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2023 IRB Premiership Begins
As the Patrol Season closed the following weekend local surf club members from Avalon Beach, Newport, Bungan, Mona Vale and Queenscliff travelled south to take part in Round 1 of the 2023 IRB Premiership on April 29th.
With five rounds this year – an increase on the four last year – Inflatable Rescue Boat racers will journey across the state to test their skills in the affectionately nicknamed ‘rubber duckie’.
Surf Life Saving NSW Director of Surf Sport, Don van Keimpema is looking forward to seeing the 2023 Premiership play out, which sees five surf clubs host rounds over the coming months before the State Championships at Ocean Beach in July.
“The Sharkskin NSW IRB Premiership is a feature event on the state surf sports calendar – it provides a great spectacle and showcases the skills of our membership,” he said.
“I’m really excited for the new season, which promises to be a really tight fought contest.”
Mona Vale SLSC IRB Team at Round 1 of 2023 IRB Premiership
The annual IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boat) competition aims to improve the skills and technique of IRB drivers and crew as well as allow crews to demonstrate their techniques and abilities to perform rescues. Along with there being Age Divisions, there are five events in IRB competition to hone the skills of IRB Lifesaver Members:
IRB Rescue: teams are comprised of one patient, one driver, and one crew member. The patient is in the water at a designated buoy, the driver and crew member are at the starting line at the on the beach. On the starter's signal, competitors launch the IRB, proceed through the surf to pick up the patient, round the buoy, and return to shore.
IRB Team Rescue: teams are comprised of one patient and two crews (one driver and one crew member per crew). On the starter's signal, the first crew launches the IRB and proceeds through the surf to the patient. As the IRB rounds the buoy, the first crew member jumps overboard. The driver completes the buoy turn and returns to shore alone. The second crew member moves into the water, and takes control of the IRB. The first driver runs up the beach and tags the second driver. The second crew re-launches the IRB, proceeds through the surf to pick up the patient and the first crew member, rounds their buoy, and returns to shore to finish the event.
Mass Rescue: teams are comprised of one driver, one crew member and two patients. Both patients start the event in the water. The crew proceed through the surf, pick up their first patient and return to shore. The driver and the patient must exit the IRB where the patient retires to the beach. The driver proceeds to the start/finish line, rounds a marker and returns to the IRB. The IRB is re-launched and the crew rescues the second patient, returns to the beach and across the finish line.
IRB Rescue - Tube Rescue: teams are comprised of one patient, one driver, and one crew member. On the starter's signal, competitors launch the IRB, proceed through the surf and turn around their respective turning buoy. The crew member then enters the water and swims past the turning buoy to their patients. The crew member secures the rescue tube around the arms of the patient and tows the patient back to the IRB. Once the crew member and patient are safely aboard, the driver navigates the IRB around the team's turning buoy and returns to shore to finish.
IRB Relay: this event is a continuous relay involving the four events in the following order: Rescue Tube, Mass Rescue, Teams Rescue and Rescue. Each leg is per the description above except for changeovers between legs.
Warilla Barrack-Point SLSC on the South Coast was the host club for Round 1. Queenscliff SLSC will be hosting the second round of the IRB Championship on the weekend of 13 and 14 May.
The 2023 Series will see five rounds, culminating with the State Championships at Ocean Beach SLSC on July 2nd. Ocean Beach SLSC is the oldest Surf Life Saving Club on the Central Coast. Ocean Beach is the perfect family beach, located on the Woy Woy peninsula of the N.S.W. Central Coast and situated on the shores of Broken Bay with views of Lion Island and Barrenjoey Headland.
Both the 2023 National and Interstate IRB Championships will be held at Kingscliff, on the New South Wales North Coast, from 20 July to 23 July 2023.
The Australian and Interstate Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Championships are an opportunity for the best IRB crews from across the country to compete against each other over one action-packed weekend promoting the skills required to complete a successful IRB rescue. Known as ‘IRB Championships’, this is an all comers event to determine which surf life saving club, and state centre, is the best at using one of the most effective rescue assets available in the water safety industry – the Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB).
Club crews consisting of driver, crewperson and patient do battle in the 25 horse power, outboard engine powered inflatable rubber boats across a number of events including single rescue, mass rescue, teams race, tube rescue race and others. Normally contested between 850+ participants across Under 23, Opens and Masters age divisions the four day event delivered over a Thursday – Sunday format includes Interstate IRB competition where each SLSA affiliated state association competes as a team for overall state IRB supremacy followed by the club competition.
Due to anticipated severe weather conditions down south, the 1st Round was shortened to only a few events and 1 day. So local teams didn't get show off all their talent, but will over the coming Rounds.
Newport SLSC and Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club did best out of the local clubs, scoring 64 and 24 respectively.
Events conducted on the Saturday were: U23 Male Rescue, Rookie Rescue, U23 Male Tube, U23 Female Rescue, 35+ Male Rescue, 45+ Rescue, 35+ Female Tube, 35+ Male Tube, 45+ Tube, 35+ Female Rescue, Open Male Rescue, Open Male Tube, Open Female Rescue and Open Female Tube.
