – 800m  freestyle – 8:30.61
  • Roland Schoeman – 50m  freestyle (SF) – 22.08
  • Karin Prinsloo – 200m backstroke – 2:10.76

SEMI-FINAL = SF

Total Paralympic A Qualifying Times: 

  • Charl Bouwer (S13) –      100m backstroke – 59.78
  • Charl Bouwer (S13) –      400m freestyle – 4:13.93
  • Charl Bouwer (S13) –      50m freestyle – 24.38
  • Charl Bouwer (S13) –      100m freestyle – 52.89
  • Charl Bouwer (S13) –      100m butterfly – 58.78
  • Charl Bouwer (SM13) –   200m individual medley – 2:14.50
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) –      100m backstroke – 1:18.98
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) –      400m freestyle – 4:58.75
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) –      50m freestyle – 26.86
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) –      100m freestyle – 1:00.12
  • Achmad Hassiem (S10) –   100m butterfly – 58.79
  • Achmad Hassiem (S10) –   400m freestyle – 4:24.28
  • Shireen Sapiro (S10) –      100m backstroke – 1:10.70
  • Shireen Sapiro (S10) –      400m freestyle – 5:00.10
  • Natalie du Toit (S9) –      100m backstroke – 1:14.78
  • Natalie du Toit (SB8) –   100m breaststroke – 1:29.84
  • Natalie du Toit (S9) –      100m freestyle – 1:05.75
  • Natalie du Toit (S9) –      100m butterfly – 1:12.34
  • Natalie du Toit (S9) –      400m freestyle – 4:35.54
  • Natalie du Toit (SM9) –  200m individual medley – 2:37.30
  • Emily Gray (S10) –            100m backstroke – 1:16.88
  • Emily Gray (S10) –          400m freestyle – 5:01.77
  • Sharah-Joan Shannon (S3) – 100m freestyle – 2:58.02
  • Tadhg Slattery (SB5) -     100m breaststroke -1:40.70
  • Hendrik van der Merwe  (SB5) – 100m breaststroke -1:43.84
  • Challis Wright (SB14)  –  100m breaststroke – 1:16.02
  • Challis Wright (S14) –     200m freestyle – 2:09.20
  • Craig Groenewald   (SB14) – 100m breaststroke – 1:14.80
  • Craig Groenewald (S14)      – 200m freestyle – 2:05.78
  • Yvonne Smith (SB14) –      100m breaststroke – 1:32.43
  • Yvonne Smith (S14) –       200m freestyle – 2:24.24
  • Renette Bloem (SB11) –     100m breaststroke – 1:39.06
  • Renette Bloem (SM11) –      200m individual medley – 3:30.50
  • Marike Naude (SB13) –      100m breaststroke – 1:41.27
  • Kevin Paul (SB9) –              100m breaststroke – 1:05.94 (World Record)
  • Kevin Paul (S10) –               50m      freestyle – 25.68
  • Kevin Paul (S10) –              100m freestyle – 55.58
  • Kevin Paul (SM10) –          200m individual medley – 2:17.96
  • Adri Visser (S5) –                50m      butterfly – 57.59

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Natalie Du Toit & Troy Prinsloo win at SA 10 K Swim Champs

April 19, 2012

South Africa’s top open water swimmers congregated at Albert Falls in KwaZulu natal for the 2012 South African Open Water Swim Champs.

Natalie du Toit won the 10 K swim at the SA Champs but was disqualified in the 5 K swim.

Natalie Du Toit successfully defended her 10 K title in a time of 2 hours 9 minutes. Steers Marina Mile Champ, Jessica Roux came second in 2 hours 10 minutes, proving that she is a prospect for the 2016 Olympics.

The men’s 10 K swim was yet again a neck to neck affair with Troy Prinsloo and the 2010 World 10 K champion Chad Ho matching each other stroke for stroke all the way.

Troy Prinsloo fresh off his win at the bell Buoy Challenge, won the 10 K at the SA Open Water Champs.

In the end, Prinsloo edged ahead and pulled off a victory by one second, to win the title he shared with Ho last year in Jeffreys Bay.

