15. Golden Jubilee Relay Results
|
British Long Distance Swimming Association
What a day! One may question what the objective of the relay was. Was it to take part in a swim up Windermere? Was it to spend a day moving up and down Windermere? Or was it to test yourself in problem solving? For most people the day started early, very, very early around 4am, some of the gathered group looked somewhat shocked; others confused. The thoughts going through their heads were probably ‘what on earth am I doing here’, standing in front of a lake about to start on an adventure and probably unsure how it all was going to work out. Well, believe me, my thoughts were; ‘I hope this all works out and goes ok’ so I included in the briefing the comment that if I started shouting and swearing, I apologies in advance. After the briefing at 5:30am we managed to get crews in boats, swimmers
into the water and away went
Barrow also fielded two teams and although Barrow 1 clearly finished over 2 hours in front of Barrow 2 it must be recorded that it was Barrow 2 team that finished ahead. This was possible as Barrow 1 team had a swimmers retire on leg 4, so the relay continued on leg 5 for time only. The Barmy Breaststrokers were not the last team home despite everyone’s initial predictions. They finished just prior to the presentation. Apparently the swim secretary hadn’t taken account of the high water level and positioned the turning buoy in the fast flowing river. As a result they found it difficult to swim back into the lake.
The Yorkshire team was made up of a very experienced collection of swimmers. Paul and Amanda Taylor considered it important (bearing mind their considerable veteran experience) that they guide a couple of youngsters in their team and good advice was transferred. As a result I am pleased to report these youngsters made it to the finish and I believe Dee and Liane Llewellyn have benefited from their advice. On a much more serious point the team swam for Charity raising money for those suffering from the recent Yorkshire floods. The local team of Troutbeck entered without two of their experienced swimmers who were helping organising. They proceeded steadily down Windermere but the conditions between the Ferry and Beech Hill, caused one of their swimmers to tire and shortly before Beech Hill was forced to get out. The rowers continued to Beech Hill where the next swimmer got in to allow the team to continue. Unfortunately at the turn the team retired. Some funny incidents of note during the event, now follow. The race
referee called that his boat had Due to the transporting duties and movements of all the boats a considerable quantity of fuel was used. So the swim secretary had also to coordinate the purchase delivery and collection of fuel. Apparently the local petrol station owner was concerned by 3 ladies (Pat, Sandra and Becki) arriving several times at this station and buoying large quantities of fuel and all the petrol cans they had. So concerned was he that he considered reporting them as a potential bomb making group!!! At Beech Hill on Wigan’s return leg the boat crew inspired by the cheers continued rowing hard (didn’t want to loose their pace). They pulled hard after a lighting change over and prompted rowed between a moored boat and the jetty, much to the laughter of the watching crowd. I now go back to the initial question of what the purpose of the event was? Some say it was to celebrate the Associations Golden Jubilee other now question that. There are a few who believe that it was something to do with clothes. Apparently many swimmers that includes most of the Exmouth team were wearing everyone else clothes. Graham Padgett from Warrington Dolphins was even partially cross dressing. The problem appears to be that their clothes just couldn’t keep pace with them. At one point late in the event the swim secretary was receiving swimmers transported by Chris Green from Base Rock who only had a borrow towel around them. The swim secretary was glad to help them but after helping Simon Lee and Dee Llewellyn he was worried that if any more arrived he wondered whether he would have any left on himself. In concluding this report I must firstly thank all the swimmers, their
boat crews and team managers for their co-operation and the way they
just accepted that the organisation team would sort out any problems
out that may happen. Secondly and most importantly I must thank all
those helpers (all 23 of them) who agreed to help the association out,
some at exceedingly short notice. Thanks also to the swim committee
for their input into sorting out the basics which allowed the swim
to develop.
So when we next celebrate a major milestone like 75 years or 100years, this record of the event will hopefully inspire members on, to plan something memorable. I thought the day went well no accident or incidents, maybe a few cold bodies, what a great success. Andy Wright
|
Golden
Jubilee 2-way Windermere Relay – 7th
July 2007
all
11 teams at 6:24am. Fabulous, the swim was away after weeks of planning,
calculating, 100’s of
emails and calls; we were only 24 minutes late in starting.
Martin
Cullen managed two teams from Ireland, one from Cork and the other
from Dublin. Apparently it was quite a laugh it the two Irish
boats, which had two excellent rowers in them. Peter May, in the Cork
boat, told me that he was never shore who was going to swim next. He
believed there was a strange sort of decision making process occurring
just prior to every changeover, which he couldn’t work out. Never
the less the team swam very strongly to the end. I was a little confused
at Brockhole on the return leg when the Dublin swimmers and boat passed
by the buoy and didn’t stop; apparently it was something to do
with the North Channel.
broken
down. As he couldn’t
get any signal he called Sandra and she then started relaying messages
between him and Shepard’s (Boat repairs at Bowness) to come out
and repair it. The question of was it an Emergency? What’s the
name of the boat? No not the name, the make of boat, were heard being
discussed. A short time later the Warden sped past and towed Chris
back to Bowness. However, the race referee wasn’t gone for long
within an hour he was back on station in a different boat. The detail
behind this won’t be discussed here!!!
