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Monterey Bay Swim History and Successes
Did you know the first Solo marathon swim of Monterey Bay was completed by Cindy Cleveland in 1980 and would not be repeated until 2014?
WHAT'S NEWTeam Five-O Completes the First Monterey Bay Double Relay
On May 4 and 5th, 2019, Team Five-O completed the first ever two way, 50 mile, double relay swim of the Monterey Bay. The swim began at 2 am on Saturday May 4th at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz. The team swam in 1 hour rotations until they reached San Carlos Beach in Monterey. After clearing the water at San Carlos, they returned to Santa Cruz and landed on Seabright beach Sunday morning for a total swim of 50 miles. the total duration of the swim was 29 hours and 51 minutes round trip. The swim was the brainchild of Scott Tapley and Robin Rose. The name is based on swimmers in their 50s, swimming 50 miles when the water temp is still in the low to mid 50s. The 6 swimmers included Scott Tapley, Kim Rutherford, John Chapman, Amy Gubser, Greg Lendhal, and Sarah Roberts (swimming for Robin due to a broken bone.) The team reported lots of wildlife (whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, squid, tuna, and strange creatures in the night). At night there was lots of bright green phosphorescence that created a spectacular light show around any movement through the dark water. 
Women's 2018 Trans-bay Relay is a Success
On September 22, 2018 a team of 5 brave young women swam from Santa Cruz to Monterey. The route they chose took the swimmers 26 miles from the Santa Cruz harbor beach to the southern-most sand of Del Monte each (Monterey Municipal Beach) just south of the Monterey Harbor. Swimmers included Maggie Albers, Marisa Lovos, Kristine Cosgrove, Christa Prior, and Claire Linney. The team was supported by Nomad Sailing Charters and a second boat piloted by Pete Albers. Kayakers and boat support included Clayton Keller, Nick Harvey, Kanani Hocking, and Mark Kane. The team encountered a few jellies along the way, but stayed strong and finished in a time of 12 hours, 59 minutes. 
Solo Swim of the 12 Mile Jay Long Course
On June 17, 2017 Scott Tapley honored the spirit of beloved surfer and waterman, Jay Moriarity, by swimming the "Jay." The 12 mile course begins in Capitola, goes outside Pleasure Point, passes Santa Cruz Wharf, then to Mile Buoy, returning to Capitola. With a 6am start, Scott started about 6AM and was past Mile Buoy before the official paddle race caught up. Scott and crew cheered for paddlers as they sped by. Scott was supported by a Jim Ready, Kim Rutherford, Robin Rose, and Emma Kelsey. Total swim time, dry sand to dry sand was 7 hours and 4 minutes. 
Amy Gubser
On September 22, 2017 Amy Gubser became the fourth person to complete a solo marathon swim across the Monterey Bay. Previous swims were completed by Cindy Cleveland (1980), Patti Bauernfeind (2014), and Kim Rutherford (2014). During Amy’s epic journey, she swam over nine hours in the dark and battled strong currents, wind, and hundreds of jelly fish stings. The water temperature ranged from 59 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Amy remained positive the entire swim, smiling and cracking jokes the entire way. Her crew consisted of (pilots) Greg Gubser, John Sims, Stephanie Duhau, and Larry Ahlin; (crew chief/paddler) Gavin Downs; (paddlers) Robin Rose and David David North. She also got a private escort off the beach by the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol. 
SEA OTTER 6 - South End Rowing Club 2016
September 11, 2016, a group of adventurous women from the South End Rowing Club completed a trans-Monterey Bay Relay swim wearing nothing but a single swim cap and goggles. The team, known as the Otters, included Asha Allen, Jane Mason, Becky Margulies, Jessica Moll, Leeann Borton, and Joy Hollenback. They swam from Cowell Beach Santa Cruz to Lovers Beach Monterey (24 miles) in 12:41:00. This was the first RELAY team to complete this swim entirely NAKED. 
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John Zemaitis is the First Male to Complete a Solo Marathon Swim of Monterey Bay
On June 4 and 5, 2019 John Zemaitis completed the first official unassisted solo marathon swim of the 25 mile Monterey Bay. The swim course was Santa Cruz (Seabright Beach) to Monterey (San Carlos Beach). He completed the swim in a time of 17 hours and 23 minutes. The swim was planned to be a tandem solo with his brother Joe. The two brothers began in Santa Cruz on Tuesday evening and swam through the night. The brothers swam brilliantly, but Joe had to end his swim just 1 mile before reaching the beach in Monterey. John continued to the beach to become the first man and fifth person to complete a crossing following what are commonly referred to as "English Channel" rules - from shore to shore, no supportive contact, single cap and goggles, no wetsuit or other aids to warmth, buoyancy, or speed. Congratulations on some tremendous swimming by both brothers. 2019 Pier to Pier Swim Results
Congratulations to everyone who swam in this year's Pier to Pier swim. This year the swim occurred in perfect conditions. The water was right around 58f and smooth for the entire swim with little current. All swimmers completed the swim and there were some fast times for such a challenging open ocean course requiring expert navigation and teamwork between swimmer and kayaker. The South End Rowing Club was well-represented, but the first place finish went to Santa Cruz local David Lederman in a time of 2:18. The first woman on the beach was Marisa Lovos from Monterey in a time of 2:49. We owe a huge thanks to our volunteer water safety pilots and our wonderful beach crew! View the full race results here. 
Angel More 20K Wharf to Wharf to Wharf Swim
On September 29 , 2016 13 year old Angel More completed a 20K swim from Capitola to Santa Cruz and Back. She started at the Capitola Wharf, swam 2 miles south (directly out to sea) then west toward Santa Cruz. After rounding the Santa Cruz Wharf and swimming to Cowell Beach, Angel did a U-turn and swam in reverse back to Capitola Beach. She completed the first 10K in 3:25 and finished in a time of 8 hours, 19 minutes. 
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