 Kevin Pollman, Winner of Apolima Strait 2019 at the Awards presentation at Amoa Resort Kevin was first across the line in the 5th Apolima Strait swim between Upolu and Savai’i in a time of 6h 17m 15s. He swam perfect race and was true to his pre-race plan of six-hours for the 22.3 km distance. Assisting him was his girlfriend Katie who was his swim captain. The two arrived in Samoa a few days earlier to see the sights and experience Samoa. Two days after the swim we met up with Kevin on the eve of their departure for Minnesota where their home is. We asked Kevin about his experience, this is a transcript of that interview. Give us your thoughts on your swim now that you have had two days to process the swim. It was an amazing experience, a well organised event with great competitors that were out there. The people that do this stuff it really makes it worthwhile the experiences you make along the way. It is always good to have a nice finish and a good time but it really is about the experience and the journey along the way. It was absolutely incredible and humbling.  Kevin with his Citizenship of Savai'i Race certificate What are the benefits of the Warm-up swim? I think it depends on the experience level of the swimmer. Every person is going to get a different mileage out of the warm-up swim. I would consider myself an experienced swimmer and I still felt that it was very helpful to get out to the channel marker and get a feel for the course because there is a large boat running the course regularly throughout the event and to make sure that safety is a priority and to know where to go along the way is very critical. I thought it was a good thing. How important was the course inspection to Savai’i before the race? Very important to go on the ferry ride. What you see from Upolu looking across the Strait is very different. It is not exactly night and day but you get a different feel for places to sight as you get closer to Savai’i. It can be deceiving while you are out on the course because the main town is in the centre of the island and you do not want to be aiming for that. It is very deceiving while you are out there so to know exactly where you are going the closer you get is invaluable. I am very happy that we participated in that. Did it benefit to know the finish line? I think so, you know we had the buoys out on the course and that made it easier in the actual swim. But for me at that stage of the race I wasn’t thinking about the course I just wanted to get to the finish but it was good to have that sense of familiarity the closer you got I knew I have been here before and I know where to go. Please comment on the accommodation The Sheraton out here, I am looking at it right now. I have the view of Apolima Island and Manono Island. It is incredible scenery. Then the Amoa accommodation on Savaii, really finishing the race and not having to worry about getting back here and just really settle in for the evening was a really nice feeling especially after getting out of the water after a long day’s race. How important was it to have a Swim captain to control the swim for you? For me it was very important. Having someone that knows my swimming capability and who has a feel about how I’m doing in the water and then looking at it as an impartial observer that can make an objective call if things are going well or not going well. That is important because every swimmer has shades of optimism about their personal fitness, sometimes you need that objective third party to evaluate the situation and offer advice on the swim.  The Solo Swimmers at the Caps presentation - Kevin, Linda Collard, Mark Gillon, Jacques de Reuck (2018) was the Keynote speaker. Every swim around the world has its own special qualities. What were the special qualities of Apolima Strait for you?
I think the special quality of a race like this is the destination. This has been an incredible location to visit and the people and the scenery in the swim was amazing. The water while you are out there, I was telling my crew that it was almost hypnotising being in the water. It was so blue and so clear, the sun comes through and the rays just go down to this pint that you can’t tell whether it is 10m down or 100m down and it is just this abyss at the bottom and it is hypnotising to be down there. The sense of freedom to be in the channel is very hard for me to describe but is a peaceful feeling to be out there. One other thing I would say about the race is that there are different islands that are on the horizon that can help you as you are progressing through the race that you can see. There’s Manono and there’s Apolima you get a feel and ask am I making progress. That’ rewarding because a lot of the swim is a mental challenge and to have those checkpoints along the way really helps the swimmer manage through the course. Can you comment on the quality of your support boat? I did ask Katy about the boat and she felt it was certainly a sea worthy vessel. She did not have any issues