Sunset Make It Five In A Row

Photos: Sam Shepherd

Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service won the BP North Island IRB Championships this weekend at Paekakariki Beach.

Sunset held off a fast finishing East End Surf Life Saving Club by only two points, with Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club finishing third.

It was the Sunset female crews who would make the crucial difference, with the Open Team winning every gold medal on offer.

The Surf Life Saving NZ event was held on February 15 and 16 and featured 174 individual athletes from 14 clubs throughout the North Island.

The weekend was overseen by 40 volunteers, and crews competed in five different IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) disciplines in U19, U23 and open male and female categories.

Shane Edwards is the Team Captain/Coach for Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service and says the club is “really stoked” with their win.

“Our girls carried the team and the young boys picked up a few medals along the way.

“Everyone pulled together and had really good team work and worked together well.”

Shane says the “clean sweep” by the open females, and the U23 females coming away with three out of four golds were highlights of the event.

East End’s IRB Team Captain Scott Nelson is pleased with how their crews performed.

“We’ve got quite a fresh crew so we put a lot of work into them and they’ve come along quite well.”

He says the junior crew winning the team race was a highpoint.

“They were surprised about even getting into the final, let alone winning it,” Scott says.

Mairangi Bay Team Captain Brady Campbell says they’re “really stoked with third overall”.

“The results that the young girls pulled out really carried us. Our U19 boys have had an absolute flier all weekend too.”

He says one of the best moments was when all three of their women’s U19 crews were on the podium for the single rescue event.

Event referee Richard Whinham says the weekend was a great success.

“Paekakariki has absolutely turned it on. The weather on Saturday was all that you could ask for at a Surf Life Saving event. Sunday was pretty good too, although a little bit more testing.

“It was wonderful to see 60 crews from around the North Island coming to Paekakariki and having a great experience,” Richard says. “We had a great group of volunteer officials who put on a good event.”

IRBs are used in training, to carry out preventative actions, and in 80 per cent of rescues.

The BP North Island IRB Championships was the first National IRB event for the year.

The BP South Island IRB Championships are set for March 21 at Dunedin’s Waikouaiti Beach, followed by the National IRB Championships on April 4 and 5, Ruakaka Beach, Northland.

Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service were crowned the overall winners of the BP North Island IRB Championships.

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Overall points table:

1 Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service - 126
2 East End Surf Life Saving Club - 124
3 Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club - 100
4 Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club - 81
5 Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi - 58
6 Waimarama Surf Life Saving Club - 51
7 Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards - 35
8 Pauanui Surf Life Saving Club - 33
9 Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club - 29
10 Westshore Surf Life Saving Club - 17
11 New Plymouth Old Boys Surf Life Saving Club - 14
12 Opunake Surf Life Saving Club - 10
13= Bethells Beach Surf Life Saving Patrol - 6
13= Piha Surf Life Saving Club - 6

Click here for the full list of results.

Photos: Sam Shepherd

For more information please contact:

Melanie Louden
Media and Communications Manager
Surf Life Saving New Zealand
021 757 433
melanie.louden@surflifesaving.org.nz