The Bulli mens crew are determined to push for George Bass glory after battling through a strong southerly to claim Monday’s second leg.
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The three-time defending champions extended their lead on Monday and Adam Barlow said the team will look to spend the next two days preparing for Thursday’s pivotal 35 kilometre leg.
“Today was tough,” Barlow said. “They were predicting a north-easterly, but when we got to the beach it definitely wasn’t a north-easterly. It was a heavy southerly. You don’t get much tougher than that sort of wind.
“We’re entering a tough little period. You’ve got to keep resting pairs, monitor who’s fit and healthy and who maybe needs a day off. We have to manage our guys right in anticipation of the long one, make sure everyone’s fit for day five.”
At 19km long, Tuesday’s leg from Moruya to Tuross Head was the shortest of the seven-leg race and Barlow’s team was able to jump to the front early in the piece and power away from their rivals.
“We had a race plan to get out in front off the start. It gives you the opportunity to row at your own tempo, your own pace. The plan was if the others could come with us great, if not we could build a bit of a lead and hopefully it would pay off for us in the end. Which it did obviously.”
Whilst the Bulli opens crew blitzed their rivals, the masters team struggled in the tough conditions and finished the leg in ninth place. The masters classification was won by North Cronulla after a tight tussle with Wollongong City.
“They finished ninth out of 11, they didn’t have their greatest day. They got off to a bad start, there was a mishap with the support boat and then it was tough going from there.
“Wollongong rowed well. When we come up to the head of the field, they were locked in a battle with North Cronulla, but North Cronulla held on to go two from two.”
The day’s racing came after a tribute to honour former Moruya Surf Club member Lesley Pheeney.
“She was just one of those very quiet people who went about doing exceptional things for the club without expecting any accolades,” friend and Tathra Surf Lifesaving Club member Kerry Parbery said.