about the boat. Can you comment about the safety of the swim? In any channel swim or open water swim I think safety is the first priority. I certainly felt those sentiments from the race director. I felt the safety culture that was delivered – we had the motorised boat and we had the kayak – just having those two layers of safety in the swim, plus there were two police boats monitoring the situation and radio communication between the parties. All this stuff when the athlete when we are out there it is the last thing we want to be thinking about. That is very nice to have those precautions taken and thought through and taken seriously and again that’s the top priority and I felt that from the start to finish. How was the Caps presentation for you? I am going to expand this beyond the caps presentation and talk a little bit about the event – we had the warm up swim on Tuesday along with the ferry ride, then the caps presentation on Wednesday followed by the swim, and then Friday a little time to decompress and then there was the awards presentation. It is not just the swim by itself because that is the race, there is the broader event. The whole event comes closer together in the course of a couple of days. And certainly the caps presentation is a part of that, when you take everything in together it’s a humbling experience. Sharing that experience with people coming in and taking the challenge the following day is a source of motivation and you also pay your respects to the people that have done this in the past. It’s humbling to cross that big body of water. What do you think of the Awards that you were presented with? This Citizenship and the handcrafted medal are definitely very cool. For me as a lifelong swimmer when you swim as a kid there are a lot of medals and awards. But when you get something that has that is handcrafted and you feel that a sense of uniqueness those to me are the special ones. We have a couple of them here, and I will cherish these and keep them dear to my heart. It is a good way to commemorate the experience. This has been great. I really appreciate it. END
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 Linda showing plenty of resolve at 4 pm in the middle of Apolima Strait between Apolima island and the headland of Savaii. She has been 10hrs in the water and still 3h 21m to the finish. Eventually it had to come. Two swimmers from this year’s swim are the first to go beyond 12-hours to complete the 4th Apolima Strait swim. Mark Gillon and Linda Collard both of New Zealand took over 12 hours to complete the swim. Mark clocked 12h 29m 28s and Linda 13h 21m 29s. For any swimmer, time was not important. Finishing the swim is the goal. To that end Mark and Linda’s achievements this year is exceptional for this reason, from the visuals we have as they approached the finish they were in good frame of mind and looked physically strong. Their strokes and stroke rate did not let up. They were stronger at the finish than seen earlier in the day. When we caught up with Linda for the last time it was 3:59 pm, three and half hours before she crossed the finish line at Lusia’s Chalets. She had been in the water since 6am that morning, a full 10hrs by the time we left her side. She was safe, she had Claire her swim captain on the kayak, and the support boat was a few meters away. Mark was the same but on the opposite side of the course to the north. In the end he proved closer to the middle than did Linda. Mark finished 41 minutes ahead of Linda – and neither looked the worst for wear.  Mark Gillon in the calm waters of the home stretch at Lusia's Lagoon It means they met the time challenge and with plenty left in store. They were more than equal to the time challenge. Neither swimmer had any doubt that they would not reach the finish or entertained any thought of pulling out. That makes their achievements that much bigger.
Both swimmers are at least two hours better than their respective finish times. But then we would not have made a start on the 12-hour club. Well done Mark and Linda.  Bronwyn and the Spoils of Apolima Strait 2018 Apolima Strait 2018 Champion Bronwyn Copeland has done it again. She has swum the length of Lake Taupo, 40.2 km in 11hrs 59secs. It is the fastest time in six years and the first woman to go sub-12-hrs in nine years.
