Surf boats compete in Australian Open

Three Ocean Beach surf boat racing crews competed in the 2016 Team Navy Australian Open surf boat racing championships at Shellharbour from February 19 to 21.

Before the event, Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club surf boat club captain, coach and sweep, Mr Mark van Aalderen, said he expected all three crews to come home from the event with medals.

Ocean Beach crews competed in four out of the nine divisions contested.

The Ocean Beach Old Salts crew competed in the Reserve Male division and the Mixed Masters 200.

Ocean Beach Headomy were in the Under-23 Male class and Ocean Beach Whoo Haa were in the Under-23 Female division.

Mr van Aalderen said the Old Salts were a relatively new crew, only put together at Christmas time but had many decades of experience as masters.

The crew's stroke rower was Michael Cairns, second stroke was Eric Elley, second bow was Glen Cole and the crew's bowman was Michael Barrett.

The Old Salts ranged in age from 44 years to 58.

"They are a really good heritage crew.

"I've rowed with two of the guys personally back in the 80s and 90s and the other two have come other clubs," Mr van Aalderen said.

He expected the club's Under-23 Male crew, the Headomy, to bring home gold.

The first stroke rower was William Weekes, second stroke rower was Luke McIntyre and the two bowmen were Joshua Davis and his twin brother Jarrad Davis.

The whole crew were aged 19 and 20, very young in the Under 23 age division.

All three of Ocean Beach SLSC's female surf boat crews travelled the Shellharbour and, according to Mr van Aalderen, "there is an intra-club challenge at the moment over who is going to get crew of the year".

The Australian Open was the culmination of 29 surf boat race events around Australia and the Ocean Beach teams competed against crews from 100 Surf Life Saving Clubs from across the country.

Media release, 8 Feb 2016

Darren Saffin, Progressive PR

Interview, 16 Feb 2016

Mark van Aalderen, Ocean Beach SLSC