By Matthew Sims
A group of Williamstown life savers have put their skills on an inflatable rescue boat [IRB] to the test in a competitive setting and have come home victorious.
The Williamstown Swimming and Lifesaving Club took home three first place medals, two second place medals and scored third overall with 57 points at the third round of the 2022 TRE Motorsport IRB premiership season at Anglesea on Sunday, May 22.
Life Saving Victoria aquatic sport manager Simon Butterly said the competitors faced small but consistent waves to show off one of the most popular tools of modern lifesaving.
“IRB racing is not only a thrilling spectator sport, particularly in the surf, but facing these conditions is also great practice for our lifesavers, who are the same lifesavers you see on patrol across the state during the summer,” he said.
“The IRB is known as ‘the workhorse’ of lifesaving rescue equipment, used for rescue, retrieval and surveillance, and were used for 142 rescues during the 2021-22 Victorian patrol season.”
Williamstown Swimming and Lifesaving Club’s results on the weekend included:
* First place – open men – IRB surf rescue: Calum Dickson, Alastair Thomas and Jasmine Happ;
* First place – open men – IRB mass rescue: Christian Aquila, Shaun Leith, Mackenzie Bull and Sarah Meehan;
* First place – open men – IRB teams rescue: Calum Dickson, Christian Aquila, Alastair Thomas, Shaun Leith, Jasmine Happ and Mackenzie Bull;
* Second place – open men – IRB mass rescue: Calum Dickson, Alastair Thomas, Jasmine Happ and Talia Rodder; and
* Second place – under 23 women – IRB tube rescue: Jasmine Happ, Brydie Logan and Alexander Walton.
The Victorian IRB state championships will be held at Lorne Surf Life Saving Club from Sunday, June 24 to Tuesday, June 26.