Steers Marina Mile winner Tyron Venter came 4th.

Controversy marred the 5 k events when South Africa’s most experienced open water swimmer Natalie du Toit was disqualified for unsporting conduct.

However video footage clearly shows that nothing of the sort occurred and that du Toit used her experience and held her line to win the race. It was in face the other swimmer, Michelle Weber who swam into du Toit as she tried to get a better line to the finish.

It is unclear what experience the referee, Peter Pienaar has at officiating events of this nature and whether he is a qualified referee or not.

Contact certainly occurred between the two swimmers in question, but this occurs at events all over the world and referees do not even yellow card the swimmers involved.

Chad Ho won the 5 K mens race after comfortable defeating up and coming open water swimmer Danie Marais.

Troy Prinsloo, Chad Ho and Natalie du Toit will all shift their focus to Portugal where the last Olympic 10 K qualifier will take place in June. This race will be the last roll of the dice for the South African champions to make the starting line up in the 10 K marathon swim at the London Olympic Games.

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Local swimmer fly’s to the Bell Buoy

April 12, 2012

The 2012 Bell Buoy Challenge was held in Port Elizabeth over the Easter Weekend and just over 50 swimmers managed to complete the extreme 8 Km open ocean swim.

Brenton Williams about to round the Bell Buoy during his butterfly swim in the 2012 Bell Buoy Challenge

Conditions were good this year, with a light wind and 18 degree water ensuring swimmers did not have to deal with big chop or hypothermic water temperatures.

However, there was plenty of jelly fish in the water and at times the swimmers had to face swimming through clumps of jelly fish and were stung quite badly.

Rebecca Newman, the Eastern Province 25 Km champion had to withdraw from the race near the Bell Buoy due to severe stings on her arms and torso.

Buzz Friday looking for land whilst swimming 2.4 km out to sea during the Bell Buoy Challenge

Troy Prinsloo, became the first South African to ever win the Bell Buoy and did so in a blistering pace that saw him become the 2012 Bell Buoy champion in a record time of 1 hour 31 minutes.

“This was my first open ocean swim so I did not really know what to expect”, said Prinsloo after his epic win. “I put my head down and swam hard and am stoked with the result”. Prinsloo, who is the current South African 10 Km champion, is aiming for a start in the marathon swim at the 2012 Olympic Games in London later this year.

His last opportunity for qualifying is in June. “I am hoping to come and do some cold water training in Marina Martinique later this month in preparation for the Olympic qualifier”, said Prinsloo, who won both the 5 Km and the 10 Km at the SA Champs in Jeffreys Bay last year.

Phil Weddal was the third of the J'Bay trio to swim the Bell Buoy Challenge.

Local swimmer Brenton Williams also set a record at the Bell Buoy Challenge this year when he became the first man ever to swim the race using only the butterfly stroke. He is the only South African doing long distance butterfly swimming at present and does his swims in the traditional manner, using only goggles and wearing a speedo costume.

“Conditions were perfect for a butterfly attempt and even though I was still a bit stiff from the 350 km relay swim we did two weeks ago, you have to take your opportunities when they come your way”, said Williams, a DA Councillor in the Kouga Municipality, after his historic swim.

“There was very little surface chop and the currents were not as bad as the jelly fish so it was a great day for a fly swim. The jelly fish did string me which made sure the Bell Buoy remained a challenge despite the perfect conditions”.

Williams is now into a waiting period for a Robben Island crossing as well as looking at some options for a local sea swim.

“No big ocean swims have been done around Jeffreys Bay yet and I believe that our waters are perfect for ocean swimming. With proper timing, the right wind and tides should ensure good swimming conditions and water temperatures between 15 – 19 degrees. I am working closely with some of my fishing friends who know the area well and we are planning some routes for a swim in May”, said Williams.

Phil Weddel and Buzz Friday were the other two Jeffreys Bay swimmers to complete the gruelling swim which saw the swimmers hug the coast line for the first 1.6 km before striking directly out to sea for 2.4 Km and then swimming around the Bell Buoy and returning to shore.