The last sub-12hr swim was recorded by Casey Glover (M) in 2013 in a time of 10:52:48. The last female to swim under that time was Stephanie Bennington of Wellington in 2010 with a time of 11:54:00. Bronwyn was guided in her swim by ultra-marathon swim legend Philip Rush. In 2018 Bronwyn undertook her first long swim in Samoa across Apolima Strait. She won the 22.3 km crossing in a time of 7hrs 30mins34s in very rough conditions. She said to herself then, never again. But such is the lure of chasing ultra-marathon swims that in less than 12-months after Apolima she was in the water doing double the distance. Well done and congratulations Bronwyn. Lake Taupo Times - Long course, South to North - 40.2km 24 Feb 2008 Jason Papps (Wellington)12:38:10s 11 Mar 2008 Anna Marshall (Wellington)11:26:58s ?? Mar 2009 Ben Campbell-Macdonald (Wellington)11:45:00 2 Apr 2010 Stephanie Bennington (Wellington)11:54:00s 2 Mar 2011 Pam Dickson (Rotorua)13:54:00s 25 Feb 2013 Casey Glover (Wellington)10:52:48s 16 Feb 2014 Katrina Price (Thames)14:45:46s 22 Feb 2015 Simon Olliver (Christchurch)14:50:00s 21 Mar 201 5Heather Osborne (Tauranga)15:37:45s 8 Feb 2016 Holly Cassin (Christchurch)15:51:15s 22 Feb 2016 Mike Cochrane (Auckland)14:29:53s * 15 Feb 2017 Kim Sherwen (Christchurch)12:31:21s 26 Feb 2017 Samuel Muir-James (Auckland)14:58:03s 22 Dec 2017 Chloe Harris (Christchurch)13:49:00s 20 Jan 2018 Hannah Drury (Christchurch)14:19:00s 30 Jan 2018 Gabrielle Gunn (Wellington)16:31:59s 4 Feb 2018 Alice Sagar (Wellington)12:35:51s * 15 Feb 2018 Hayley Underwood (Palmerston North)14:13:00s 18 Feb 2018 Angela Moir (Christchurch)15:38:08s 6 Mar 2018 Vicky Tate (Wellington)15:04:00s 4 Feb 2019 Helen Conway (Australia)14:43:00s 9 Feb 2019 Steve Mckain (Clive, Hawke’s Bay)13:00:53s 14 Feb 2019 Caitlin O’Reilly (Auckland)13:27:40s 19 Feb 2019 Andrew Powell (Australia)16:30:38s 27 Feb 2019 Bronwyn Copeland (Tauranga)11:59:05s * 12 Mar 2019 David Edgar (Blenheim) 14:57:00 * *Indicates Apolima Strait swimmers END 
Thanks Chris for all your nice “fibs.” Now I have a chance to even the score. And I will start, Chris, by thanking your wife, on your behalf for her years of support for you…and more! Anyway, I look forward to discussing them all with you later. Told to expect an award, I had no idea that this would be a Life-time Achievement Award like this. I anticipated a piece of paper, but this heavy silver platter, and the priority accorded it, has blown me away. Thankyou ALL. In response to the award, I would have told you about a journey, but that will take far too long so I will confine my comments tonight to the early sixties. There is no time to add my tribute to Phil Rush, and to many, many others here tonight, nor relate my later swim adventures in Australia, Canada and England. This story begins in the 1950’s. I recall sitting on the beach at Napier, looking out to Cape Kidnappers and telling myself that I would one day swim from there to Napier, and then the English Channel. I did. Our NZ history of ultra-open-water or marathon swimming is built on two persons. First a legendary Wahine, held captive on Kapiti Island by Te Rauparaha. She is said to have swum or drifted all the way from Kapiti to D’Urville Island – more than 50 nautical miles – straight line. If true, that is one hell of a long and technically difficult swim. Our - that is New Zealand’s -first major authenticated achievements involved General Lord Bernard Freyberg – the first, at Gallipoli where he earned the VC, and then in England where he missed the Channel by about 6 hundred yards. In 1965 I had the pleasure of meeting Lady Freyberg in London following my channel swim. In the early 1960s, NZ Ultra marathon Open Water Swimming was centred on 3 or 4 Wellington Surf Lifesaving Clubs - Worser Bay (Barrie Devenport), Lyall Bay (Blakeley, Griffin, Mike Harvey et al) , Maranui (Bill Penny and Brian Crowder) and Island Bay, where I drew the short straw. While Bill Penny captivated the nation, he fell just short. But Barrie Devenport crossed the Strait first with all the deserved plaudits and recognition. At that point interest became truly nation-wide. Barrie deserved to be awarded the magnificent statue provided by old-time Wellington hotelier, Tom Coltman.  RECORDS 1956-1958, Hawkes Bay Heavyweight Amateur Wrestling champion; 1957, NZ Heavyweight Wrestling champion; 1963, Cape Kidnappers to Napier inaugural swim April; 1964, 7 Feb - Cook Strait crossing North to South in 9hr 34mins Record stood for 13 years; 1965, Aug - English Chanel Crossing – 1st New Zealander, France to England 15 hrs 33 mins Photo, Keith in 1964 before his Cook Strait Crossing, age 25 years Now let me tell you briefly about some of the movers and shakers. Foremost among them were the coaches – Ken Mitchell, Tony Keenan, Paul Krause, Morrie Doidge, Hilton Brown, Duncan Laing, Pic Parkhouse and Bert Cotterill. But there was also the unforgettable Ongley circus. A long since deceased medical practitioner, Montague Ongley and his wife, Florrie, the Court Jester, sought to control every swim team via his claimed skills as a (circa 1959 -60) “sports doctor”. Ongley specialised in 4 things – Vitamin B12 injections weekly, Digitalis tabs, (Heart), a weight loss tab, and Nicotinic acid to improve circulation in the capillaries. Florrie ran her ice baths – in an old house-hold cold bath full of ice, water and swimmer - for growing periods of time. The names of would be swimmers and the rumours circulating were numerous and almost all wrong. While this all relates to Cook Strait, many were already thinking of other challenges - like Taupo, Foveaux Strait and the English Channel. We in Island Bay set Cook Strait in a much faster