Following the success of the recent Starcross swim, Exmouth Swimming and Life-Saving Society’s senior and junior open water swimmers braved the cold water of Oddicombe Bay on Saturday 18th August writes Alison Cornwell-Brown.

With its amphitheatre style steps, Oddicombe  Bay offered the perfect view for the large group of supporters who were able to watch the swimmers complete a 1500m circuit. The senior swimmers had to swim two laps of the course for their 3000m competition.

The swimmers were joined for a while by a large grey seal, a regular visitor to Oddicombe Bay.

Exmouth’s Cameron Carpenter-Warren was first senior home, and also took the medal for first Devon swimmer. In the boys’ junior event Liam Spiller fought hard to take third place, as did Kiera Jordan for the girls. All the swimmers completed the course including Joe Schunck and Eveie McGlinn who had their first taste of Open Water swimming.

Exmouth’s swimmers were delighted to take home the team shield for the fastest team made up of the fastest senior male and female and junior male and female swimmer from each club.

Swimmers in the junior competition were:
Liam Spiller
Aiden Spiller
George Cornwell-Brown
Katharine Cornwell-Brown
Henry Cornwell-Brown
Eveie McGlyn
Joe Schunck

Seniors included:
Cameron Carpenter-Warren
Yvonne Carpenter-Warren
Olly White
Andy McGlyn.

Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society held their annual Starcross to Exmouth open water swim on Wednesday 1st August 2012.  The club’s open water swimmers, who include channel swimmers Olly White and Mark Westaway and Tara Dudley who is scheduled to swim the channel in the coming week, were joined by competitive and development and masters swimmers some of whom were competing in the open water for the first time.

The swim from the Starcross jetty to Carlton Slipway on Exmouth sea front is tidally assisted and a strong tide and tail wind meant that swimmers completed the course in some fast times.  The swim was won for the 5th consecutive year by Cameron Carpenter-Warren in a time of 31.09 with last year’s junior champion Liam Spiller pushing him all the way.  Open water and master’s swimmer Ian Lang narrowly beat 2nd placed Junior George Cornwell Brown by two seconds to claim 3rd place overall.  Tara Dudley finished in fifth place overall to defend her women’s title.  Ladies club captain Eve Birrell won the Junior Ladies competition in a time of 35.31 which narrowly beat Yvonne Carpenter-Warren for 2nd place in the overall ladies championship.   Mark Westaway was the only swimmer to complete the course swimming Breaststroke and finished in 16th position having just returned from the Lake District where he beat the 48 year old British Long Distance Swimming Association Breaststroke record for swimming Ulswater. 

23 of the 25 swimmers who started completed the course.  Juniors Eve Birrell, Kiera Jordan, Katherine Cornwell-Brown, Lewis Webb, Aidan Spiller, and Kaylee Sprigmore all completed the course for the first time.  Claire Loman, Julie Thomson, Virginia Hill, Polly Woodward, Alison Martineau and Martin Sprigmore were also new to the swim whilst Karen White returned to the swim after many years.

Open water secretary and swim organiser Barry Westaway said that it was encouraging to have such a big interest in open water swimming from the society’s junior swimmers who can continue the tradition and success that Exmouth have as an Open Water squad.

The 49th annual Fairway Swim took place on Sunday 3rd June 2012.  The swim attracted 27 swimmers from around the country including English, Irish and Bristol Channel swimmers.  Swimmers swam a shortened course inside Pole Sands due to adverse weather conditions turning early and swimming against the tide back to the finish.  All 27 swimmers completed the course.

Stockbridge Pentaqua swimmer Nicola Fraser entered the swim for the first time and beat last year’s winner Harriet Tuck of Dinnaton swimming club to win the race overall in a time of 1hour 6minutes 17seconds.  Alyson Phippen completed the top three beating Exmouth and first male swimmer Olly White into fourth place by eight seconds.  Olly won his third consecutive Exmouth Journal Cup and also won his 13th consecutive Exmouth men’s title.  Completing the top 5 was first Exmouth Lady Tara Dudley who won her fifth consecutive Exmouth Title.  Jamie Page was the next Exmouth swimmer to finish in a time of 1.11.31 placing him 7th overall and 3rd male.  The final Exmouth swimmer to finish was Mark Westaway who came 19th overall (11th male) whilst completing the entire course Breaststroke winning the Ron Snowshall Breaststroke championship for the fourth consecutive year.

The swim can only take place each year due to the efforts of swim organiser Barry Westaway, swim referee and Exmouth open water coach Alan Franks, a number of volunteers from Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society, and support from the RNLI, Coastguard, Beach Rescue, St John’s ambulance, boatmen, and kayakers who assist in the running of the swim each year. Plans are already underway to mark the golden jubilee of the swim in 2013.

The Exmouth team are now continuing to train for other swims around the country; including Tara Dudley and Jamie Page who are scheduled to swim the channel in August and September respectively.

Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society swimmer Bill Letch has been voted Devon County ASA’s swimmer of the year for 2011.

Letch competes in Masters Competitions and swims in the 70-75years age group.  He holds numerous British ad European records in Freestyle, Butterfly and IM events.  Letch was the first British swimmer over 70 to break the 30 second barrier for 50m freestyle and won two gold, two silver and a bronze medal at last year’s Masters World Championships in Sweden.  Bill has continued the form he showed at last year’s World Championships throughout the year, winning his age group competition at the Royal Navy Masters Meet back in March before travelling to Sheffield a few weeks ago to compete in the ASA British Gas National Masters Championships; returning from Sheffield with gold for the 200m IM, 100m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly, silver in the 50m Freestyle and 100m IM and a Bronze in the 50m Breaststroke (his least favourite stroke).

Letch said of the award:

Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society swimmer Bill Letch competed in the FINA World Masters Championships in Sweden last week.  Bill already held a number of British and European records for the 70-74 years age group before competing at the championships and broke a number of other records during the competition.

Bill came away from the meet with five medals; two gold, two silver, and a bronze.  Bill won the world championship in the 100metre freestyle in a time of 1.08.62.  He also claimed gold in the 50 metres freestyle in 31.16.  Bill’s preferred stroke is Butterfly and in the three Butterfly distances (200, 100 and 50 metres) he added two silver and one bronze medals respectively.

Exmouth Swimming and Life Saving Society would like to congratulate Bill on some world class performances over the week of competition.