Piha stake claims in surf boat series

Piha proved their European title was no fluke by dominating today's racing in the first round of the New Zealand surf boat series in Wellington.
The Mark Bourneville-led crew won all their short-course races on the calm waters of Wellington's inner-city Oriental Bay, after struggling to find their rhythm in yesterday's chop during the long-course racing at Titahi Bay.
Piha, who won the European championships in France in September, eased to a three-length win in the final today, heading home Red Beach and Mount Maunganui.

Arch-rivals Titahi Bay - after winning yesterday's final on their home beach - failed to make the final.
Even Piha's dominance couldn't match the Mount Maunganui women's crew, however, who won all nine of their races over the weekend to make a great start to the defence of their series title.
The crew of Justine Brennan, Chelan Garnham, Charlotte Grant, Suz Wood and Donna Brodie held off Titahi Bay A in today's final, with Whakatane third and Lyall Bay fourth.
Paekakariki A took out the under-23 men's final, enacting revenge on the Piha Pistols who beat them yesterday but could only manage runner-up today.


First day results:
(Titahi Bay, Wellington)
Long course racing:
Finals:
Open mens: Titahi Bay (Dean Ellis, Byron Malcolmson, Tim Marsden, Chris Martin, Chris Middleton) 1, Piha (Mark Bourneville, Matt Kirk, Craig Knox, Bruce O’Brien, Hayden Smith) 2, Red Beach (Craig Dillon, Scott Hurdley, Nick Laurie, David Schumacher, Rodney Stephens) 3, Mt Maunganui (Tyler Andrews, Andrew Parker, Steve Rush, Wayne Urbahn, Martin Wouters) 4.
Under 23 men: Final. Piha Pistols (Mark Bourneville, Cedric and Ludovik Bourneville, Theo Commissaries, Shamus O’Halloran, James Anderson) 1, Paekakariki A (Nick Boyd, Steven Dickson, Matt King, Jordan Te Paa) 2, Piha Pirates (Daniel Clark, Logan Flutey, Jed Wright, Tom Jacka) 3, North Beach (Andrew Humm, Dean Isherwood, Steven Lord, Daniel Smith) 4, Lyall Bay (Sam Argue, Dan McCormack, Dylan McKee, Arie Moore, Charles Graham) 5, Piha Doggies (Wyatt Bell, Patrick Marsh, Cahon McCarthy, Nicholas MacKenzie, Shamus O’Halloran) 6.
Open women: Mt Maunganui (Justine Brennan, Chelan Garnham, Charlotte Grant, Suz Wood, Donna Brodie) 1, Titahi Bay (Byron Malcolmson, Zoe Canvin, Vicky Harding, Arlenna Schmidt, Laura Travers-Jones) 2, Waihi (Dan Harris, Nikola Boswell, Claire Brazell, Emma Hodges, Nicola Staite) 3, Red Beach (Warren McGougan, Lorraine Brake, Carla Goodhew, Annette Mayo, Whytnee Rio) 4, Lyall Bay (Arthur Turchie, Laura Kuggeleijn, Amy McMullan, Nicole Taylor) 5, North Beach (David Pipe, Lena Cassidy-Clark, Rebecca Feary, Anna Hill, Stephanie McDonald) 6.

Second day results:
(Oriental Bay, Wellington)
Short-course racing:
Open men final: Piha A (Mark Bourneville, Matt Kirk, Craig Knox, Bruce O’Brien, Hayden Smith) 1, Red Beach B (Chris McCullogh, Warren McGougan, John Mark, William Duncan) 2, Mt Maunganui (Tyler Andrews, Andrew Parker, Steve Rush, Wayne Urbahn, Martin Wouters) 3, Titahi Bay (Clayton Kellett, Pete Linde, Kent Rae, Brad Thomsen) 4, Red Beach A (Craig Dillon, Scott Hurdley, Nick Laurie, David Schumacher, Rodney Stephens) 5.
Under-23 final: Paekakariki A (Nick Boyd, Steven Dickson, Matt King, Jordan Te Paa) 1, Piha Pistols (Mark Bourneville, Cedric and Ludovik Bourneville, Theo Commissaries, Shamus O’Halloran, James Anderson) 2, Piha Pirates (Daniel Clark, Logan Flutey, Jed Wright, Tom Jacka) 3, Piha Doggies (Wyatt Bell, Patrick Marsh, Cahon McCarthy, Nicholas MacKenzie, Shamus O’Halloran) 4, North Beach (Andrew Humm, Dean Isherwood, Steven Lord, Daniel Smith) 5, Lyall Bay (Sam Argue, Dan McCormack, Dylan McKee, Arie Moore, Charles Graham) 6.
Open women final: Mt Maunganui (Justine Brennan, Chelan Garnham, Charlotte Grant, Suz Wood, Donna Brodie) 1, Titahi Bay A (Byron Malcolmson, Zoe Canvin, Vicky Harding, Arlenna Schmidt, Laura Travers-Jones) 2, Whakatane (Malcolm Rowson, Sophie Craig, Tania Archibald, Megan Badcock, Maree Bicknell, Carla Linton) 3, Lyall Bay (Arthur Turchie, Laura Kuggeleijn, Amy McMullan, Nicole Taylor) 4, Orewa White (Stuart Handford, Stephanie Clarke, Cheri Quinton, Amie and Rebecca Thomason) 5, Bethells Beach (Katie Blackwell, Claire Carrington, Karlene O’Halloran, Hilary Baker) 6.