time as our initial goal. But first, Cape Kidnappers to Napier was covered in just under 11 hours. My coach was the legendary Tony Keenan – an ex British Army PTI. Tony’s view of any contest was: “There is only one way to the top -over the top of the bugger in front of you. “ A quick anecdote relating to Cook Strait and a well-known Wellington Maori family, the Loves. As most everyone here knows the human head, give or take a few ounces, weighs about 14 lbs. Imagine that is on the end of a broom stick. Keeping that above the water while swimming for 8 or 9 hours places severe strain on the small of the back. Two days prior to the 7th Feb 1964, a close friend of mine, Lesley Jordan, was taken by a White Pointer shark at St Clair beach, Dunedin. His death was the first authenticated shark death for about a century. And that caused our team to panic. Three police marksmen were along for my swim. Tiny Love, who was in the close support boat, also had his .303 rifle. By late afternoon my back was screaming and the only way of relieving the pain was to bend over, grip around the knees and stretch my back. But the fear was that I was going to sleep. At that point I heard three rifle shots, looked up and around , and yelled: “Shark, shark. Where’s the shark ?” The response was: “Shark be buggered. If you don’t get your head down and swim the next one will be up your ……..” South Island took just 30 more minutes – 9 Hrs 34 minutes a record that stood for 13 years. Keith Hancox - Amateur Wrestler and Ultra Swimmer Let me conclude by thanking everyone for their support, including Tony Keenan, my hard driving coach. Tony threatened, cajoled and rowed his hands raw. He was the foundation upon which my success was built. His commitment, with the support of his wife Hilary, could not have been greater. Thank you, Tony.
Then there is my ever supportive and loving wife of 53 years, Carole. Without her support I could not later have achieved important goals in other fields. Thank you, Beadle. Looking back, I believe I have long since atoned for my stupidity in a way that provided substantial societal benefits. Finally, there is an old saying that was a favourite of friends like business leaders Sir Douglas Myers and Baron Ralph Von Kohorn : “Business with friends is friendship at risk. But friendship through business is friendship indeed.” I am proud to record that both Douglas and Ralph were and remained – through thick and thin - two true, and lasting friends. That business /friendship adage is important. It is an adage that certainly applies to all Open Water Ultra marathon swimmers, their coaches and their goals. So, as the end of my 80th year is near, thank you everyone for your friendship as we all strive to achieve future goals. END  Matthew leading the 10km race with Andrea Bolzoni and Andrea Piras keeping company at the 2km mark It was a perfect morning for a foot race on the mountain road at Falefa on Saturday. This is the only race that runs twice during the year, in January to kick start Samoa Events’ annual programme and in November to close the year.
Expats Matthew Howden, 33, and Anna Rivara, 28, won the premier 10km races. The 10km race is a gem of a course, popular with visiting runners from around the world. It overlooks Falefa Falls at the start and loops around Falefa Bay. From the elevated view the Bay is stunning in the early morning calm. Encountering very few cars on the quiet mountain-side road makes this course a runners’ paradise. There were eight in the premier 10km race, a few more lined up for the shorter distances. In the men’s race it was Aussie, Howden who took the win on Australia Day. He led from the front with two Italians on his tail, Andrea Piras and Andrea Bolzoni. It was the first time running the Falefa course for the three, and they were all smiles throughout the race. “Spectacular! The scenery, quiet coastal road, lush rainforest, waves breaking on the reef off in the distance, those were the best things about the run,” Howden said after the race. The other aspect of the day that struck with Howden was the friendly atmosphere despite it being a race. The Australian didn’t have a specific plan for the race. He said things worked themselves out after the first kilometre when he decided to open it up. “After the first kilometre I had warmed up and started to increase my pace,” he said. “After the halfway point I saw I had a bit of a lead but I kept expecting them to come galloping past me.” In the end, Howden’s winning time of 56mins 02secs was 90-seconds ahead of Piras who finished second. Bolzoni was another minute back. The women’s race was also hotly contested. The women’s podium was the same as the November 2018 race but with a twist. Then, it was Rivara who finished third behind Kat Riley (Aust) and Akiko Ano (USA). This time, Rivara took five minutes off her time from two months ago to cross the finish line in first place in 1hr 03mins. In the 6km race two more Australian expats Andrew Colquhoun - 31mins 26secs, won