Bronze wins for Albany boat crews

Two Albany surf boat crews have returned with bronze medals from the Lifesaving World Championships, held at Glenelg in South Australia late last month.

Three crews from the Albany Surf Life Saving Club made the 5000km round trip across the Nullarbor.

A total of 170 surf boat crews competed in the championships, and Albany came away with dual bronze after both women’s crews finished on the podium.

In the rough conditions, all three Albany crews reached the masters division finals, with the Wedgetails and the Fat Gannetts both securing third place.

The Wedgetails — sweep Jeff Medcalf, Rachael Duffield, Jill Cartmel, Karen Herlihy and Helena Stoakley — won bronze in the women’s 200+ age division.

The Fat Gannetts won bronze in the women’s 180+ age division with a team consisting of Chris Ficko, Alex Wells, Danni Lynch, Trish Hines and sweep Peter Gray.

Albany’s other crew, Albany Agricultural finished fifth in the men’s 180+ age division, with Medcalf as sweep with Matt Wells, Andrew Duffield, Gray and Gavin Shepherd.

Rachael Duffield said months of early morning winter training had paid off. The crews are now talking about the possibility of competing at the next championships, in Italy in 2020.