Lapping up action

Keen competition in all grades made for absorbing action in the Wairarapa swimming championships held at the Genesis Recreation Centre pool over the weekend.

A busy programme of events over all strokes and age groups was scheduled and with several of the region's top swimmers showing excellent form in recent weeks a number of Wairarapa records were expected to tumble.

Results were expected to be confirmed tonight and available for publication tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a record number of entries seems likely for the Featherston Swimming Club's community relay being held at the Featherston pool tomorrow night.

A total of 13 teams have already registered for the event and a further 14 are believed to be in the pipeline.

Entries received to date show the innovative manner in which names are decided upon.

They include Flack Attack, Over The Hill, Bernie's Muppets, Featherston Has Beens, Transfield Titans, Swimming New Zealand Splashers and O'Bid.

Also strutting their stuff will be the Masterton Police and Sport Wairarapa.

It is understood the Featherston Has Beens team could include former Olympian Jon Winter, who received his early swimming education in the Featherston area.

At stake in the relay will be the Pioneer Trophy which was presented for a business house relay to the Featherston club in 1974 by Trevor and Margaret Dickson, who were at the time proprietors of the Pioneer dairy in Featherston.

The first winners were a team representing Saba's Drapery but it was the local Young Farmers Club who dominated proceedings through until 1992 after which the relay was cancelled through lack of support.

The relay was revived in 2002 by the Featherston club as a community event and since then it has consistently drawn a strong entry, ranging from 11 to 23 in number.