Ocean Swim a massive Success

76 competitors, 2 to 3 foot choppy swell and some glorious sunshine brought the best out of the swimmers in the 3rd Legacy events sponsored by Aquarius swim school 'Ocean swim Classic' and Junior Run Swim Run at Woolacombe beach.

The Junior event saw Woolacombe's Nick Moore win the event in a very close finish with Sam Wordley Saunton Sands with Tom Clarke Woolacombe 3rd. In the Girls race however, it was Bideford Bay's Summer Whitely who was the strongest in the 1 K run , 400m Swim with the 500m run to finish clear of debutant Katie Holland 2nd, with Newquay youngster Maia Garner finishing 3rd..
A special mention should also go to the youngest competitors in the firld. Bob Whittaker,Louis Garner and Callum Redrup at just 9 and 8 respectively as they finished half way down the field beating many athletes much older than themselves.

Then to the main event. With 2-3 foot swell and a southerly tail wind conditions were challenging but not so as last year!!
right from the off it was clear that a blistering pace was being set by Woolacombes Nick Thorn. The lead ski paddled by Richard Lark was moving quicker than most of the people walking back from the start at Putsborough's Black rock!!
It was Thorn who dominated in a new record time of 28 mins and 18 seconds eclipsing the old record by 23 seconds. Behind him there was a real battle going on for second and third place. Woolacombe duo Freddie Hedger and Robbie sandbach stood up off the same wave together and sprinted like a couple of 100m runners at the olympics to the line. The long legs of Sandbach prevailed but once he got his breath back he said ''I was lucky. Fred was a wave ahead of me coming in but fell off the back. As soon as i saw us stand together I ran hard''

The open womens race was won by another promising Woolacombe teenager. Grace Clark finished clear of her rivals in a time of 35.mins 43 seconds to take the prize money. Second place was Kat Dallyn of saunton Sands with Fay Mills also Woolacombe finishing 3rd.

In the veterans categories Stuart Sherman won the 50+ trophy kindly donated by Lynn Financial services with Jon Parker taking the mens 40+ and Lara Rousseau the Womens masters 35+ category.

For full results see below.
Run/Swim/Run Nick Moore 12.49, Sam Wordley 12.51, Tom Clarke 14.38, Summer Whitely 14.43, Katie Holland 15.12, Niall Deasy 15.46, Maia Garner 17.29, Callum Redrup 18.22, Georgie Redrup 18.23, Bob Whittaket 18.27, Olivia Kelly 18.38, Zoe Hamer 19.27, Charlotte Hamer 20.26, Ellie Copp 20.28,Sarah Jane Vanstone 20.33, Charlotte Bousted 21.26, Louis Garner 22.31.

Ocean Swim Classic

Nick Thorn 28.18, Robbie Sandbach 29.42, Freddie Hedger 29.43, James Bunney 31.39, Josh Caton 34.54, Grace Clarke 35.43, Jon Parker 38.29, Matt Gilbert 38.43, PhilMiles 38.49, Stuart Sherman 39.18, Sean Deasy 39.30, Liam Ward 39.53, Tim Chesworth 40.37, Rob Lewis 40.43, Will Houston 41.25, Kat Dallyn 42.11, James Berkely 42.15, Fay Mills 42.28, Joe Windsor 42.37, Kevin Turner 42.50, Jon Joe Mooney 42.58, Pete Dyer 49.24, Jnny Binnington Savage 51.30, Mike Horstead 51.56, Bryan Smith 53.21, Karl Whittaker 53.53, John Wilde 54.04, John Mortimer 54.21, Claire Mchugh 55.03, Richard Squire 55.16, John Haywood 56.08, Steve Chavasse 58.53, Bruce Hughes 58.58, Lara Rousseau 59.24, Guy Rousseau 59.25, Chris Mooney 59.40, Steve Ditchburn 60.34, Joe Deasy 65.15, Sally Pope 73.50.