Over 98 Bold & Beautiful swimmers.
One of those perfect swims, the water was soooooo clear, clean and warm. We saw 5 baby Dusky Whaler Sharks on the way over to Shelly Beach which is always a nice bonus.
Then 27 people continued on for a longer adventure:
Neil Cowin, Madlen Altstaedt and Thomas Landgrebe swam up to Queenscliff and back, totalling a 4.5km swim for each of them 🙂
Cameron Stuart swam onto Freshwater Rock Pool where he climbed out to make it home in time for a delivery 🙂
Chris Kiely kindly led the group of seven swimmers back to Manly from Freshie so they could complete their 6km summer badge: Brendan Maher, Chris Kiely, Derek Minihane, Libby Kulmar, Maxine Peacock-Smith, Michael Crawford and Nanette Crawford.
Brendan, how did the wool fat trial go ???
We had the boost of Kelly’s wave, albeit it missing the blue towel up on South Curl Curl headland before 15 of us continued on along the long beautiful, but choppy South Curl Curl Headland to South Curl Curl Beach: Andrew Williams, Ann Cameron, Iain McGregor, Julie Isbill, Linda Goodwin, Michael Christie, Michel Le Vieux, Megan McCormick, Nicholas Dowson, Peter Bowes, Sean Mullaney, Sheri Deacon, Stephen Coulter , Tim Ettle and Vicki Harbutt.
We were extremely grateful to be greeted out behind the waves at South Curl Curl by two of our land contingent: Kelly Johnson and Jan Beacham. When everyone had grouped at the back of the waves, 12 of us chose to continue on to Terra Firma for a 5 minute pit stop, where we were greeted by two more of our land contingent: Paul Micheletti and Maureen Rath – chief sunscreen applicator 🙂
Duncan Wakes-Miller and Liz Rath were also standing in patrol uniform between the red and yellow flags as we landed on the beach at South Curl Curl which was a pleasant suprise. The patrol offered to send a patrolling member out on a board to accompany us too, which was a lovely gesture, thank you guys !
Thank you so much to all the land contingent it really does enhance the experience having a bunch of friendly faces half way, not to mention the much needed and well received food, drink and suncreen – THANK YOU !!
14 swimmers then continued on for the return half of the journey back to Manly, then for the finishing stretch to Shelly Beach and back to Manly, seeing them all successfully complete their 10km summer badge: Andrew Williams, Ann Cameron, Iain McGregor, Julie Isbill, Linda Goodwin, Michael Christie, Michel Le Vieux, Megan McCormick, Nicholas Dowson, Peter Bowes, Sean Mullaney, Sheri Deacon, Stephen Coulter and Vicki Harbutt.
A truely amazing morning, with sooooo many personal bests, fantastic achievements and summer badge qualifications 🙂
This brings the new total qualifiying numbers for the summer 2011:
- 6 km badge to 47 B&B swimmers
- 10 km badge to 38 B&B swimmers
This is truly amazing ! I certainly never would have thought that there would be 38 of you who would qualify for the 10km badge, let alone all the people who have done multiple 6 and 10km swims this season . I’m sure many of you never thought you would be swimming these distances either. I know it sounds cliche but seriously I am sooooo very proud of you all – well done !!!
LAST CHANCE TO QUALIFY FOR YOUR 6KM 2011 SUMMER BADGE IS NEXT SATURDAY AT 7am – DON’T MISS OUT – YOU TOO CAN DO IT !!!!
The date for the badge ceremony will be confirmed soon, along with the cost of each badge.
Water Temperature 24.5 degrees.
Sunrise 6.34am.
Sunset 7.44pm.
High Tide: 9.46am.
Low Tide: 4.13pm.
14 comments
Vicki Harbutt
February 19, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Well I finally have a 10km badge, thanks to Jules !!! Just sitting at home looking at my sunburned arms & face whoever would have thought !! A lovely lunch with Mahdi & now a well earned early night, not sure about tomorrow may have to regroup for a day !! Thanks to the land contingent (maybe I might make it to shore at Curl Curl next year) & all my fellow “buddie” swimmers. Looking forward to the next adventure swim….
Stephen
February 19, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Great 10km swim to Curl Curl & back this morning. Well done to the 14 who did it and thanks Kelly, Jan & Maureen! Thanks Jules for getting us all through! Here’s the route, http://tinyurl.com/B-B10kmOcean
Michael [EX CI]
February 19, 2011 at 4:38 pm
I don’t know if anyone else is a bit sore??? I feel like I’ve fallen down the stairs!! Must have been from all that chop going around to South Curly.
