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Swimming in his eighth Open Water Festival, Harry Stephenson knows a thing or two about racing in the Gulf of Mexico.

So when Cameron Rattray raced ahead of him Sunday on the first lap of the USA Swimming 10K Open/Masters Open Water Challenge, Stephenson didn't worry. The 15-year-old Lely junior knew he'd get Rattray in the end.

Content to let his opponent do all the hard work, Stephenson drafted Rattray most of the 10-kilometer race before passing him on the final turn. After leading for more than an hour, Rattray, 15, didn't have enough left to keep up.

Stephenson stretched his lead in the final 1,000 meters, eventually winning by 40 seconds and nearly 100 meters.

“At first I was going to try to get out there and lead ... but then I thought just to get behind him and pass him on the last lap,” Stephenson said. “I thought to let him work for me and get him tired. There was no reason to lead. They say you save 30 to 40 percent more energy swimming behind the person.”

The Lely swimmer won Sunday after finishing 13th in the same race last year. In October, Stephenson finished 19th in the World Team Trials Open Water 10K at Miromar Lakes.

The two teenagers led a field of 37 swimmers that ranged from age 14 to 56. Stephenson, swimming with the Gulf Coast Swim Team, won in 2:00.44, nearly three minutes faster than his 10K at Miromar Lakes. Rattray, a sophomore from Bridgewater, N.J., finished in 2:01:24.

“Coming around that final turn, the waves started getting larger and the current came up,” said Rattray, who's been racing in open water since he was 10. “(Stephenson) just took advantage of that. He started kicking harder.”

With the victory, Stephenson qualified for the USA Swimming 10K open water national championship in Minnesota in August. The top 10 in Sunday's Open Water Festival 10K qualified for the race.

In the women's race, winner Ashley Whitney used a different strategy than Stephenson, but got similar results. Whitney, 28, from Nashville, Tenn., led the entire race, but used an extra boost on the final lap to turn a close contest into an easy victory.

Whitney was grouped with Sterling Wine and Shauna Nelson most the first three laps before making her move. Halfway through the third of four laps on the 2.5-kilometer course, Whitney swam wide of the buoy and let the waves and current of the Gulf carry her ahead.

“It was a tight race. Those first three laps were a lot of fun with those three girls,” Whitney said. “I just tried to stay strong the whole way. Everyone just wanted to find the touch pad (at the finish line).”

Her time of 2:26.35 was faster than all but four swimmers in the men's race. Whitney beat second-place Wine (2:28:18) by almost two minutes.

Sitting in third place with 500 meters to go, Wine used a sprint to the finish to easily beat out Shauna Nelson for second. Sunday's race capped a productive weekend for Wine, 17, who swims with Highland Aquatics in Orlando. The Lake Highland senior finished seventh in the 5K national championship Friday and took second in the Florida Swimming Senior Olympics 2.5-kilometer race Saturday.

“I had a great weekend -- I exceeded expectations,” said Wine, who hadn't competed in a national event until Friday. “I just love open water swimming.”

The Festival is off Monday and concludes Tuesday with the USA Swimming 25K Open Water Nationals around Estero Island, beginning at 8 a.m.

Open Water Festival

USA Swimming 10K Open/Masters Open Water Challenge

Men

Harry Stephenson, 2:00:44

Cameron Rattray, 2:01:24

Graham Charlton, 2:07:32

Richardo Valdivia, 2:14:06

Travis Lockie, 2:26:38

Julio Fuentes, 2:26:42

Tom Schwartz, 2:34:06

Mark Walpole, 2:35:10

Nicholas Caine, 2:38:26

Carlos Lloreda, 2:56:29

Women

Ashley Whitney, 2:26:35

Sterling Wine, 2:28:18

Shauna Nelson, 2:29:05

Brittany Williford, 2:31:18

Mandy Melymuka, 2:37:13

Gabriela Deza, 2:42:02

Juana Vargas, 2:49:05

Courtney Marx, 2:49:42