No mid winter dip for us.....ironically:

This morning's task was to attend the Leigh community mid-winter dip at Matheson Bay, providing both moral support, a swim / dive platform for the keen ones to visit, and our crew to remain dry.

We anchored a couple of hundred meters off the beach and joined in the 1015 countdown to the big splash, with a large crowd present on the beach. A mass of bodies hit the water, with many making a B-line for Kawau Rescue.

Unfortunately, just as the leading swimmers arrived on our duckboard, we received an urgent tasking to a swimmer reported to be in distress at the south end of Omaha Beach.

With apologies all round to our wet visitors, we had the anchor up and were quickly underway to the target location, with the crew promptly swinging into recovery mode.

From well offshore, we could spot a few people standing on the reef, and getting a little closer, a swimmer doing backstroke in that area. (Our crew were drawing straws as to who would jump in if required - obviously the youngest!)

We went still closer to check there wasn't anyone else in the water, but no, we figured someone on shore was worried about an arm (or 2) being raised off the beach and had raised the alarm. Better safe than sorry.

While we decided he was a very proficient swimmer, 2 buggies from Omaha Surf Club also arrived to ensure there wasn't anyone else needing help and we stood down, motoring off to undertake some more training - figuring our original swimmers would be back on shore and warming up with soup and sausages!

Well done to the swimmers of Leigh - a brilliant and popular community event.

Thanks to our crew of Bruce, Rob & Donn, who gave up the chance to do their own mid-winter dip.