A strong Yamba Surf Club contingent of 30 members competed at the Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from April 13 to 21. The club finished the Titles with 1 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals and a number of near misses in testing surf conditions.
Felix Forbes started the week at the Youth Titles with a bronze medal in a very tight finish to the Under 13 years board race. A stumble in the run to the line cost him any chance of a gold medal.
Willow Rowney and Zahli Plunkett, competing up an age group, finished 3rd in both their heat and semi-final of the Under 14 board rescue before finishing a very creditable 7th in the final. The girls also teamed with Kayla Hancock to reach the semi-finals of the Under 14 board relay before being eliminated.
In the Masters Titles it was the old boys Kevin Gillard and Peter Rheinberger who carried off the medals in the board riding events. Kevin won the Over 70 years long board riding event and finished 2nd in the short board riding event. He was also 5th in the over 70 years board race.
Peter finished 2nd in the 60/69 years long board riding event and 3rd in the short board riding event. He also finished a very close 4th in the 60/64 years board race and 8th in the surf race.
Yamba’s other Masters medal winner was Jeunesse Meldrum who finished 2nd in the 45/49 years female surf race.
Club members to have a top ten finish in their individual events included Jacob Don (35/39 years), Joe Fahey (50/54 years), David O’Brien and Michael Stubbs (both 55/59 years) and Bobbie Winger (65/69 years).
In teams water events the club was well represented in 8 finals with the Over 170 years team finishing just out of the medals in the surf teams, taplin relay and board relay.
The Boilers boat crew rowed strongly in the early rounds of the Over 180 years female boat race and went into the final as one of the favourites. However, they fell afoul of the heavy Maroochydore break on the way out to the turning cans and finished a distant 5th in the final.
Whilst the Australian Titles brings to an end the domestic competition season, some of our club members are now looking forward to the World Lifesaving Championships to be held at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in late August.
Jim Dougherty