News
Gripping finale in surf boat series
Saturday, 8 February 2014Red Beach joy turned to horror in the final of the North Island surf boat championships in Waihi Beach today.
Both the open women's and open men's finals came down to the wire, with Red Beach appearing to snatch victory over Piha's national champion men's crew in the last race of the day.
However, Piha were elevated to victory when officials ruled Red Beach hadn't held course coming home and passed through the wrong gate buoys.
It enabled Piha's crew of Paul Gerritsen, Scott Lissington, Benjamin Richards and Ben Scott, swept by Mark Bourneville, to grab the national series title, with the Waihi event doubling as the last round with more than 60 crews competing in tricky 1m swells. Orewa finished second in the men's final, followed home by North Beach, who made the long pilgrimage up from Christchurch.
It capped a great day for North Beach, after their women's crew of Lucy Brown, Ella Farrell, Chloe Harris, Sara Morris and sweep David Pipe edged Muriwai in a thriller.
It came down to a video replay, with the final margin a matter of inches. Bethells Beach capped a strong series, finishing third, while series leaders Piha could only finish fourth.
There was some consolation for Red Beach supporters, with crews winning the under-19 women's and masters men's finals, while Piha also picked up a win in the under-23 men's final.
Hosts Waihi Beach, with Tommy Gwilyn, Matthew Hart, Tate Va Duyvenbooden, Josh Marston and Jack Kingsford, won the under-19 men's final from the youngest crew on the beach, the fast-rising Sunset Beach boats, while Muriwai's under-23 women held off Piha and Bethells to win their final.
Results
Men:Open: Piha (Paul Gerritsen, Scott Lissington, Benjamin Richards, Ben Scott, Mark Bourneville) 1, Orewa (Jake Griffiths, Christopher McCarthny, John McCarthny, William Seedhouse, Mark McCarthny) 2, North Beach (Dean Isherwood, Nathan Keys, Justin Robbins, Daniel Smith, Lee James Todd) 3.Under-23: Piha (Cedric Bourneville, Ludovik Bournevill, Ben Kiely, Ryan Lester, Cameron Sweetman, Jean-Paul Smit) 1, Orewa (Fraser Angus, Callum Bradbury, Clyv Robins, Ryan Carrigan, Callum Thomason, Mark McCarthny) 2, Red Beach (Rhye Jacka, Shamus O'Halloran, Luke Tomlinson, Max Anstis, Craig Dillon) 3.Under-19: Waihi Beach (Tommy Gwilyn, Matthew Hart, Tate Va Duyvenbooden, Josh Marston, Jack Kingsford) 1, Sunset Beach (Jack Boulton, Ryan Brash, Samuel Hughes, Carl Morgan, Jack Morgan, Bryce Nichol, Edward Marsh ) 2, Whangamata (Andrew Jujnovich, Josh Kerridge, Sam Stockley, Anton Wood, Brandon Dromgool) 3.Masters: Red Beach (Chris McCullogh, Duncan Reid, Gordan Williams, Josh Stoddard, Lance Hammond) 1, Westshore (Aidan Charman, Jared Fritchley, Greig Michael Madden, Kevin Russell, Peter Scammel, Simon Walton) 2, Westshore (Regan Cotter, Eric Forster, Trevor Miles, Jude Minor, Daniel Murfitt) 3.Women:Open: North Beach (Lucy Brown, Ella Farrel, Chloe Harris, Sara Morris, David Pipe) 1, Muriwai (June Hardacre, Rosemarie Hardacre, Bridget Law, Rowen Waterworth, Olivia Marlow, Kendall Dooley) 2, Bethells Beach (Pia Goldsmith, Lisa McCallum, Elina Osborne, Diana Murray, Danny Tenheuvel) 3.Under-23: Muriwai (Alison Craigie, Amamaria Clarke, Ellie David, Sophie, Rowland, Ricky Butt) 1, Piha (Audrey-Lise Bourneville, Claudia Goff, Nikki Hogarth, Gracey Monteith, Alice Rasmussen, Ben Scott) 2, Bethells Beach (Elly Bray, Madeline Disberry, Olivia Sale, Nakita Parkin, David Oldham) 3.Under-19: Red Beach (Jaime Busby, Jessica Cornish, Georgia Cox, Lauren Williams, Craig Dillon) 1, Piha (Olivia Adams, Kelsea Broekhuizen, Bernadine Flaxman-Hendriks, Sophie McIntyre, Seagh Von Keisenberg, Mark Bourneville) 2, Orewa (Amber Mankelow, Courtney McConnell, Sylvie Mitchell, Emma Nesbit, Mark McCarthny) 3.
The North Island surf boat championships attracted 60 crews to Waihi Beach. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services
The East End men's crew take a tumble during the North Island surf boat championships at Waihi Beach. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services