The 12th Annual Pissarro Great River Swim in aid of Chiswick Sea Cadets was held on Saturday 31st August 2013. Start Time 10.40 a.m. Distance 1000m (only)
Sixteen members were entered in the Great River Swim - one kilometre, writes Rod Newing. However, in the absence of a certain newly-married couple to defend their titles from last year, it looked as if the remaining 14 would struggle to hit the silverware.
It was intended that the swim would be against a weak neap tide that would change as swimmers reached the turnaround point. In the event the tide was still flooding strongly as the first swimmers entered the water and struggled to get to the start line. The rest waited a few minutes for the tide to ease, before eventually getting in.
The race started with the tide still vicious, but everybody struggled mightily and pushed against it. The leaders eventually made the turning point and were swept back to the finish in record time. The host of black neoprene clad arms didn't bode well. The overall winner was a lady and the first non-wetsuit was a non-Serp. First Serp home was Sam Alpass and second Serp was Dani Lobo, closely followed by Anna Bardos, who dipped against the wall to overtake two men in front of her.
Robin swam his heart out, hoping to pick up a prize for the oldest finisher. An exhausted Sarah Legrand dragged herself up the exit steps just in front, not wanting to be beaten by somebody well over twice her age.
True to our social nature, Serps swimmers accounted for nine out of the last ten places. In the finest tradition of the club, it was the swimming that mattered, not athletic excellence.
The tide eventually turned 25 minutes late, so they only had a weak counter tide to fight just at the end.
There was then drama as the finish team missed Anna's dramatic finish (out of view close to the wall) and were about to call the helicopters to search for her body - fortunately I put their mind at rest.
As the silverware was dished out we came nowhere. There wasn't even a prize for the oldest finisher. Then at the last minute the last piece of silver was awarded to the first lady without a wetsuit - Anna! Serp pride was restored.
A couple of great pictures are enclosed of a happy Anna with her loot in front of the course, looking much more attractive (the course!) than the grey and chilly Serpentine earlier in the day.
Hopefully Mr and Mrs A will turn up next year - we need to win back the overall win from the ladies. How about it Nick?! It will probably be the full mile round Chiswick Eyot (an island).
River Thames water temperature was 19.5 deg C.Next race planned (Chiswick Eyot Mile course)Saturday 6th September 2014 at 12 noon
The course records are:
Mile Men George Beecher 22:04 (2010), Women Lara Nyman 22:27 (2011)
Km Men Kevin Davies 12:16 (2010), Women Lara Nyman 12:39 (2008)
All enquiries togreatriverswim@blueyonder.co.uk
RESULTS (Serpentine SC swimmers highlighted in bold)
01 13:21 229 F - 1 MONAGHAN Hannah F 26 West London Penguins
02 13:35 147 M - 1 CARTWRIGHT Darren M 26
03 13:43 106 MV - 1 HYETT Steve MV 54 Hillingdon Triathletes
04 13:44 113 MV - 2 ROKER Phil MV 47 Ful-On Tri5 14:05 20
05 F - 2 ANGYAL Claire F 28 Tower Hamlets
6 15:16 144 M - 4 GRIFFITHS Simon M 43 Ealing Swimming Club
7 15:58 233 F - 3 WARDLE Rachel F 19 Hillingdon Triathletes
8 16:13 103 MV - 3 GLOOR Jacob MV 50 Hillingdon Triathletes
9 16:56 72 FV - 1 WREN Sarah FV 46 West London Penguins
10 17:11 123 MV - 4 WARDLE Dave MV 57 Hillingdon Triathletes
11 17:16 111 MV - 5 MORRIS Mike MV 57 Thames Turbo
12 17:52 218 F- 5 HANKINSON Ursula F 25 Cambridge Tri Club
13 18:04 101 MV - 6 ALLPAS Sam MV 47 Serpentine SC
14 18:11 181 M - 9 THORPE Michael M 32
15 18:28 119 MV - 7 SHAW John MV 52
16 18:30 108 MV - 8 KELLY Chris MV 48 Speedbird Triathletes
17 18:49 145 M - 12 BURNS George M 34
18 18:52 166 M - 13 NOGUEROLES Ferran M 40
19 19:04 153 M - 14 FAUX Xavier M 28 Ful-On Tri
20 19:05 182 M - 15 LOBO Daniel M 39 Serpentine SC (second male without wetsuit)
21 19:11 213 F - 6 GREEN Helena F 31
22 19:15 61 FV - 2 BARDOS Anna FV 37 Serpentine SC
23 19:29 126 MV - 9 WREN Johnny MV 47 West London Penguins
24 19:50 206 F - 8 ARENGO-JONES Lauren F 29
25 19:52 138 MV - 10 BLEAKLEY Graham MV 49 Kingfisher Tri Club
26 19:55 164 M- 18 MOODY Andrew M 39
27 20:05 154 M - 19 HURN Andrew M 35
28 20:15 183 M - 20 KOCH Volker M 41 Serpentine SC
29 20:35 161 M - 21 JUHASZ Robert M 39
30 21:02 102 MV - 11 CSELKO George MV 53 Serpentine SC
31 21:52 212 F - 9 CURLEY Amanda F 33 Serpentine SC
32 21:52 178 M - 23 RUSHBROOKE James M 33 Serpentine SC
33 22:14 211 F - 10 BLAGG Lucy F 26
34 22:23 159 M - 24 IVENS Mark M 40 Oasis Swim Clinic
35 23:00 69 FV - 3 POULSEN Camilla Maria FV 39
36 24:02 134 MV - 12 GORDON Neal MV 52
37 24:02 107 MV -13 KEENLEYSIDE Piers MV 56 Speedbird Triathletes
38 24:56 66 FV - 4 BROOKSBANK Stephanie FV 46 Thames Turbo
39 26:38 201 F - 13 LEGRAND Sarah F 30 Serpentine SC
40 27:19 124 MV - 14 HUNTER-CODDINGTON Robin MV 72 Serpentine SC
41 27:51 117 MV - 15 SAUSMAREZ, de Nick MV 47 London Heathside
42 33:45 67 FV - 5 FARMER Jan FV 62 Serpentine SC
43 33:52 70 FV - 6 SCHEIMANN Jane FV 64 Serpentine SC44
34:08 105 MV - 16 HUNTER-CODDINGTON Jeremy MV 70 Serpentine SC
45 35:15 128 MV - 17 FIELKER Mark MV 50 Serpentine SC
46 37:35 56 FV - 7 WELLESLEY Emma FV 49 Serpentine SC
47 37:48 118 MV - 18 SCHEIMANN Tony MV 62 Serpentine SC
48 38:22 73 FV - 8 COLLIAS Michele FV 59 Serpentine SC