A 60-strong squad from Australia was in Hyeres, France preparing to take part in the 2023 Semaine Olympique Francais, colloquially known as the ‘Hyeres Regatta’. Most had recently competed at Palma in Spain where three came away with silver medals. However, the competition from within the Australian camp and internationally, is becoming more robust as the Paris Games loom.
High Performance Director, Iain Brambell, has been keeping a close eye on the squad. He says: “The team was excited to be returning to Hyeres to progress and positively advance their 2023 international campaigns.
“All crews are looking to build on their individual performances in Palma to seek, test and instil their desired improvements. As a collective team, we are striving to repeat and increase the number of crews achieving Gold fleets, Medal Races and podium performances.
“Competing in both Palma and now Hyeres will go a long way to building the team’s confidence and preparation into this season’s Olympic Team Event and our first opportunities to qualify classes for the Paris Olympic Games during the 2023 World Championships,” he finished.
Pittwater sailors Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin opened their account in the Nacra 17 with a clear win in the Yellow fleet.
“Very Australian conditions,” Waterhouse commented. “We knew it would be a battle of attrition. Lisa and I said, ‘Let’s try and keep things simple and trust our training and boat handling’.”
Nacra 17 coach, Darren Bundock said, “Jason and Lisa had a comfortable win. They were a long way in front. That’s quite a pleasing start. It’s a shame there weren’t more races, but tomorrow’s conditions are looking similar.”
More wins and other top placings for Australian athletes competing on Day 3 of the 2023 Hyeres Regatta in France. With only one race on the board coming into the day, organisers sent the Nacra 17s out for four races. Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin followed up on their win on Day 2 with another bullet in Race 2, and 4-12-6 results followed. The Rio silver medallists retained their overall lead, but the two teams behind them were on the same points as the Aussies.
“Palma (earlier this month) was our first European event for the year and we were rusty. We learnt what not to do,” Waterhouse said with a laugh. “We learned lessons there and now we’re putting what we learnt into practice. ''
Ruben and Rita Booth also made their mark in the light air. Their 2-3-3-8 scores elevated the siblings to sixth overall and they are just four points adrift of the leaders in what is shaping up as a tight series.
By Day 5 at the 2023 Hyeres Regatta in France the races decided who would make the cut into the Medal Race stage. Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin were into the Nacra 17 Medal Race. Four more races were sailed and they ended the day in seventh place overall.
“We dropped to seventh, we had a tough last race, which didn’t help,” Waterhouse said of their 19th in Race 12, which has been discarded.
“It was a super tough day. We’re still a bit rusty and making a few mistakes. We need to work on our light air sailing,” he said, adding, “We’ll use the Medal Race as experience for the next event.”
Jim Colley and Shaun Connor’s day went well in the 49er. Following four consistent results inside the top nine, the NSW pair moved up to fifth overall and into the Medal Race. Only three points separate second to fifth places, so the race is sure to be a thriller.
“It’s all to play for tomorrow,” Connor commented ashore. “We’ll check the weather, then it will be critical to go out and sail the best race we can, execute the basics.”
The NSW athlete said the shifts were hard to read today. “Jim and I share responsibility for reading the conditions. We cross check each other. The other boats are a key indication of what’s happening too.
“We had good speed, especially downwind, but it came down to trying to find opportunities to stay clear of the rest and then pick the right way to go. Once you got clear of the congestion - and there was a lot of that at the marks - you could make gains or get hurt. It was critical to get it right rather than having to fight your way through the pack,” Connor said.
Day 6, Medals Race day, resulted in Australia coming away from the 2023 Hyeres Regatta in France with a silver medal in the 49er and Bronze in the ILCA 6 from the eight Australian athletes in the Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (ASS) and Australian Sailing Futures (ASF) programs that made it into the Medal Stage.
Jim Colley and Shaun Connor won Silver in the 49er and Casey Imeneo took Bronze in the ILCA 6. The three are first-time medallists at a major international competition.
Colley and Connor, from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, were fifth going into the Medal Race, restricted to the top ten competitors. They knew Gold was not possible, as Diego Botin and Florian Trittel Paul (ESP) came to the race with an unassailable lead. However, just three points separated the next four competitors, including the Australians, who sailed well throughout the race to win Silver.
“It’s pretty cool, considering after the first day I didn’t think I could race, as I was ill with flu,” Colley revealed. “It’s a testament to Shaun, I’m full praise for him. He’s done everything for me this week, I only had to get on the boat and sail it, he took care of the rest.
“It’s so special. To see it turn into a result like this is gratifying after all the work we’ve put in on and off the water. Hopefully this is the first medal of many.”
In the Nacra 17, Rio Olympic silver medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin finished eighth overall, following a seventh in the Medal Race.
''Some Highs and lows in Hyeres this week- we'll take those highs and learn from the lows. '' the pair stated
Jason and Lisa will head back to France at the end of May for more training.
Breiana Whitehead went into the Formula Kite Medal Race in 10th place and finished in 10th place. The class will make its Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games and Whitehead, from Townsville in Queensland, has been holding her own at international events. Best results are third at past World and European Championships.
Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin. Photo: Beau Outteridge
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