The Tattersalls Masters Australia team of Peter Thiel, Brandon Capell, Josh Santacaterina, Trent Grimsey, Cameron Smith and Josh Minogue defended its 2007 title over the perennially strong RCP Tiburon Milers in the 2008 Maui Channel Swim under stunningly beautiful conditions.Bob Placak, founder and race director of the Tiburon Mile, annually puts together strong teams (winning in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006) for the Maui Channel Swim. With a group of national and internationally ranked pool and open water swimmers - including Noa Sakamoto, John Flanagan, Larsen Jensen, Andrew Roato and John K. Koehler, Jr. - Placak looked to captain another winning team over the defending champions from Sydney.
But the younger Tattersalls team (with a cumulative age of 150 years) took off from the start and never looked back, winning in 2 hours 53 minutes and 14 seconds over the 3:00.41 time of the RCP Tiburon Milers (cumulative age of 171 years). Third place went to the Mixed Bag Island Style team of Lisa Hazen, Ryan Bise, Trevor Gillis, Brenda Newton, Dave Stewart and Brian Kohlmeier (cumulative age of 225 years).
Concurrently, race director Ian Emberson, also holds a solo race across the Maui Channel, 9.6 miles between the islands of Lanai and Maui. Bill Goding, 55, who also successfully crossed the 26-mile Molokai Channel in 2006, won the solo competition in 3:48.55, impressively finishing 12th overall (among all teams and individuals). Alan Voisard, 48, was second individually and 14th overall with a time of 3:53.37.Many of the Maui Channel Swim participants stayed on Maui to either vacation or participate in the Maui 'Aumākua 2.4 Mile Swim and Sprint Mile that is eloquently described here,
Upper photo from Brendan Capell's Facebook page. Lower photo from the Bank of Hawaii website.
Note: "Maui No Ka Oi" means Maui is the best.
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