IF you put in the hard yards, sometimes you get the rewards.
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Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club’s open girls crew now know that after they claimed their first race win at Flynns Beach on Saturday.
After picking up regular thirds throughout the season, the Bonnies crew took advantage of Woolgoolga’s misfortune.
The more fancied Woolgoolga crew were on the receiving end of the surf factor as they slewed and then capsized less than 50 metres from the finish line to hand the Bonnies’ girls the win.
Coach Steve Monaghan said his crew had performed their race plan to perfection and confidence was growing.
“There are a couple of crews the girls haven’t been near this year,” he said.
“But we set our sights on trying to keep up with them and we were lucky enough to put a whole race together.
“They turned the cans probably in second and then they put their head down and rowed really nicely all the way home.
“We said we were going to try and stick with them on the way out and see what happened on the way in and the girls put it all together.”
The talented crew’s oldest member is 18 and this season has been a learning curve, but now they are reaping the rewards of their hard work.
“Normally they race in the under-19 girls division so it’s good to have some tough competition and learn how to race,” Monaghan said.
“To be truthful we probably need Woolgoolga to do what they did because they are a very good crew.”
Monaghan admitted sometimes crews needed a bit of luck.
I think they just got an appetite for winning and that’s a good feeling.
- Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club coach Steve Monaghan
“I’m proud of how they’re performing and how they’re improving and listening and wanting to have a go,” he said.
“It sets us up for next week where we go to an under-19 division in the ASRL open and there will be plenty of other crews to race against from all around Australia.
“We haven’t raced anyone in the big time like that before so it’s a new experience for them.”
He was hopeful the win in Port Macquarie on Saturday would be the first of many for the surf club’s girls crew.
“They have to stick with it; there’s a long way to go yet, but we’ll find out next weekend,” he said.
“I think they just got an appetite for winning and that’s a good feeling.”
