💙 Bluefins Masters Lead the Way at the 2025 Hampshire Championships

Bluefins Masters went into the 2025 Hampshire Masters Swimming Championships full of confidence as previous multiple winners of the event — and by the end of Weekend One, they had already built a commanding lead at the top of the club points table. With 21 swimmers competing across distance and endurance events, the Bluefins spirit shone through with medals, PBs, comebacks, and even a few debuts in the toughest of races.

📍 Weekend One — April 2025, Basingstoke Aquadrome

🏊 800m Freestyle — Testing Limits, Striking Gold

The championships opened with the 800m Freestyle, where seven Bluefins lined up. For some, it was a first taste of Masters distance racing.

• Dean Turner, new to the squad, “tested the water” with a strong debut, earning his first Hampshire medal — a bronze.

• Martin Bennell, channelling memories of his age-group days, proved he still had it, storming to gold in 9:32.72.

• Sean O’Brien and Tony Scott added to the golden tally with emphatic wins.

• Dorianna Pirozzi and Fleur Turner, though in different age groups, produced one of the races of the day. Fleur blasted out as if it were a 400, splitting close to her PB, while Dorianna hunted her down stroke by stroke over the closing metres. In a nail-biting finish, both took gold, with Fleur clinging on to secure the fastest overall swim.

• Samantha Meadows, returning from a break, surprised herself with a composed swim, rewarded with a silver.

A blistering start — and plenty of early points in the bank.

💪 400m Individual Medley — Not for the Faint-Hearted

Only three Bluefins stepped up for the 400 IM — arguably the toughest event of the meet.

• Nick Skinner rolled back the years, showing flashes of his youth with a comeback win in 5:57.29.

• Neil Mitchell and Lizzie Coster joined him on top of the podium, both powering to gold in their age groups.

  
  

⚡ 400m Freestyle — Experience Meets Courage

The second session closed with the 400m Free — another lung-buster. Bluefins showed their depth once again:

• Dean, Martin, Sean, and Nick all racked up vital points.

• Bryn Hughes, celebrating his new age group, smashed a Masters PB of 4:44.46.

• Nick, also in a fresh age category, added a bronze, while Sean backed it up with a strong silver.

Later heats brought plenty of drama. Josh Parker, the young contender, found himself out of his comfort zone, while seasoned pro Martin Bennell stamped his authority once more with a convincing win. Ian Cameron, making a welcome comeback, just edged Brendan Giltinane in a close battle, with Josh gamely hanging on to finish.

The women carried the momentum: Alex Espinasse, Emily Budzynski-Seymour, Cat Sharratt, and Dorianna Pirozzi all stepped up for points. For Cat, a self-confessed breaststroke specialist, it was her first 400 Free — and she proved she’s far more than a one-stroke racer, swimming strongly from start to finish.

✨ Weekend One Summary

By the close of the opening weekend, Bluefins Masters had made their mark. With medals across every event, countless PBs, and comebacks from seasoned swimmers, the team left no doubt they mean business.

📍 Weekend Two — 13th September 2025, Portsmouth

Bluefins travelled to Portsmouth for Weekend Two, determined to build on their Aquadrome success with a few more swimmers added to the team. The atmosphere was electric, and the opening event — the 200m Freestyle, recognised nowadays as a sprint — set the tone.

⚡ 200m Freestyle — Speed and Season Bests

The ladies who shone in the 800m were back in action. Fleur Turner and Dorianna Pirozzi both stormed to wins and clocked season bests, while Alex Espinasse and Emily Budzynski-Seymour secured valuable podium points.

In the men’s event, Mark Straw, Russ Clash, Bryn Hughes, Brendan Giltinane, and Spencer Turner delivered early firepower, all grabbing top medals.

🏅 50m Backstroke — Age and Experience

In the 50m Backstroke, our oldest competitor Noreen Wise claimed top slot in her age group — using the ledge for the very first time and smashing last year’s mark. Lizzie Coster was back in action too, storming to another showcasing win.

The men’s field was stacked across age groups. In 18–24yrs, newcomer Bradley Harper, fresh at 18, made his Masters debut in style. At his specialist event, he blasted a 27.20 for gold and a PB (not that it counts in Youth rankings 😉). Josh Parker took second, while Olly and Nick collected further golds, Olly equalling his entry time. Podium finishes followed for Ian, Sean, and Spencer, with Sean Heardman-Grant trimming his entry by 0.10 in pursuit of a National qualifying mark.

🐸 100m Breaststroke — Breaking Barriers

The breaststroke specialists took centre stage. Emily, Fleur, and Cat all posted strong times, with the highlight coming from Fleur — self-proclaimed Age Group Guildford Club record holder 😂 — who broke the 1:20 barrier with an impressive 1:19.71. Bryn, recovering quickly from the 200 Free, produced a winning time of his own.

🚀 50m Freestyle — Splash and Dash

For Lucy Bennett, it was her first race of the meet and she delivered a strong silver. Alex and Emily added further medals, Noreen returned with another win for her age group, and Fleur lit up the pool with a 27.73 — matching her National performance from 2024.

