NYCkayaker Ederle swim (10-06)

[Richard Clifford]

NYCKayaker:
    On Saturday, Oct. 6 I had the pleasure to spend the day with David 
Blanke, a great guy from Austin, TX who was participating in the Ederle 
swim. This was my second time doing the trip accompanying a swimmer. 
Unfortunately for the swimmers on Saturday the start of the event was 
delayed for nearly three (3) hours due to fog. (6:50 AM became 9:45 AM 
for a start).

    The event did get going and for the first few hours we all enjoyed a 
strong ebb tide, then nothing, and, then for the final hour off of Sandy 
Hook, NJ the current was in our face.  There were 10 swimmers. One was a 
fire fighter doing the event in memory of his colleagues who perished on 
September 11. Some regular swimmers. Stephen Junk from Australia a 
finished 2nd. A relative unknown young man - Sebastian - (24) finished 
first. It was his longest swim and I believe first time on the ocean. 
One swimmer did not finish solely due to a crew travel obligation 
(flying home to California).

    Each swimmer had a kayaker and escort power boat. We had two extra 
kayakers which was terrific. And, there were a couple of extra escort 
power boats. Lots of race officials and volunteers. The observers on the 
power boats were incredibly nice. We got to answer all of their Qs on 
the ride back to North Cove. And, afterwards, all of the swimmers and 
crew and a bunch of kayakers got to spend some time together relaxing 
and enjoying the refreshments at Southwestern Restaurant near the Cove

    I had a great time out there. The swim became a bit of a technical 
event between the tidal currents, winds, and the move from overcast & 
fog to sunshine.

    Some kayakers with their swimmers were pushed east of the Gravesend 
Bay anchorage and behind several ships because they had not kept the 
swimmer(s) up high enough (on the Channel) to pass the bows of a couple 
of large ships. That must have slowed them. And, later we had to swim a 
bit further than we would have liked along the Ambrose Channel waiting 
for clearance for the US Coast Guard to cross. If I recall correctly, I 
believe, we went down to the area of Buoy 14. Later some swimmers and 
kayakers wanted to head for home and pointed themselves directly into 
the shoreline. Again, this proved to be a miscalculation. The current 
moved them further west and north into the bay then they wanted. More 
work. They finished and we got a fast ride back to North Cove.

    My swimmer finished the day 3rd. I hope that the other kayakers out 
there had an equally good time. Richard Clifford




*-- 

Richard C. Clifford, Esq.
Attorney at Law*
1890 Palmer Avenue, Suite 302
Larchmont, NY 10538

Tel: (914) 834-0100 -or- 0757
Cell: (917) 854-5824
Fax: (914) 834-0888

RichardClifford at earthlink.net 
RichardClifford at NYSBar.com


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