Congratulations to Pat Flynn who was awarded a Surf Life Saving New Zealand Service Award for contribution to Surf Lifesaving at the Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Awards of Excellence on the weekend.
Thanks Pat, we appreciate your dedication.
We wish to congratulate Malcolm on his new appointment. Last night at the Surf Life Saving Northern Region AGM, he was elected as President for a term of 2 years.
Malcolm gives a significant contribution in all aspects of Surf Life Saving with his vast experience, leadership skills and dedication. We are sure this will benefit SLSNR and its Associate Clubs.
Well done Malcolm.
On Saturday 10th September Sunset Beach Lifeguards competed in the 90 Mile Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Classic. For the third year in a row they were the top club out of 14 from all over New Zealand. This is a really hard, physically challenging and gruelling race.
Starting at Scott’s point the boats travel parallel to the shore and within the surf break, to the first rally point, Matapia Island. Usually the teams drive out and around the Island but the seas were too big this year, so they did a loop back to the start then travelled to the second rally point at the Bluff.
At the Bluff, they have to pick up their boats and carry them across the sand spit, 500m, refuel and then travel to the third rally point, Huketere. Here, two of the crew run 2km to the top of the hill, the third refuels then they travel to the 4th rally point, Waipapakauri. While one crew member refuels for the third time, the other two carry the motor (in some cases just one person carries it) around a check point and then back to the boat. The teams then travel to the finish.
Following the teams along the beach are the support crews with the petrol for refuelling, tools in case they break down and in some cases a spare motor.
The teams would like to thank all of the support crews, the Sunset Beach Lifesaving Club for their support and the coach and team captain Shane Edwards. “The crews have trained all winter and have got the rewards for their hard work. With the volunteer lifeguard season starting Labour weekend, our crews are well ready to face the upcoming summer, saving lives on the beach”, Shane Edwards
Sunset Beach Results
1st The Milk Men - Lewis Powell, Josh Andrews and Finbar Culley 2:32:13 2nd Sunset A - Shane Edwards, Mark Edwards and Hogan Shrimpton 2:32:32 4th Wet Wedges - Taylor Shrimpton, Jacob Pullen and Mikey Waldegrave 2:50:46 13th Are We There Yet - Glen Richards, Anton Baptist and Flynn Avery 3:14:52
Club Points
Sunset Beach 431
Bethels Beach 224
Mairangi Bay 160
St Clair 126
Brighton 116
Omaha 86
Kariaotahi 85
Far North 80
Worser Bay 75
United North Piha 60
Otaki 58
New Plymoth Old Boys 52
Piha 34
Opunake 3
The Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service held it’s 57th AGM on Sunday 7th August at the Sunset Beach LGS Club Rooms.
The meeting was well attended by current members, life members and the Waikato District Council Mayor, Allan Sanson. Malcolm Beattie OBE, president of Sunset Beach LGS, chaired the meeting and was voted in as President for the 2016 – 2017 season.
Malcolm Beattie was proud to report on a very successful season 2015/16 with high standards that ensure the community and wider general public have a safe ocean experience at Sunset Beach.
- For 6 consecutive years we recorded 100% efficiency audits for patrolling standards. Lifeguards completed 12 rescues, 18 First Aids, 25 Searches and 2,040 preventative Actions outside the flagged area involving 7,513 persons. Lifeguards worked 4,746 hours during the 2015-2016 season.
- Our IRB competitors had an outstanding season winning Northern and National titles. Sunset Beach is now recognised throughout New Zealand as a leader in the field of IRB racing and rescue operations.
- Sunset Beach U19 Men’s Surf Boat Rowers continue to impress coming top in the NZ Surf Boat Series and Representing Northern Region in the NZ Surf Boat Challenge.
- The club has completed a feasibility study for a proposed new building project. Plans have been approved for new club rooms. We will now move to stage two which includes a wider ranging feasibility study, engineering reports and consultancy with the Port Waikato community.
Prominent for the lifeguards and the community this week was the moving of the Lifeguard communications tower to the rear of the carpark next to our club rooms. It has only taken 1 year since the tower was moved from it’s previous position. As per the Waikato Regional Council’s directive, the decision is to retreat. Storms over the last two months have caused major damage to the front of Sunset Beach and around main access areas, causing the total loss of the bottom car park.