John Legge was first to shore and Eleanor Gardner repeated as female champion as a field of almost 90 completed the annual Trunk Island swim in Harrington Sound yesterday morning.

Unlike a year ago, swimmers didn?t have to deal with adverse winds, high waves or tide conditions, as they were presented with an almost perfect setting for fast times.

And Legge, Gardner and Michael Cash, who quickly broke away from the rest of the field, took full advantage.

Leaving Trunk Island cove and setting out across Harrington Sound for the finish in Palmetto Bay, it was this trio who set the pace, gradually extending their lead over a pursuing pack of another eight swimmers.

Swimming strongly through the middle portion of the course, there was no danger that the three would be caught and it soon became evident the winner would emerge from the leading group.

In a dramatic finish the trio were in line abreast as they sprinted over the last 500 metres to the shoreline. And it was Legge, in a time of 18 minutes, 15.24 seconds who got home just ahead of Cash (18:21.40) with Gardner third overall in 18:25.49 as she successfully defended her title of first female.

Her Harbour Club team-mates Kaitlyn Miller and Nicole Yearwood took fourth and fifth place overall with times of 19:02.06 and 19:06.54 respectively.

Rounding out the top ten were Roy-Allan Burch, Stuart Joblin, Martin Danielak, Paul DeGuilio and Nick Strong, who all completed the course in under 20 minutes.

The 12 and under girls? title was captured by Ashley Yearwood of the host Harbour Club, as she finished 16th overall with a time of 21:16.19, while the 12 and under boys? division was won by Nicholas Patterson of Sharks Swim Club, who finished in 19th in 21:35.79.

Team racing was re-introduced this year with the Bermuda Open Water Swimmers (BOWS) quartet of Legge, Cash, Joblin and DeGuilio winning the title over the Harbour Club team of Gardner, Miller, Yearwood and Denzel Wellman.

A total of 89 swimmers set off on the 1,325 metre course in an event which has been running for close to 30 years.

Promising youngster Nick Thomson of Sharks Club broke another 13-14 age group record while competing in the Canadian Age Group Nationals over the weekend, clocking 2:26.72 in the 200 metres backstroke.

That time shaved almost three seconds off the old record held by Matthew Hammond, set 12 years ago in 1994.

It also marked a second record-breaking swim for Thomson as he smashed the 50 metres backstroke record on Friday night, clocking 30.51 as he continued his warm-up for next month?s inaugural FINA Youth World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Canadian Age Group meet in Calgary has attracted some 800 of the best junior swimmers in Canada.

Earlier in the meet, Bermuda?s 14 year-old Rebecca Sharp swam the 50 metres backstroke in 32.65 to break the girls? 13-14 age group record.