the men’s race and Laura Howden finished first in the women’s race in 41mins10secs. The Samoa Events weekend run series continues this weekend with the Apia 10km run followed by the South Coast 10km next Saturday. The three races serve as a platform for local runners to kick start their training for the Savai’i International Marathon in April. Samoa Events is already fielding international bookings for that race from as far afield as Europe and the United States. END Story, Seti Afoa  Captain Arthur Phillip won the race for Britain to settle Australia, beating the French into Botany Bay by a matter of days. Image painted by Francis Wheatley in 1786. Picture: National Potrait Gallery In the race between Britain and France to settle Australia in the late 18th century, Samoa unwittingly played a hand in delaying the French from claiming the prize. Two French ships arrived in Botany Bay on 24 January that year, only to see the eleven ships of the First Fleet already anchored in the bay. French explorer and expedition leader Comte de La Perouse was six days too late. The French late arrival could have something to do with the loss of twelve French sailors in Samoa a month earlier. It was December, 1787 and La Perouse’s expedition had arrived in Samoa on their way to Botany Bay. On the 11th of the month, twelve of La Perouse’s men including the captain of one of the two French ships were killed in a skirmish with the Samoans at A’asu on Tutuila Island. The race to settle Australia had its roots in the power struggles between Britain, France and the United States in North America. In the 1760’s Britain and France suffered substantial land losses as a result of two conflicts on the continent. The first conflict was the struggle for Canada in the 7 Years’ War that ended with France ceding territory to Britain in 1763. In revenge, the French helped the United States win the War of Independence that ended with Britain losing colonies in the American South. That was the prelude to the race for Botany Bay and British settlement of New South Wales on 26 January, 1788, the official day for Australia Day commemorations. There was something bigger going on, the American Declaration of Independence on 4 July, 1776 at the outset of the American Revolution accelerated the colonisation of the South Pacific, New Zealand and New Holland (as Australia was then known) as Britain and France looked for replacement territory. For Britain, she could no longer offload convicts to the colonies – that was one of the facilitators in the revolt to rid America of Britain’s interference in local affairs. The other was unfair taxation imposed on the Americans. With the loss of her American territories, Britain then sought a new country to receive convicts from England’s overcrowded jails – Botany Bay, claimed by Captain James Cook for the Crown in April, 1770 was identified as the place and they had to get there in a hurry before the French arrived. The French had a head start. King Louis XVI sent out two ships on 1 August 1785 headed for the South Pacific. The First Fleet did not leave England for NSW until May 1787. The French expedition was led by well-respected scientist and explorer Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse. His ships were L'Astrolabe and La Boussole. History would define La Perouse as a tragic figure with bad luck. He missed beating the British to Botany Bay by a matter of days. Then when La Perouse and his remaining crew left Botany Bay in March 1788 after a six-week stay, they were never to be seen again. The two boats simply vanished and did not return to France. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier.  French explorer and navigator Jean-François de Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse History would define La Perouse as a tragic figure with bad luck. He missed beating the British to Botany Bay by a matter of days. Then when La Perouse and his remaining crew left Botany Bay in March 1788 after a six-week stay, they were never to be seen again. The two boats simply vanished and did not return to France. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier. It was Bougainville who gave Samoa the name Navigator Islands in 1768, a name La Perouse used in his journal for the Samoa group of islands. La Perouse recorded the interchange with locals started off friendly and there was a healthy exchange of goods between the French and the Samoans. La Perouse arrived at Fagasa Bay on the north coast of Tutuila on 9 December, 1787. He noted in his journal that the maps he was using were inaccurate and he made a scathing attack on fellow French explorer Antoine de Bougainville who surveyed the islands and drew the maps ten years earlier. It was Bougainville who gave Samoa the name Navigator Islands in 1768, a name La Perouse used in his journal for the Samoa group of islands. La Perouse recorded the interchange with locals started off friendly and there was a healthy exchange of goods between the French and the Samoans.
