The Guernsey Swimming Club’s Puffin Gala was held at Beau Sejour on Sunday 4th July and was the last of their indoor events before the summer break. The Puffin Gala is a low key taster gala to introduce the young inexperienced swimmers into competition. For most swimmers this would be their first experience in a gala participating in float races moving on to the 5m and 10 meter events in the small pool to the more competent swimmers racing 25 meters in the main pool.
The Puffin Gala has been part of the Guernsey Swimming Club programme for many years with Oscar Puffin traveling to Guernsey from Jersey to present the medals annually before he retired in 2013. Some of the young swimmers parents also previously competed in this competition themselves.
There was a high standard of swimming from the young swimmers producing some excellent swimming good technique which bodes well for future years. There were many very close races and two new records were set by brothers Cameron and Duncan Le Tissier.
6 year old Cameron set a new record for the boys 6 and under 25m freestyle recording a time of 28.00 whilst his younger brother Duncan (4) set a new record for the 10m float race previously held by Joseph Lee in 2013. Harriet Grierson and Ollie Jackson both aged 4, comfortably completed the 25m freestyle for swimmers who usually swim in the small pool although not winning the race it was great to see such young and able swimmers taking part. It will be really interesting to follow all these young swimmers and watch how they develop over the next few years.
