Solid day sees Black Fins fly on day 2 of the International Surf Rescue Challenge

A day filled with drama rewarded the Black Fins in the second test of the International Surf Rescue Challenge in Durban, South Africa.

The Black Fins flew out of the gate on September 29, 2019, with wins to Olivia Corrin in the open women’s surf race and Cory Taylor and Scott Cowdrey in the open men’s board rescue.

Carina Doyle, Danielle McKenzie, Devon Halligan and Natalie Peat won the open women’s tube rescue while Mike Lee and Danielle McKenzie made it two wins from two starts in the mixed ski relay taking back-to-back gold.

“It was a sensational start,” Black Fins coach Matt Cairns says.

“The team put the hammer down right away and they got the results for it.”

With sea conditions worsening throughout the day the organisers took the unusual step of suspending racing midway through the second part of the day meaning the main craft and iron events were not run.

Provisional scoring sees the Black Fins just one point off the Australians in first spot for the second test setting up a mouth-watering prospect for the third and final test which has been brought forward a day due to expected adverse weather conditions later in the week.

“You can’t control the weather,” Cairns says.

“The officials made a call and we respect that. We’ll get stuck into our recovery and look at how we can do better again in the third test.

“I’m very pleased with how everyone is performing. The team is doing great, they’re a really tight-knit group and they’re putting in a lot of effort and being rewarded for it.

“With one test to go it’s game on.”

Across the board the Black Fins showed they are determined to deliver results.

Natalie Peat backed up her second place in the women’s surf race on day one with a third on day two. Devon Halligan and Corrin combined for third in the board rescue.

In the men’s tube rescue Lochlainn O’Connor, Max Beattie, Mike Lee and Scott Cowdrey finished second. And Halligan and Cowdrey paired up for third in the mixed board relay.

Olivia Eaton was second in the beach sprint and the women’s beach relay of Doyle, McKenzie, Halligan and Eaton also grabbed second. Max Beattie, Lee, Murdoch Finch and Cowdrey bagged silver in the men’s beach relay.

The mixed surf teams combination of Doyle, O’Connor, Beattie and Peat were second. And in the beach flags Eaton was second in the women’s event and Finch was third in the men’s.