first race in the Pepperidge Farm Winter Swim Series held at the Southampton Princess Dolphin Quest on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sarah Manuel emerged as the first female, beating Kris Cash by eight seconds.

However, Mike Cash paid a price for the win, badly scraping his stomach during a failed attempt at the dolphin technique, where one pushes off the bottom in shallow water, simulating a dolphin jumping.

As Cash rounded a pylon near the spectator area he attempted the move, only to have a wave pull away at the same instant, resulting in him landing on the rocky bottom.

Many of the record 49 participants did not dolphin, preferring to run through the knee-deep water at the shallow end, doing so without incident.

Race director Patrick Hackenberg was pleased by the turn-out, although he questioned the sanity of those involved.

"I was amazed to see the turnout,'' said Hackenberg. "There are more crazy people on this Island than I imagined. I am sure part of the attraction was to come down and see the dolphins at Dolphin Quest nose-to-bottle nose.'' Results -- see Scoreboard