YOU could not have asked for a better start to the Surfboat Competition season for the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Surf Life Saving Club (TGHN).

In December, the first two rounds of the Hunter Central Coast Surf Boat Series were held at our own Bennett’s Beach.

Tea Gardens Hawks Nest had three crews competing, all coached and swept by Greg Ross.

Over 80 crews turned up to compete with clubs entering from as far North as Woolgoolga and Coffs Harbour to as far south as Ocean Beach and Umina.

How exciting for the club, after all the work Greg Ross has done with all the rowers, all three crews are leading the series point score, all in first place after the opening two rounds.

The Opens Men’s A Crew of Mitch Baker, Jacob Sinclair, Callan Sheldon and Michael Thomas, with Jacob and Michael new to the crew this season, won both rounds to take a good lead in the series point score.

Experienced sweeps on the day made comment about how quick the boys were going and how competitive they will be for the remainder of the surfboat season.

A great result with the effort they and Greg have put in to get to that level.

Not to be outdone, the Open Women’s A Crew of Nat Skelly, Susie Webb, Tess Nolan and Rosie Taylor, also won both rounds, three races each round, to also be leading the series.

Stepping up from the Women’s Reserve Crew last season to compete against more experienced A Crews, they showed they are right up there.

With it being only the second season for Tess and Rosie, they will continue to get better.

What about the ‘Newbees’, the U/19 Men’s Junior Crew?

A new crew this season and their first ever competitive surf carnival.

The smiles on their faces when they won their first race was lovely to see and reflects the comradery and enjoyment in the teams at TGHN.

Also, not to be outdone by the clubs more experienced open crews, they also are leading the series point score, after taking out first place in the second round.

Congratulations to all the rowers and sweep and coach ‘Rossy’ for such a tremendous start to the series.

It is certainly a great result for the boat crews of our local surf life saving club to be leading the series in all divisions they competed in, with special mention to the U19 Newbees in their first season.

 

By Peter ROGERS