What a great swim with clear water all the way and WARM. It doesn’t get much better really.
Thanks to everyone who did it so that we all got there. That is what its about really – everyone achieving their goal.
And thanks particularly to the land contingent who never cease to AMAZE me. Jan, Kelly, Paul and Maureen, you know that it is wonderful to have food and friendly faces when you’ve just about ‘had it’. Maureen I thought you must have lived up at South Curl Curl, because you are always there when we get there. Thanks to you I am only half toasted and not burnt to a crisp!! So thank you all of you so much.
Linda
February 19, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Thank you to everyone. Awesome swim and what a great achievement, I have another badge!!!! My left shoulder and neck are ceasing up as I type! Thanks to the beach crew, I actually felt sick back out through the waves from all the snakes I ate but much needed.
Fantastic clear warm water and many little fish in that beautiful underwater world. Loved it! xxx
Ann Cameron
February 19, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Never believe Jules when she says with a smile that ‘curly is just a quick one km swim from Freshie’….it twas a very long way in the chop…great swim by all and thanks to Steve for keeping me on the straight and narrow….only an hour to bed time (6pm me thinks).
Ann C
Iain
February 19, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Thanks Everyone,
Great Swim all,
Can’t wait till next summers 20km badge.
Little Tiger
February 19, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Top effort team. Well done to all who completed the 10km swim. So nice to see South Curly patrol members (Liz & Duncan) greeting the swimmers as they came to shore. Sleep well.
Tim
February 19, 2011 at 6:51 pm
OMG that was choppier than a choppy thing. I did miss out on both badges but hey, one step at a time. I’d never swam more than 1.5k before today so getting to Curl Curl in one piece was a PB.
Sorry for the whinging and swearing on-route. Nerves and cramp got the better of me. The water albeit choppy was clear and warm so it wasn’t all bad. Maybe there is a badge in me yet. Thanks everyone.
Vicki Harbutt
February 19, 2011 at 7:21 pm
PS: Nobody told me that the sunburn might be worst than the swim !!! Vicki
Sherieli
February 19, 2011 at 8:11 pm
First of all…I did it! Thanks especially to Jules & Michel, you guys are truly exceptional!
The land contingent…without you guys, there is no way I could have made it back. Thanks to Kelly for the hot chocolate at manly, I’m sorry I couldn’t drink it. To all the other 13 who participated you guys rock – in particular princess pete…thanks baby for being there for every stroke.
As to next year’s challenge…Iain, I think 20km seems like nothing – what about 50km? I’m happy to nominate myself for land contingent
Once again, thanks to everyone involved today for a feat I’d never imagined I could have ever done.
Pacific Jules
February 19, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Sorry Tim, its my fault you didnt qualify for a badge today !
BUT… You know what, you did it ! You successfully swam to South Curl Curl, chop and headland conquered by YOU !
Conditions next Sat currently predicted at 1ft south westerly swell with a north westerly wind = flat as… Tim the long distance ocean swimmer and proud 2011 6km badge qualifier here we come !
Bowes
February 19, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Everything hurts, I’m exhausted, but mostly I’m thrilled I was able to swim the 10km today.
What fantastic conditions, and a wonderful group to swim with.
Congratulations to Sheri who pushed on when she obviously wasn’t feeling the best. Very proud of your big effort.
Thanks to everyone for waiting at each headland for us to catch up. It would have been a lonley swim without your patience.
Three very loud cheers for the land contingent. The food, drinks and sunscreen making the impossible possible.
Lastly a big thankyou to Jules, Michel, and Iain for the encouragement and advice that proved the difference that got us home in the end.
It was just the best to have everyone still on the beach at the finish. In fact the very real sense of camaraderie and simply being amoungst such a great group of people was the best part of the whole day.
Thanks for a remarkable day.
Princess Pete
awilliams@bellpartnerslegal.com
February 20, 2011 at 9:58 am
Thankyou Michael and Julie for helping us achieve our own mini everest! None of us could do it without your encouragement and caring support. Such a great group-all encouraging and supporting each other. SORE!!! what an understatement. Where is that semi trailer! Of all the dumb things we have done this one takes the cake! We cant get there at 7 most mornings so thank you for including us so generously yesterday. We will keep an eye on the website for more of your big ideas. Megan and Andrew
Nick
February 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm
That Hurt!!