Reality is slowly dawning on us but we had an absolute cracker of a Branch Championships at Palm Beach last weekend (9 & 10 Feb 2019)!
The program kicked off nice and early with the newly minted Long Reef Sharlies (a take off of Charlies Angels and as the bow chick is Charlotte) taking to the water for their second ever carnival! They are all 15 year olds and rowing in the u19 division…
The conditions were glassy with an occasional wave sitting up on the bank to make it interesting…
Full of pre race nerves and excitement they were nothing short of appalling in their warm up row …ahh well it’s hard to turn the mind back to being a 15 year old and I guess it would all be a bit daunting…
Anyway the good news is we will be racing soon and that should take the butterflies out of play…
Guns Up….a bit of a shocker of a start but finally away….boat speed not to bad…a bit behind the pack but definitely not being totally outclassed…the girls bring it home nicely for a 4th…Ok that’s the first one out of the way…
I chat with the girls – Do you want to just gun it and take the hit if that’s what comes or try and avoid burying it under one?
You would have to love the response – “No guts No Glory – Lets Go for It!”
A good improvement in race 2 and with a sprinkle of luck we grab a 2nd, nice!!
Race 3 – a good performance and we will make the top 6 for the final…
Gun’s Up…
Go…F’n Go, little one… OK fire it up again…gotta GO….give me everything…ok we are out…sit back…let it run….stay strong DRIVE with the legs….
Solid turn, boat up and purring home…
Nice little wave, clinical comeback.. impressive! Looks like a 3rd…
OK that’s enough we should make the final! 5th overall – top effort girls!
Ok time to shine!
Switch the brains on, we must nail the start…
The starter holds us on the line for an eternity…then a false start…FFS…back we come…
Holding on the line….Guns Up…. GO….
We are away…Good start girls…power it up…traffic coming… GO…..
Good keep it on …ONE TO BEAT… DRIVE IT….
This could be interesting…..
All good…
Over we go chicks….pour it on….
How good just us and Queenscliff have made it through the break cleanly…
Settle it in…maintain the focus…stay strong…crisp catches, sit up strong, drive it through the water….
Great stuff guys, second at the turn….
Fire it up… dig deep .. drive it home…keep it on….
10 PERFECT STROKES….GO….
OK almost there girls…
U F’n Ripper! On the podium!!! SWEET!
Queensy won it and it could go either way for silver and bronze….
I’m certainly not complaining either way…what an outstanding performance!!! …
Bronze it is….4 chicks and 1 sweep absolutely stoked!!! And some rather ecstatic patents, grandparents and Longy Team Members….U F’n Ripper…what a start to the day!
Next up it’s the Longy Vets in a combined age division – a bit disappointing to be thrown in with the youngsters! I’m not sure it really counts but with 2 members in their mid seventies I guess they deserve a gold medal for still behaving like 25 year olds!
Now we move into the u23’s and Reserve grade men….
Jacob is still crook and needs oxygen after the first race – not a great start but the Sharlies will just need to fill in…
Lords in reasonable form but still need a tune up….
Apples kick the reserve grade program off in second gear but they are strong finishers….so we definitely won’t write them off just because they came in in the middle of the pack in their first race…
Lords staying in the hunt…grabbing a second…
Apples warming into the task with a very close second in round 2 and a first in round 3….
Lords and Apples both in their respective finals…Now is the hour…
Lords off to a good start but checked a little on the way to sea…just behind the leaders at the turn
They’ll need a wave from the gods to make it to the podium…no cigar…still there is nothing to be ashamed of in being a finalist in the strongest branch is Australia!
And they score a silver medal as runners up in the overall Northern Beaches point score for most consistent crew of the year in u23’s … Good effort lads!
OK last race of the day…Lets F’n nail it lads… We tell Luke his wedding is cancelled if he doesn’t win…no pressure! Try and explain that to your fiancé 4 weeks out….
In and away with a trademark Apples start, brilliant lads….
A bit of shitty water and one to punch through…
Nice work lads … its just us and Billy leading them out….
Billy has ¾ of a length on us at they hit the turn…
Apples nail the turn and are almost back with them…
Billy sneak out to a boat length lead on a little run….Curly pushing back into contention….
DIG DEEP…GIVE IT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GOT…..
Curly alongside us, Billy still in front…
A little swell building (thanks Rick!) ….GO F’N GO…
POWER IT THROUGH…DRIVE….DRIVE…
KEEP ROWING….
Sit there….
Ready…. ROW F’N ROW….
Billy sips it sideways into the green room and rolls …Curly slews a bit….
ROW…..
U ABSOLUTE F’N RIPPER…..
And that they say was that! GOLD for LONGY!
Rob Pearson (surfboats@longreef.com)
(photo: Sharlies Angels & Rob … more photos soon)
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