There were cheers and tears in the boat area at the Aussies 2016 when North Cronulla snatched a last gasp victory in a nail biting finish to the Surf Boat Relay at Alexandra Headland.
The Northy boat rowers all wore black armbands as a mark of respect for long standing Life Member Brian “Spags” Trouville who lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday.
Trouville was a legendary surf ski paddler, former Australian champion who went on to become Australia’s Olympic kaya k coach in three Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.
He was the man who had so much input into the club and wrote the programs that got the crews to the line yesterday.
Newly crowned Aussies boat relay sweep Mark “Bluey” Lea paid tribute to Trouville after the club’s dramatic victory saying: “This is for ‘Spags’ - a great Life Member of or club who lost his battle with cancer yesterday.
“He had so much input into the club and wrote our training programs for 30 years – I said to the guys before we raced that this one was for Brian – an absolute legend.”
Sydney Northern Beaches club Palm Beach had led throughout the three-crew relay and the champagne corks were just about to pop.
But surf has a funny way of jamming that cork back in the bottle and in an instant and at the far southern end of the beach Sydney Branch club North Cronulla stormed home to take the gold in a photo finish.
Palm Beach started with their A crew, followed by the Under 19s and the open women anchoring but in contrast North Cronulla started with their girls and finished with their men’s A crew.
Lea saw the Palm Beach boat slew and he knew the door was now open.
“I thought we had given them too much start but the boys just fought every stroke,” sad Lea.
“Everyone did it and it was unreal watching that sprint up the line.
“We just had to stay close enough but truthfully I was going for second; I thought first was too far (out of our reach) but I saw Palm Beach slew and I got our runner out and he just made it up that beach.”
North Cronulla bowman Kane Hughes out-ran Palm Beach sweep Peter Spence, who was caught in deeper water.
Lea said that the club’s boat captain Michael Bofinger had put the boat section back together, with14 crews at the Aussies and it was the decision to start with his girls and finish with the A crew had proved the difference.
“The girls like going first, trying to stay as close as they can to the A crews and our juniors rowed awesome in the middle and we try and bring it home with the As…and it worked out,” said Lea.
And in the background was the club’s legendary surf boat sweep Steve Swane, who has steered North Cronulla surf boats in and out of breaks all round Australia – the winner of countless NSW and Australian gold, silver and bronze medals.
“Winning individual gold is what you strive for but that effort today by the whole cub was right up there – one of the most special moments in the history of our club – a real club effort,” said Swane, the godfather of Northy’s boaties.
Brian Trouville would have been real proud.
