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Racing Across The Bay
To the acclaim of a large crowd, 15-year-old Gisborne schoolgirl, Cheryl Gane, ran happily ashore at Waikanae Beach to become the first woman to conquer the gruelling five and-a-half mile swim across Poverty Bay.
Twenty minutes earlier, Waikanae surfer Robert Kerr had touched down to chop 14 minutes off the existing record with a time of 3 hours, 13 minutes.
The two youthful swimmers were the only two entrants in this season's Nicks Head to Waikanae Beach swimming race, but good fields contested the two new events, for paddle-boards and canoes.
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Cheryl Cane swimming strongly across the bay, paced by Cliff Blumfield
Looking happy and fresh, Cheryl comes ashore.
Winner of the canoe race, Burton Lamont, looks back to the rest of the field as he nears Waikanae Beach.
Three canoeists paddling under the towering cliffs of Young Nicks Head
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The paddle-boarders set out on their arduous journey
Closely followed by an escort boat, Gisborne's N.Z. paddle-board title-holder Bob Davies cracks on the pace to lead the field home by a good margin.
Second paddle-boarder home was Barry Broughton
Two contestants walk up the beach to be greeted by the large crowd