Eyebright Mile sees return winners

Peter Gibbs

The 38th Eyebright Mile on Sunday was a race for the old hands, with Harrison Dean recording his fourth win and Christina Harris her second.

Conditions were perfect for race two of the Rylock Endurance Series, but the 76th competitors faced an incoming tide for the first half of the 2km course between the Nelson Yacht Club and the beach.

Most swimmers chose a line close to Rocks Rd, where the current was marginally less, fanning out across the harbour once they passed the Richardson St steps. At this point another small group of swimmers started the short course of 1300m to the beach.

Harrison, who first won the race as a teenager in 2007, slowly increased his lead and jogged up on to the beach in 27 minutes 30 seconds, with one-minute gaps back to Terry Bone, Hamish Neill and Matt Hansen.

Robert Sheridan was fifth, having one of his best seasons yet, despite not training.

Christina Harris is like a vintage port, continuing to mature into her 60th year as she finished in just under 32 minutes, nearly three minutes ahead of Kerry Mathieson.

Jude Vincent and Wendy Healey, both swimming without wetsuits, crossed the line together to share the third women’s spot.

Georgina Pahl, Susannah Peckham and Ana Narvaez took the first three places in the short race.

Sixty year old Christina Harris recorded her second Eyebright Mile win on Sunday, finishing with a time of 32 minutes. Photo: Jan Thompson.

Race three in the Rylock Endurance series is the 3.8km Ironman Challenge on February 19. Racing continues in the Thursday night series until mid-April.

Full details at nelsonseaswims.co.nz.

time,