Still contained on the ships was the entire population of the fleet some 1,000 men, women and children made up of 753 convicts and the rest marines, officers and sailors. The figures differ between sources. The population of the first Australians at the same time was estimated at around 750,000 to 1 million, again differing between sources and scientific methods of historical data analysis. That figure has been quoted as high as 1.5 million. By the time La Perouse arrived at Botany Bay, Arthur Phillip had already decided against Botany Bay for the settlement of his people. A few days earlier on 21 January Phillip let a party in three small boats toward the north to explore the area known as Broken Bay, and also have a look at the headlands Cook noted in 1770 as Port Jackson. Captain Cook did not sail through the headlands. He has in haste to depart after a long stay at Botany Bay and merely noted and named Port Jackson from a distance as he sailed north toward Cape York. Had Cook sent a rowboat to investigate, he would have discovered one of the finest harbours in the entire world. That was Arthur Philip’s reward, and two days after entering Port Jackson and exploring Sydney Cove he was back at Botany Bay on January 23rd, the evening before La Perouse arrived. La Perouse and his two ships arrived at Botany Bay during the night. It caused much alarm to the Fleet to see the ships anchored outside the Bay in the first light of January 24th. Preparations were in earnest, and in secret to relocate the entire First Fleet to Sydney Cove. Arthur Phillip did not want La Perouse to know about Sydney Cove. On the 26th of January the fleet weighed anchor and sailed the short distance to Port Jackson in full view of La Perouse and his men. That evening, the entire First Fleet was safely at anchor in Sydney Cove. The rest is history as the saying goes, and the founding of modern Australia was achieved. La Perouse and his men stayed put in Botany Bay for six weeks. In that time the French set up an Observatory, a chapel, gardens and geological observations in keeping with the scientific nature of the expedition. Whilst La Perouse was not once invited by Phillip for a formal diplomatic meeting and the two never met, there was one thing they both agreed upon – Botany Bay was not suitable for a settlement. The Bay offered no protection to the elements, and there was no adequate water supply to be found. La Perouse wrote in his journal of Botany Bay and the country as the most god-forsaken place on earth. He might have changed his view had he discovered Sydney Cove first, if only he arrived a week or so earlier. History is clear on one thing, La Perouse was not really serious on entering Botany ahead of the British. Many months earlier while in Russian waters he learned of the First Fleet sailing for Botany Bay. He could have easily left everything to arrive ahead of Arthur Phillip. His main mission was scientific discovery for France. But Arthur Philip was concerned enough to beat the French into Botany Bay. For him the race was very real. Before the French departed Botany Bay on the 10th of March La Perouse sent over to Arthur Phillip a despatch of writings and journals to be forwarded to the French ambassador in London on the first outward boat to England.  L'Astrolabe and La Boussole were discovered in the Solomon Islands in 1964. Image: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. That was the last recorded sighting of Le Perouse and his men. They were not seen again.
Another sad footnote, a few weeks before the French departed Botany Bay, the chaplain from L'Astrolabe, Father Louis Receveur, died of injuries he sustained in the massacre in Samoa. Le Perouse’s journals were later published in Paris in 1797 under the title “The voyage of La Perouse around the World”. The French Navy spent a considerable amount of effort to find out what happened to the expedition without success. It is recorded that King Louis XVI before he was executed in 1793 was to enquire if there was any word on La Perouse. The death of the monarch ushered in the French Revolution and it had no small connection to the financial losses heaped on France as a result of the conflicts in North America. The mystery of what happened to La Perouse was finally answered in 1964 when the L'Astrolabe and La Boussole were found wrecked outside a reef in Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. END  Digital rendering of Samoa Airways’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 Samoa Airways and Air Lease Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding in Apia, for the lease placement of one new Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Scheduled for delivery in late March, the aircraft, which will be delivered direct from Boeing in Seattle Washington, will replace the National Carrier’s existing 737-800. The MOU was signed by the Prime Minister, Honourable Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa Airways Chairman Feesago Siaosi Fepuleai and ALC Executive Chairman Steven Hazy. The partnership represents the continuation of the relationship between Boeing, Mr Hazy and the National Carrier. Hazy was previously the CEO of the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which leased Boeing aircraft to the National Airline in the past. The 737 MAX airplanes bring the latest technology to the most popular jet aircraft of all time, the 737. It offers incredible range and flexibility and is designed to provide passengers with a comfortable flying experience. The airplane will feature the new Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger overhead stowage bins. The MAX’s technological advances plus its powerful LEAP-1B engines are redefining the future of efficient and environmentally friendly air travel. Samoa Airways is set to become the first airline in the South Pacific Region including New Zealand and Australia to operate the new Boeing 737 MAX 9. The new aircraft will be configured with 16 Business Class seats and 173 seats in Economy Class, and will operate between Apia, Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane. Samoa Airways Press Release SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Andy Murray at the Melbourne Arena on Monday night. Photo / Ben Solomon / Tennis Australia On any other day, Andy Murray would have cruised through the early rounds of the Australian Open with that magnificent performance against 22nd – seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. Murray lost a thriller in five sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2. The first round match was worthy of a final. I found myself watching scintillating tennis between the former world number one and the 22nd seed Bautista Agut. Such quality matches are usually reserved for the Round of sixteen and the finals. But now Murray, 31, is knocked out of the first Open of the year and likely to have enforced his early retirement plans. At two sets down he looked down and out against the precision of Bautista Agut. Then Murray clawed his way back winning the third and fourth sets in a tie-break to level at 2-2. He was superb and sublime all at once. The trademark ground strokes and baseline game was simply outstanding. But it was not enough against the Spanish who last week defeated Novak Djokovic, who is the number one seed in Melbourne, in the Qatar Open final – no less. Bautista Agut won the final set 6-2. Murray was spent and the injured hip was all too evident a liability in the end. It affected his speed around the court and at times decision making at crucial times. The great Scot became a tragic hero to a full house at Melbourne Arena and millions watching on television on Monday night. All eyes and voice were on him for a miracle comeback that just slipped through his grasp.
