RICK Rolff can’t remember the last time there were surfboats on Flynns Beach.
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He believes it was in the mid-90s, but the Port Macquarie Surf Club boat captain won’t have to wait too much longer.
Round eight of the North Coast Surfboat Series is headed to Port Macquarie on Saturday and Rolff can’t wait.
“We haven’t had surfboats on the beach for a long time,” he said.
“So hopefully the weather gods will be nice to us and there will be a howling nor-easter for the start of the races.”
Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Club have previously held hosting rights for surfboat races on the Mid-North Coast, but after last year’s carnival was cancelled they decided to hand hosting rights over.
But due to a smaller beach for the four-race program, Rolff said the final race will include a dry start and dry finish.
“That means one rower will have to get out of the boat, run around a can at the end of the beach and then get back in the boat,” he said.
A total of up to 15 clubs are expected to be represented although Rolff said each race will only have four boats.
“We’ll have a shorter course which means if you don’t get your starts or turns right it makes it really difficult.
“After Christmas, all courses are meant to be long-course, but with the smaller beach, they will be long-course after this round.”
Flynns Beach will be open to the public to swim, with the normal surf patrols shifted to the southern end of the beach.
“We just can’t have people in the water when you have 500 tonne of boat coming into the beach without brakes,” Rolff said.
Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Club boat captain Tony Kee said it “will be interesting to see what happens”.
“Flynns is a smaller beach to what we are used to competing in and there needs to be at least 23 metres between boats,” he said.
“That means there will be modified races where the first two races will be normal, but the last two will test rowers strength, endurance and fitness.”
He said his crews had continued training over the Christmas break and was confident of a competitive showing.
“Usually crews come apart over Christmas because they stop training, but our open men’s crew are sitting in fourth position and are ready to go.”
A two-metre king tide is expected at 11am which means the races will start at the later time of 1pm.
