Hawke's Bay's Surf Life Saving Clubs perform well in difficult conditions at IRB Nationals
Unsettled weather conditions did little to prevent Westshore and Waimarama Surf Life Saving Club’s Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB) from performing at this year's 2021 BP Surf Rescue New Zealand Championships held earlier this month.
Waimarama team manager John Sanko said Ruakaka’s weather threw a bit of everything at the competitors with torrential rain and strong crosswinds on the Saturday followed by a beautiful day and a swarm of bugs on the Sunday.
He said the pinnacle of the weekend was the final race where the two Westshore crews, combined to take out the silver medal for the Open Men’s Teams Race in an excellent performance.
“It was an absolutely outstanding effort by the two Hawkes Bay clubs." Overall, Waimarama came in at 9th place, while Westshore placed 11th.
But it was the work of Taylor Dick, Taine Williams and Greta Augustine that saw them become the first crew from the Westshore Surf Life Saving Club to take home a gold medal in the Open Men's Single Rescue Race.
Out of their three other Open Men’s races they finished with two fifth placings in the Mass Rescue and Tube Rescue.
The Waimarama Open Men’s team of Keegan Merwood, Luke Davis and Ella Sherratt picked up the bronze in a tight Assembly Rescue Race. While Waimarama’s other Open Men’s team of Ben Morgan, Ollie Wood, Tayla Hook and Tia List also took home the bronze in another "exciting" Mass Rescue Race, along with a fourth in the Open Men's Single Rescue Race.
Mr Sanko said Westshore’s Under 23 division Crew of Josh Carmine, Jade Wills and Sumer Wills put in a lot of great performances for their first year in this age group and have created a strong platform to build on in the coming years.
"The Waimarama dynamic brother duo of Tom and George Charteris put together a number of thrilling performances in the Men's Under 23 division, taking home the silver medal in the Mass rescue along with their patients Meg Russell and Lexie Cunningham, as well as placing fifth in the Assembly Rescue."