Andy Murray on his way to losing a first round thriller against Roberto Bautista Agut. Photos / Ben Solomon / Tennis Australia Murray, who hasn’t played a lot of tennis in the last two years resulting in him missing ATP tournaments and points, came into the tournament ranked 230.
He was given a wildcard to the tournament but not seeded. It meant his first round match in Melbourne was going to be against a seeded player. There was to be no luxury of easing through the early rounds. It also meant Murray who is still recovering from hip surgery and with very little tennis under his belt had to bring his A game for the first round. He did and it almost worked. He will now contemplate his future. The hip will not stand any further scrutiny of a physical sport. There was talk of a farewell appearance in Wimbledon in July but that may be too far a stretch. In the pre-game Presser Murray said the hip wasn’t doing well. "I can still play, but not to a level I'm happy playing at," he said. “The pain is too much really.” “I tried everything to get it right but it hasn’t worked.” His own friends in the circuit are advising him to retire now and not wait for Wimbledon. If he does it will be a sad day for men’s tennis. Andy Murray facts 3 Grand Slam titles (Wimbledon 2013, 2016; US Open 2012) 2 Olympic Gold medals (London, Rio) First British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years Won 45 ATP Tour titles First pro male to employ a Female coach – Amelie Mauresmo (2014-16) Career Prize money $61 million (US) SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Browns Bay start for the 3.8 km swim - Photo, ScottieTPhoto It was a perfect day for Ocean swimming on New Years Day in Auckland city. The wind was a slight one blowing from the south west which meant the east coast of Auckland was flat and smooth. No wonder 55 swimmers turned up for the first swim of the year in the world. There was no doubt the weather had a hand in the good turn out today, the largest in the 7 years of this swim. Only four took on the 2 km swim, a new distance added to get more people involved. The rest opted for the long version, 3.8 km from Browns Bay to Long Bay. Nick Shanks swam the fastest in 53min 45sec, he now holds the record for the distance. Terri Bidwell was the first woman to finish in 57min 38sec. Jono Ridler was the first non-wetsuit swimmer to cross in 57min 28secs another record. RESULTS - New Year's Day Swim Browns Bay to Long Bay - Auckland - Notes at the end 2KM Place Name AGR Distance Time 1 Matt Penney 40-44 2KM 0:39:42 2 Shane Chubb 50-54 2KM 0:41:17 3 Denise James 40-44 2KM 0:47:18 4 Sarah Haldane 50-54 2KM 0:49:10 3.8KM Place Name Age Grp Distance Time 1 Nick Shanks 25-29 3.8KM 0:53:45 2 Tim Buckley 35-39 3.8KM 0:54:16 3 Mark Harris 45-49 3.8KM 0:54:38 4 Jono Ridler AGR 3.8KM 0:57:28 nws 5 Terri Bidwell 45-49 3.8KM 0:57:38 6 Jett Curteis U15 3.8KM 1:03:06 7 Mike Cochrane 35-39 3.8KM 1:03:21 nws 8= Hamish Commons AGR 3.8KM 1:05:24 8= Martin Powell AGR 3.8KM 1:05:24 10 Sam Hope 40-44 3.8KM 1:06:52 11 Hugh Parris 40-44 3.8KM 1:07:19 12 Kerri Dewe 30-39 3.8KM 1:07:27 13 Alice Brown 25-29 3.8KM 1:07:28 14 David Grant 60-64 3.8KM 1:07:40 nws 15 Mark Checksfield AGR 3.8KM 1:07:51 16 Peter Clark 50-54 3.8KM 1:09:58 17 Sandi Wooldridge 45-49 3.8KM 1:10:40 18 Vince Sesto AGR 3.8KM 1:10:46 19 Palepua Afoa U15 3.8KM 1:12:30 nws 20= Rob Lane AGR 3.8KM 1:13:27 20= Paulette Tasker AGR 3.8KM 1:13:27 nws 22= Raewyn Barker 35-39 3.8KM 1:17:53 nws 22= Gina Yukich 25-29 3.8KM 1:17:53 nws 24= Marina Nola 40-44 3.8KM 1:21:55 24= James Harper 40-44 3.8KM 1:21:55 26 David Moulder 45-49 3.8KM 1:22:02 27 Lynne O'Sullivan 50-54 3.8KM 1:25:13 28 Kirsty Pinder AGR 3.8KM 1:25:46 29 Chris Shouksmith 60-64 3.8KM 1:26:42 30 Caroline Guy 40-44 3.8KM 1:28:27 31 Kim Tobias AGR 3.8KM 1:29:28 nws 32 Nicole Youman AGR 3.8KM 1:16:34 33 Kim Taunga 40-44 3.8KM 1:32:15 nws 34 