Rhoose win overall in surf ski and boat contest (From Barry And District News)

Rhoose win overall in surf ski and boat contest

THE SECOND Welsh Open Surf Ski and Surf Boat competition was held at Cardiff Bay last Saturday and Rhoose Lifeguard Club members were out in force for the two days of competition, with the long-distance races held on Saturday and the sprint races on Sunday.

It was another successful weekend for Rhoose, particularly for the juniors, who successfully defended their title from last year.

There were also runners-up positions for the youth team and the masters, with Rhoose winning the overall competition, beating Woolacombe of North Devon into second place.

The long-distance races were five kilometres for the juniors and youth and ten kilometres for seniors and masters, with the longer race going around the bay, up the river as far as the Millennium Stadium and then back down around the bay to the finish.

In the junior single ski races, it was a clean sweep of the medals for Rhoose, with Natasha O'Leary coming first in the girls' race, Laura Bremner second and Tanara O'Neill third.

In the boys' race it was James Grandfield first, Niall Pratt second and Simon Perry third. Rhoose also won the junior double ski races with Lucy Curtis and Lauren Dutton first, ahead of Kelly Bates and Natalie Cordy in second place in the girls' race and Jack Giddings and Jonathan Price winning the boys' race.

In the youth (aged under 19) single ski race, Will James came second, with Richard Price third.

Then in the 10k masters' races, Dave Cooper came second in the 45+ single ski race and Mike Thompson and Dave Wedlake had another second place for Rhoose in the double ski race.

The sprint races on Sunday went almost as well as the distance races the day before. The junior girls' race was won by Natasha O'Leary, with Laura Bremner in second place.

Then in the boys' race, Niall Pratt was second with James Grandfield third. In the junior double ski races, Natasha O'Leary and Michaela O'Neill came first,with Laura Bremner and Tanara O'Neill second and Lucy Curtis and Lauren Dutton third.

Will James had another second place in the youth single ski race, with Richard Price again third, but together they won the double ski race. Will and Richard also took part in the senior double ski race, coming second.

Finally, in the masters' events, Dave Cooper won the 45+ single ski race and, with partner Dave Wedlake, had another first in the double ski race.

Earlier this month, Rhoose Lifeguard Club juniors, Laura Bremner and Tanara O'Neill took part in the GB Senior Surf Life- Saving Championships, held at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Competitors in their final year of juniors are allowed to take part in the senior competition, so the girls went to take part for the experience. In the hardest surf conditions they have ever competed in, both girls did extremely well, getting through the heats and making all their finals.

Tanara did particularly well, winning the bronze medal in the Malibu board race, beating all the senior Welsh competitors and beaten only by two senior GB team members.

Together, Laura and Tanara had another excellent result, coming fourth in the double ski race, narrowly beaten for the bronze medal.

Another recent competition was the GB Masters Surf Life Saving Championships, held at Saunton Sands. Dave Cooper competed in the over 50 age group and won the gold medal in the malibu board race, silver in the iron man and single ski events and bronze in the surf race.