Swimming: Hambly beats tides for win

GOOD ONE: Deb Hambly was "very happy" with her performance, especially considering the testing conditions. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Masterton endurance swimmer Deb Hambly has struck early in the 2014-15 Ocean Swim Series.

Competing in the first event in the six-race competition, the Bay of Islands Classic, last weekend she completed the 3.3km swim from Russell to Paihia in 1hr 12min 01sec, and was first home in the women's 40-44yrs age group, finishing almost two minutes ahead of her closest rival. Overall, she was 122nd in the 642-strong field and 32nd of the 284 women participants.

Hambly, who moved to Masterton from Dargaville last July, was "very happy" with her performance, especially considering the testing conditions created by what was labelled "unusual" tides ... so tough that some competitors were given assistance to ensure they finished within the two-hour cut-off point.

"You had to work hard, it was tough going," Hambly said. "It was a case of just going for it and hoping you could hang in there."

The sentiments of Hambly were echoed by event director Scott Rice, who said the unusual water current meant slower times were recorded than last season from the elites through to the recreational swimmers, some being up to 18 minutes slower than they might have expected.

A member of the Masterton Masters Shears Magic swim group, Hambly said coach Richard Swallow had done some "tweaking" to her technique before the Bay of Islands event and things had gone pretty much according to plan in that respect.

Mainly relying on the freestyle stroke, she had felt comfortable enough all the way through.

Hambly is unsure whether she will line up in all six events but will definitely contest the next two; the Harbour Crossing in Auckland on December 7 and the Capital Classic in Wellington on January 5.

The Harbour Crossing provides the only day in the year when maritime traffic must yield to swimmers in Auckland Harbour as the latter look to swim from Baywater on the North Shore to the Viaduct's Karanga Plaza, a distance of 2.9km.

The Capital Classic covers 3.3km on Wellington Harbour with spectators able to view the action from Oriental Parade.

The three other races in the series are the Le Grande Swim at Akaroa on February 15, the Sand to Surf at Mount Maunganui on March 21 and the King of the Bays in Auckland on April 18 and whether Hambly contests them will largely depend on her form in the next two events.

If the age group title was still a possibility, the temptation to compete in at least a couple of those races would be enhanced. "Travel is quite expensive so we'll just wait and see what happens," she said.

Away from the Ocean Swim Series, Hambly has an ambition to swim Cook Strait. There was a point a couple of years ago where she was training hard for an individual attempt but those plans had to be put on hold.

Now her dream is to achieve that objective as part of a relay team and she would be "very keen" to hear from two or three other like-minded swimmers.