KEY POINTS:
The sparkling Waitemata provided the appropriate venue for two exciting contests yesterday.
Team New Zealand yachtie Rod Davis beat teammate Dean Barker 3-2 in a thrilling New Zealand Match Racing Championship final, and earlier, defending champions Kane Radford and Helen Norfolk blitzed their rivals in the opening round of the ocean swim series from Devonport to the Viaduct Harbour.
Davis, with his crew of Tony Rae, Grant Loretz, Chris Ward and Richard Meecham won the first race of the best of five series but Barker came back taking the second and the third. Davis stormed back winning the fourth and it was all on the line in the final race.
The start was even and with the breeze increasing to over 20 knots, Davis rounded the top mark first, a boat length in front.
At the top mark for the second time Davis again rounded in front and kept just in front of Barker to win the title for the second time.
In the petit final, Chris Dickson and his young crew won the first race against Laurie Jury. But Jury went on to win the next two races in the strengthening breeze and secure third spot in the regatta.
In the ocean swim, Norfolk was over a minute clear of Melissa Ingram and Radford a massive 1m 52s ahead of Daniel Ryan.
Radford, 17, also smashed the race record with his 29m 37s over the 2.8km distance.
"I didn't really have a race plan as such, initially I was just wanting to get away clean and then keep an eye on the others to see what they were doing," Radford said.
"Conditions were a little rougher than it looked from the beach with a reasonable chop in the middle stages. But I felt great, stronger than last year and am pleased with the swim."
Radford emerged into the Viaduct on his own with Ryan in second place ahead of Olympian Dean Kent.
Norfolk was almost as impressive in turning the tables on last year's event winner Ingram and also set a race record of 33m 48s.
"That was so much better than last year when I had my goggles knocked off and didn't navigate too well," Norfolk said.
"I got a good clean start and found the heels of some good male swimmers and this time swam a reasonably direct line to the finish."
Ingram held out Joyce Wiegersma (Invercargill) for second, maintaining an incredible record for her and Norfolk of finishing in the top two for every Harbour crossing event since its inception in 2004.
Event director Scott Rice was thrilled with the day and the turnout.
"This is the best yet with a fantastic turnout of swimmers, great weather and a great show of support at both the start and the finish."
The event now moves to Wellington, Christchurch, Mount Maunganui and then back on the North Shore.
Nearly 1300 swimmers took part.