The men kept the momentum: Bradley, Josh, and Olly all clocked blistering 25s, while Russel Kent-Payne, making a return, dropped half a second. Sean O’Brien also hit a PB, with Mark and Spencer topping their age groups. Russ, Bryn, and Sean Heardman-Grant all stood on the podium, while an injured Neil Mitchell cruised home to secure valuable points.

🦋 100m Butterfly — Strength to the End

Lucy, Fleur, Brendan, Ian, and Nick all delivered big swims and maximum points. Brendan, narrowly missing the double-00 barrier, left everyone asking if he’ll smash it at Nationals.

🔄 100m Individual Medley — Closing with Style

In the last individual race of the morning, Alex Espinasse capped off her session with a huge 5-second drop from entry time, rewarded with a silver. Lizzie Coster was back in action too, powering to an impressive 1:11.04 and a gold medal.

🤝 Medley Relays — A Powerful Finish to Session One

The session closed with the Medley Relays, where Bluefins showed strength across all strokes. With teams in three age groups — 72+, 120+, and 200+ — each power-packed team stormed to emphatic wins, holding off determined challenges from Southampton and Trojans.

🔥 Session Two

💪 200m Individual Medley — Lizzie Leads the Way

Bluefins’ sole representative was Lizzie Coster, showing she’s no one-trick backstroke pony. Lizzie dominated her race, almost giving the men in the mixed heat a scare.

🏊 100m Backstroke — Experience Meets Youth

The backstroke specialists returned. Nick Skinner, ex-British 16yrs record holder from the 90s, romped home to gold. In the final heat, Bradley Harper and Olly went head-to-head, testing each other with extended underwater skills to the 15m mark. Both claimed gold, but it was Bradley who took the heat win with a stunning PB of 59.19 — a time he’s hoping to lower at his first Masters Nationals in Sheffield this October.

In the ladies’ event, Lizzie Coster showed her class with superb underwater skills of her own, powering to a well-earned gold.

🦋 50m Butterfly — Power Sprints

Two sub-28 swims lit up the pool as Brendan and Olly stormed home, with Josh close behind on 28.70. Sean HG, Bryn, and Spencer all added top points with medal-winning efforts.

The women’s event was just as strong, with Lucy, Lizzie, and Noreen all securing first places and maximum points for the team.

🏆 100m Freestyle — The Blue-Ribbon Event

With weary arms on deck, it was time for the blue-ribbon race. For many, the approach was simple: flat out and hope for the best.

• Russ Clash surprised himself with a PB, fingertips on the wall in 1:02 for the first time.

• Mark impressed with a strong gold-medal performance.

• Russel Kent-Payne dropped over 3 seconds from entry, earning silver alongside Russ.

• Further medals flowed from Josh, Bryn, and Sean O’Brien.

The final heat was a thriller. Bradley, Spencer, and Olly spearheaded side by side. Bradley launched out fast, with Olly and Spencer holding close. On the last turn, Spencer clawed back distance, giving Bradley a scare, but the youngster held firm for the heat win.

The ladies matched the drama: Lucy and Alex picked up medals, while Fleur lit up the pool with her fastest 100 Free in over two years — 1:01.00 — out-touching the top Southampton seed for the heat win.

🐸 50m Breaststroke — Head-to-Heads and Skills

Josh Parker delivered with a swift 33.66, edging Bryn as both secured golds.

The women saw two age-group duels: Alex edged Emily in a close 1–2 finish, while Fleur showcased her secret weapon — “if you can’t swim breaststroke, stay under!” — using her pullout skills to grab the win. Cat, true to her pedigree, clawed back ground to finish tight on her heels.

🔄 100m Individual Medley — Wrapping Up

The final individual race of the meet saw Brendan, Sean HG, Sean O’Brien, and Spencer all hit the podium, securing crucial points before relays.

🤝 Freestyle Relays — Stronger Together

Bluefins closed in style, fielding four teams across three age groups — 72+, 120+ (x2), and 200+. The A teams stormed to emphatic wins against tough competition from Southampton and Trojans, while the B 120+ team delivered a brilliant 2nd place finish to round off the championships.

✨ Weekend Two Summary

Weekend Two brought more medals, PBs, and standout swims across every event. From new faces like Bradley Harper making a golden debut, to seasoned racers breaking barriers, Bluefins showed depth, versatility, and unity. The weekend was capped by Fleur Turner being crowned Top Female Swimmer.

🏆 Overall Championships Wrap-Up

Across both weekends, Bluefins Masters proved once again why they are the dominant force in Hampshire. From endurance to sprints, relays to individual showdowns, every swimmer played their part in delivering points, medals, and memories. With a commanding lead from the very first session and consistency throughout, Bluefins secured the club trophy yet again — adding another chapter to their proud tradition of Masters success.

👉 A huge thank you goes to all the officials and volunteers who made both weekends possible, and especially to Rebecca and Sarah for making the trip down to Portsmouth to support the smooth running of the meet — and to James McTavish (Southampton SC), the Hampshire Masters Rep, for his continued support of the championships.

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