Team NZBlue

Race Report: Sharkfest Alcatraz to the Bay 2026

Mark Twain said the "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" True to that quote, Saturday 8 August started off cold and bleak albeit a relatively still San Francisco morning.

10 swimmers from Team NZBLUE made their way to the start line in San Francisco Bay joining over 450 other swimmers from mainly the US and a few from the UK and two from Australia who will remain nameless.

Amongst the Team were some experienced campaigners with some having swum Gibraltar Strait with the club in 2024 and others with Triathlon, Swim and Surf Titles. In addition, some were taking on a sea swim for the first time in a long time specifically Mark Davis and Kathy Blake.

Wetsuits were donned and swim caps put on prior to the long walk to the two ferries waiting to drop everyone next to Alcatraz Island. The walk helped clear a few nerves and was not unlike the march of the Emperor Penguins across the Ice.

All athletes climbed aboard 2 ferries and then sailed on over about 100 metres from Alcatraz Island. Jumping off the Alcatraz cliffs is best left to a bygone era. Nowadays that's frowned upon by the Health and Safety Police instead of the penitentiary guards of the time. By the time we got out, the wind was up, along with a tidal change and the water was a lot choppier that from the mainland.

Much like the same Penguins taking the leap off the ice shelf for their first swim, everyone jumped off the ferry one by one until all 450 plus athletes were wallowing around in the water.

You can imagine the shark's view from below with 900 legs treading water - it was a breakfast smorgasbord to rival the biggest buffets in Vegas.

The imaginary start line was formed between kayaks with a lead boat ahead and thankfully all limbs and bodies remained intact at the sound of the ho**er. Swimmers fought the tides, the swell, each other and their own inner thoughts and began the hustle and bustle Swim back towards San Francisco City

Exiting the water in the 6th place overall and 2nd in age group was the young seal pup of the group - Nick Bone.

Proving age is no barrier next up from Team NZBLUE was Mark Blake Finishing 18th overall and 1st in his age group.

Close on his heels was Steve Dempsey 26th overall and 1st in his age group as well. At this juncture Mark Blake would like to point out that he was first also in Steve Dempsey's age group but that is a matter for the statisticians.

Bill Blackmore sprang up the beach soon after in 3rd place in his and Marks Age group, giving New Zealand dominance on the dais in the older they get the better they were category.

Richard Wilkinson was next in also with a credible 3rd in his age group

Yas Kessiner cruised in just over the 50 min mark followed by Ben Davies a minute behind

Kathy Blake rounded off the podium finishes with a 3rd in her age group just 45 seconds from the silver medal. Credit here in swimming with a Go Pro and capturing the magic of the day and breaking 60 minutes.

At just over the 1 hour mark brothers Mark and Aaron Davis rolled in like a couple of seasoned bull seals from nearby Pier 39, still in the top half of their age group. A first up swim for Mark was a huge challenge only surpassed by the $22,000 he raised for the Inspire Foundation of Marlborough. In what is no surprise and fast becoming folklore Aaron took one for the team, giving up a certain podium spot to be the ultimate wingman for Mark.

All up 5 podium spots out of 10 swimmers, most easily the most from any club and whist an amazing effort to add to prior podium finishes in Race Across America, and the toughest 48 hours in sport - The 508. That said it is not the key driver for the club.

Each year NZBLUE creates one or more challenges for its members to be fit and healthy, to inspire others, and more importantly create interest around an event to raise money for child and youth charities in New Zealand. This year we raised all up just over $60,000 with well over $100K now raised to date.

Congratulations to Yas, Nick, Steve, Richard, Bill and Mark and Kathy earning their FTA (Finely Tuned Athlete) pins. And special mention to Megan Dispensary Dempsey for looking after the team.

Momentum is building and events for 2027 will be announced soon😊

https://youtu.be/-UVF6CbZCZA

🇳🇿Team NZ Blue | WARM-UP SWIM recap! 🌊

The “Warm Up” swim started at the Airforce Marina with Pacific Coast swim - a crew of seriously talented pros who do this for a living, day in and day out.

A 5:00am rendezvous on a classic SFO summer morning, followed by race briefing as the sun slowly started to glaze through the San Francisco fog.

Safety briefing done, we jumped aboard the specialist boats and headed out to the Pacific Ocean side, right in the centre of the Golden Gate.

The water was expected to be cold, but months of sea swimming around Auckland and the Marlborough Sounds had the team well conditioned. A balmy18°C greeted us! 🥶➡️😎

Then it was go time!

