Ocean Swim: Radford edges Capp in tight battle

Melissa Gorman storms home to easily win the women's race at Pilot Bay on Saturday. Photo/Andrew Warner

The outlook from Pilot Bay before Saturday morning's Sand to Surf elite 2.6k swim was a reminder why we love living here so much.

The spectacular race course, bordered by the impressive Sea Princess cruise liner and Mauao in all its glory, was a changed venue for the iconic event after the main beach surf was deemed too dangerous to let loose 1100 swimmers of all levels.

Certainly the 3-metre surf pounding the shoreline could have meant potential danger for the majority of swimmers navigating tricky currents around the rocks of Moturiki and Rabbit Islands.

In the Pilot Bay calm, both the men's and women's elite races in the penultimate leg of the State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series were dominated by some of Australia's very best long-distance swimmers.

Rhys Mainstone (Perth) won the men's race with compatriot Melissa Gorman (Gold Coast) the first woman home, with both leading from the start.

Mainstone finished 10 seconds ahead of fellow Aussie George O'Brien (Gold Coast) with the battle of the Bay of Plenty boys Nathan Capp and Kane Radford adding some drama to the third place on the podium.

Rotorua's Radford held off Tauranga's Capp until the last 50 metres when Capp stormed past to take third place in 28.38 with Radford two seconds back.

Radford had been based in Perth but, after a break with his coach, is back home. He was disappointed with his swim, but holds a slender lead from Capp in the overall series standings.

But Capp, the New Zealand 1500m freestyle record holder, was delighted with his podium finish to go with a second place in the earlier Wellington leg.

"I am happy with how I went. It was definitely the strongest field I have swum in so far in this series," Capp said. "It probably was in my favour a little bit being on this side (Pilot Bay), considering the conditions today are so flat. It was almost exactly like swimming in the pool, but my navigation is still not that great and I find I am swerving all over the place."

Beating Radford home for some Bay of Plenty bragging rights was a bonus for Capp. "Racing Kane is always fun. It is always good to get one up on him though."

Women's champion Gorman missed five months last year with a serious shoulder injury, but showed her class to blitz the women's field by 59 seconds in 29.34 ahead of New Plymouth's Charlotte Webby with Leah Cutting (Adelaide) third.

Like Mainstone, the win is Gorman's second of the series, and puts both in pole position to win the series, to claim a cash prize of $10,00. "I'm excited of where I am at heading into the final race. With two wins under my belt it definitely takes the pressure off a little bit."

The final race is the King of the Bays on Auckland's North Shore next month with 200 points up for grabs for the winner.