Dan Feisst 35-39 3.8KM 1:32:20 35 Violani Afoa U15 3.8KM 1:33:17 nws 36= Craig Gregory 45-49 3.8KM 1:33:32 36= Lynley Twyman 50-54 3.8KM 1:33:32 38 Anthony Sexton 35-39 3.8KM 1:34:20 39 Mark Gillon 55-59 3.8KM 1:36:25 nws 40 Gracie MacKinlay 40-44 3.8KM 1:39:45 41 Kay Abayakoon 40-44 3.8KM 1:45:27 nws 42 Daniel Afoa 50-54 3.8KM 2:05:00 nws SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019  Bray Heads behind us and I'm about to get my baptism of cold water ocean swimming in the Irish Sea with Oceans 7 swim legend Ion Lazarenco Tiron. He's the stuff of Legends. I was in awe with a Legend. In November 2018 I found myself in Dublin, Ireland. I was following the All Blacks on their Northern Spring Tour with a test match in Aviva Stadium. That was the catalyst for my presence in the fine city of Dublin in the Spring. That also meant I was in the same city as Ion whom I met earlier in the year in Auckland, New Zealand. He was there to swim Cook Strait, the final swim of his Oceans 7. There are 7 swims in Oceans 7: North Channel (Ireland to Scotland), Cook Strait (NZ), Molokai Channel in Hawai'i, Catalina Channel (USA), Tsugaru Strait in Japan, English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar (Europe to Africa). This is the pinnacle of Ocean swimming. Ion was the 8th person to have completed all seven swims, and the only person to complete all seven in the first attempt. So you can imagine stars in my eyes as I spent a couple of days with Ion and his wife Angela. I traveled to Bray where they live, Ion met me and he showed me the amazing sights and landscape of these parts of Eire. Then on my final day I asked Ion to take me for a swim in his local waters in the Irish Sea. It gets cold in these parts in November and here I was about to swim my first ocean swim in Europe. We went down to the beach in Bray, Wicklow near where I was staying at the fine Esplanade Hotel. It was a blustery morning with grey skies and early signs of a cold winter ahead. It will be the coldest swim of my life. The water was a chilly 10 deg Celsius and I was shivering. I had to borrow swimming togs from Ion, a swim cap, and goggles. I simply had to have a swim so I could brag for the rest of my life that I swam the Irish Sea in the winter and with a swim legend by my side. Ion was first in the water. This was normal conditions for him. Four of the seven swims are in cold like conditions in Bray that November morning. I decided not to dilly dally around but to get right in. I walked into the surf and dived in. The immense cold water emptied my body of all the air in my frame. It was cold, and we were only in togs. I immediately took a second dive and started to swim. It felt like my arms had fallen from my torso. They were numb, arms and legs, all four of them. I kept on, and flailed like a bird in a sea of cold oil. I was simply frozen but I kept on. Then the equilibrium of temperature kicked in, my skin was now the same temperature as the water or at least it felt that way. There was an odd sensation about it too - a warmth of sorts now that my body has accepted the fact I was staying in the water for more than an instant. I decided then that I needed to swim for 20 minutes to make it count. I did that, darting here and there as Ion exited the water to take photos of my brave exploit. He was encouraging and I felt like a hardened hero of sorts. I was swimming in the Irish Sea at the start of winter, and a Legend was observing my adventure. I will do it again. Ion Lazarenco Tiron's Oceans 7 Swims Strait of Gibraltar - Europe to Africa (4 hours 41 minutes) English Channel (13 hours 34 minutes) North Channel - Ireland to Scotland (16 hours 23 minutes) Catalina Channel, USA (12 hours 1 minute) Molokai Channel, Hawai'i (18 hours 11 minutes) Tsugaru Channel, Japan (11 hours 20 minutes) Cook Strait, NZ (11 hours 5 minutes).
SAMOA EVENTS / JAN / 2019 |