Both swimmers only started training this season, making their achievements even more notable.

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Bell Buoy swim in Port Elizabeth tomorrow

April 6, 2012

Just over 50 extreme swimmers will leave the shores of Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth tomorrow morning in their quest to swim around the Bell Buoy which is situated 2.5 Km off shore!

For whom the Bell tolls. This is the Buoy that the hard core swimmers will be looking for 2.5 km out to sea in Port Elizabeth tomorrow.

Some of South Africa’s most hardened open water swimmers will hug the coast for the first 1.5 Km before striking directly out to sea to swim around the Bell Buoy. The total distance of the swim is 8 Km, if the swimmers manage to hold a straight line.

Olympian Troyden Prinsloo, the South African 10 K champion, will be swimming his first Bell Buoy and will be hoping to make his mark in the world of South African extreme swimmers.

“The Bell Buoy is my first real open ocean swim so I don’t know what to expect”, said Prinsloo. “The advice I have been given is to put my head down and swim hard and not worry about the wildlife in the Bay, so I will be doing exactly that and hoping for a good swim”.

Prinsloo will be amongst the swimmers who will only be wearing a speedo costume, goggles and a swim cap in the race tomorrow. Wetsuits will be allowed but will not be eligible for the main prizes.

South African 10 K champion Troy Prinsloo will be aiming at adding the Bell Buoy title to his name. Photo: RRAD

2012 sees the Bell Bouy being swam for the 3rd time with competitors having to deal with a strong SW wind and big swell in 2010. Last year saw a strong NE wind blowing which created a big side chop and strong currents to challenge the swimmers.

Conditions are looking good for one of South Africa’s most extreme swims with a variable wind being predicted at this stage. The wind is expected to blow harder later in the morning.

Brenton Williams will be aiming at becoming the first man ever to complete a Bell Buoy swim by just using the butterfly stroke.

A contingent of Jeffreys Bay swimmers will be taking part, spearheaded by veteran swimmer Brenton Williams, who will be taking part in his third Bell Buoy crossing. “The Bell Buoy is my favourite swim in the Eastern Cape and I will be looking at swimming it butterfly this year”, said Williams, who was recently part of a team of swimmers who set a new world record for an open water relay swim.

He will be joined by JC Van Wyk, Buzz Friday and Phil Weddel who will all be attempting their first ever Bell Buoy crossing.

USA marathon swimmers Jason Malick will be joined by Denise Everitt of New York and Jen Schumacker of Los Angeles as they attempt their first Bell Buoy Challenge, to round off an international field of swimmers.

The race starts at 8 am at Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth.

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New World Swim Record set at Marina Martinique

March 29, 2012

Swimming day and night, 6 Eastern Cape swimmers managed to set a new world record for a continual open water relay swim in the Marina Martinique canals.

350 K later, the celebrations begin.

Brenton Williams and JC Van Wyk from Jeffreys Bay were joined by Port Elizabeth swimmers Russsel Tucker, Greg Tucker, Sanmari Woithe and Ralph West for the record breaking swim.

They started swimming at 8 am last Wednesday morning and only finished around 3 pm on Sunday afternoon.

Russel Tucker going strong during the world record setting swim.

Tongues that became swollen and sore, stiff muscles and a lack of sleep did not deter the extreme swimmers from setting a new world record of 350 K. The previous record was 325 K.

Each swimmer did a total distance of 58.33 km and they swam loops of 3,05 km around Marina Martinique.

Brenton Williams during one of the night swims.

“It was tough and the broken sleep patterns really tired us”, said Brenton Williams, the DA Councillor who was part of the team. “We also experienced all kinds of weather conditions from howling wind, to lightening and thunder as well as perfect conditions during some night swims.”

At one stage on Saturday morning, the swim was nearly halted due to lightning strikes over the Marina. However, the swimmers decided to risk the danger and to continue swimming as their world record attempt would have been finished if a swimmer left the water.

JC Van Wyk, one of the Jeffreys Bay swimmers in the team.

Wearing only Speedo costumes, goggles and a swim cap, the hard core athletes were exposed to the conditions at all times but persevered and have put Jeffreys Bay on the map as the venue for a world record swim.

