Ninety-three swimmers,not intimidated by the torrential rain on portions of the WestBay Road, signed up for the 13th Annual TEXACO 805metre/Half MileSea Swim on Saturday afternoon, 23rd September. Swimming conditions were pleasant and there was a favourable current.All the participants finished this popular, traditionally family,fun event. Familiar families with more than one swimmer were:Balderamos, Elphinstone, Foster, Fraser, Obrist, Powell, Rombough,Stafford and Tomascik.
Sixteen year old William Balderamos finished first place in 10minutes flat, closely followed by 14 year old Kaitlyn Elphinstone[10:02]. 12 year old Shaune Fraser was 3rd [10:35mins.], LauraStafford was 4th [10:50], Lizzy Haines, 5th [11:01], both 14 yearsold, and 13 year old Andrea Balderamos was 6th [11:12].
14 year old Andrew MacKay, who swam backstroke the whole way,finished in 11mins. 16secs. Then came the adults: Peter Staffordin 8th place [11:20], Darren Marchant [11:41] 9th, closely followedby fellow triathlete James Bebarfald in 11mins. 43secs., who roundedout the top ten.
Texaco's Victor Thompson, who came in11th overall - first in hisage-group (age on 1 January, 2000) - presented the trophies.