A 4.6km straight swim up the guts of San Francisco Harbour towards Alcatraz, with a solid flood tide helping push the pace along. At times, the current had us moving at under 1 minute per 100m!

45 minutes later - everyone safely out, limbs intact and confidence high.

No major wildlife encounters out in the bay… although Steve appeared determined to bite as many ankles as possible within the group. 😂

There were also some impressive thresher shark aerial displays from the boat, thankfully, all limbs remain attached and the team is ready for the BIG RACE TODAY.

Let’s go Team NZ Blue!🇳🇿💙

4 SLEEPS TO GO!

Excited? YES.
Nervous? Of course.
Ready? ...Just about!

Follow our adventure - Alcatraz Swim. August 8th.

nzblue .auctioneer

Last Friday, we were proud to host another successful NZBLUE Multisports Charity Event, bringing together an incredible community of sponsors, supporters, and friends to make a meaningful impact.

It was a fantastic day filled with connection, generosity, and a shared commitment to giving back. The charity auction was a highlight, and we were humbled by the support shown throughout the event.

Thanks to everyone's generosity, we raised over $60,000 for , & - three organisations doing important work to support and strengthen our communities.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and everyone who attended. Your support makes events like this possible, and together we can create a lasting impact.

We can't wait to do it all again next year!

Our long lunch tables have now SOLD OUT – But you can still join us!

Grab yourself a ticket for our afternoon party.

Spend the afternoon mingling with awesome people, sing along to some iconic hits, boogie on the dancefloor, but mostly - have a GREAT TIME!

..and remember it's all for a brilliant cause!

When: Friday 17th July 2026
Time: 3pm onwards
Tickets available now: https://nzblue.org/products/afternoon-ticket
But get in quick - 30 tickets only!!

This year's Long Lunch auction features an incredible collection of experiences, travel packages, sporting memorabilia, dining experiences, wellness packages and exclusive getaways - all generously donated to help support the work of Team NZBLUE.

Every bid helps support the work of NZBLUE while giving you the opportunity to secure something truly special.

And remember - Your Bid Makes A Difference

The Long Lunch Auction is more than just great prizes.

Building on an incredibly successful year of fundraising, Team NZ BLUE is proud to continue making a difference in 2026 by supporting three outstanding charities: I AM HOPE, Inspire Foundation, and IBUILT.

Your generosity allows us to expand our reach and continue making a meaningful difference where it's needed most.

We continue to add auction items and may combine some items or include in raffles to generate the best outcome for our charities.

If you have an experience or product you would like to donate - simply send us a message - we would love to hear from you!

And for those who have secure your tickets - We can't wait to see you there!

https://nzblue.org/collections/2026-auction-items

FINAL 2 TABLES!

Through the amazing team at BIVACCO and the powers of the ‘shuffle’, we have 2 tables up for grabs for our previously sold-out Long Lunch!

So, if you missed out, this is your chance 🥳🥳🥳

Grab the last 2 remaining tables here:
https://nzblue.org/collections/2026-long-lunch-tables

Tickets are now live! 👀

We are gearing up for round 2 - and it's going to be another incredible event!

Think delicious food, great music, fantastic auction items, raffles (with VERY good prizes), ice cold beers and a bunch of really good people!

Tickets are selling FAST, so ditch the FOMO and grab your table now: https://nzblue.org/collections/2026-long-lunch-tables

The countdown is on...

Excited? YES.
Nervous? Of course.
Ready? We will be.

Follow our adventure - Alcatraz Swim. August 8th.

nzblue .auctioneer

Introducing what’s next for the team…

The Alcatraz Swim - August 2026! 🏊‍♂️

We’re super excited to announce our next big challenge. Team NZBLUE is headed to San Francisco Bay to take on the legendary Alcatraz Swim on August 8th, 2026.

This iconic open water challenge starts near the historic Alcatraz Island - famous for its prison escape stories and sees swimmers battling cold, choppy water, strong currents, and powerful tides as they make their way toward the San Francisco shoreline.

It’s roughly 2–3 km of open water crossing, and while the distance might sound short - the conditions sure don’t! Expect icy water, shifting currents and the mental toughness that comes with swimming in one of the world’s most famous waters.

This isn’t just about ticking off a bucket list swim - it’s about purpose, resilience and raising support for meaningful causes back in NZ along the way. 🙌

Stay tuned over the next few months as we share training updates, team stories and fundraising goals leading up to this epic challenge!