For more details on this epic swim visit their face book page at MarinaMartiniuqe300

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World record swim attempt in Marina Martinique

March 21, 2012

Six Eastern Cape swimmers, including two from Jeffreys Bay will be attempting to set a world record in the canals of Marina Martinique over a 5 day period.

The six swimmers who are starting a 300 km plus swim at Marina Martinique today.

JC Van Wyk and DA Councillor Brenton Williams will be joining Russel Tucker, Greg Tucker, San Marie Woithe and Ralph West in a 336 km relay swim over 5 days, starting at 8 am on Wednesday 21 March. They will finish swimming sometime on Sunday 25 March.

“The Marina is the perfect venue for a continual relay swim and we are confident that we will set a new world record”, said Ralph West, who is the organiser of the swim.

Marina Martinique is the venue for a world record swim attempt

Each swimmer will swim a loop of 3, 1 km around the Marina, before handing over to the next swimmer. The swim will take place day and night and the swimmers will only be allowed to wear a speedo, goggles and cap as per the English Channel swim rules.

This will mean that the extreme athletes will swim for about an hour and then rest for 5 hours over the 5 day period.

The team is being managed by Emil Hougaard and the doctor on standby is Petro Maritz. A number of support crew will assist the swimmers with friends being prepared to paddle at night alongside them as well as help with record keeping and meals.

J'Bay swimmer Brenton Williams will switch to the freestyle stroke for the 336 km relay swim. Williams has been swimming long distance butterfly this season.

Each of the six swimmers has completed extreme events at some point in their lives with Ralph West and Brenton Williams having both completed swims of 25 km. Russel Tucker even walked home from Cairo to South Africa after becoming tired of Europe and missing Africa so much, decided to walk back to Port Elizabeth!

“The training has gone well and we are prepared physically for the swim”, said local swimmer Brenton Williams. “We are going to be tested in terms of how we will handle sleep deprivation and the effects that will have on us mentally. At some point we will have to dig deep and keep focused but if it was easy, then other people would have already done it!”

A facebook page called Marina Martinique 300 has been created for people to follow the progress of the swim.

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Great weekend for J’Bay swimmers

March 6, 2012

Marina Martinique hosted the fourth event of the Eastern Province Open Water Swim Challenge on Sunday in blustery conditions.

The surface chop made for some tough swimming, especially in the longer distance events.

Rebecca Baard (11yrs) on her way to 3rd place in the 5 K swim.

Caro de Jager once again won the 1 K swim with Anne de Swart winning her age group. Gitta Seyfert and Erin de Swart both came third in their respective age groups.

De Jager backed up her win in the 1 K with a second place in the 3 K, rounding off a good weekend’s swimming. Phil Weddel came third in the Master’s race.

Danie Rautenbach displayed a lot of courage in completing the 3 K swim, after undergoing medical treatment during the week preceding the swim.

The star of the Swim Challenge Series was undoubtedly Rebecca Baard (11 yrs) who swam her first 5 K swim and came out the water in third position in the open category.

“It was the most tiring swim I have ever done and all I wanted to do is finish. Coming third was such a bonus and my coach gave me an easy session on Monday to recover”, said an elated Becky about her swim.

Brenton Williams during the 7.5 K swim using the butterfly stroke. Photo: Carl Newman

JC Van Wyk claimed second position in the Masters 5 K event, narrowly missing a South African qualifying time.

John Abbot, who used the 5 k as a Bell Buoy qualifier, came third in the 5 K masters swim.

The Original Jeffreys Bay Ugg Boot - by Instep Leather

A new event was introduced at the weekend’s swim – a 7.5 K, which is the new distance being introduced by FINA this year.

Jeffreys Bay butterfly swimmer Brenton Williams tacked the distance and completed his swim in 2 hours 35 minutes to claim second place in the event. He was followed by Buzz Friday who is also in training for the Bell Buoy Challenge.

The next open water event is on 1 April at Marina Martinique. Online entries can be done at www.ecswim.co.za

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