Glover first home in sea swim

George Glover led all the way to take top honours in the annual Hipkins Cup Sea Swim on Sunday.

Hosted by the Rarangi Surf Life Saving Club, in near perfect conditions, the event saw swimmers hit the water on Rarangi beach and swim approximately 2.5km to Whites Bay.

With warm water, under sunny skies and in reasonably calm waters, 19 swimmers donned togs and goggles. The field comprised a wide age range, spanning more than 55 years from youngest to oldest, and included seasoned ocean swimmers as well as first-timers.

A front group of four separated themselves from the field early in the race and were not going to be caught. Glover, who had previously demonstrated his long-distance swimming prowess on the Queen Charlotte Sound “Black Dog Swim” in January 2020, showed the way to finish strongly in a time of 31:52.

Hot on his tail, just 30 seconds behind the winner, was 2021 champion Mark Grammer, while nipping at his toes in third was youngster Lachlan McNabb who narrowly beat fellow 15-year-old Finn McKenzie by seven seconds. The top four swimmers were separated by only 50 seconds.

In sixth place was the first female home, Tara Smith one of only a few to do without a wetsuit. Seven seconds adrift in seventh place was the youngest swimmer, Sophie Kole, one of four 14-year-olds in the field.

Phillip Jeffs returned after a couple of years of absence to regain the oldest competitor crown, finishing in a respectable time of 44:20.