It’s another Sharkskin NSW Inflatable Rescue Boat Premiership title for Caves Beach SLSC, but the win came with a statement from a Sydney club that the chasing pack is getting closer and closer with every race.
The Hunter-based powerhouse stormed to the overall victory by almost 100 points at the end of Round 4 at Swansea Belmont surf club, confirming its fourth straight victory in the Premiership series, however it came on a day when they were outbattled by a strong North Cronulla SLSC squad that finished first at Blacksmiths and secured second place on the overall point score tally.
It was a big statement ahead of the Sharkskin NSW IRB Championships in a fortnight’s time, where racing begins in earnest once again to crown a new fleet of state champions.
Thirroul SLSC matched its 2025 efforts by finishing third overall once again, while Newport SLSC and Kiama Downs SLSC will both also fancy their chances of competing for titles at the Championships at Fingal Bay after finishing fourth and fifth in the Premiership, respectively.
Standout results from the final weekend of the Premiership series included Forster SLSC’s AI Frogs winning both the Rookie Mass and Rookie Rescue finals – finishing second overall in the former category and first in the latter.
Newport’s Unsupervised Adults won their second straight Over 35 Female Mass Rescue final after missing the opening weekend, and went on to win the category as well. So, too, did Queenscliff SLSC in the Over 35 Male Teams – Not Our First Rodeo an apt name.
Kiama Downs Red won the U23 Female Rescue in Swansea, claiming the category, while South Maroubra SLSC’s Chicks Ahoy took out the Open Female Rescue on the back of extreme consistency across the rounds.
Caves Beach White’s Over 45 Open Rescue team won every final across the Premiership – one of several stellar results for the eventual winners.
IRB racing now moves to Fingal Bay where the 2026 Sharkskin NSW Inflatable Rescue Boat Championships will be contested over three days between 3-5 July.
PREMIERSHIP OVERALL POINT SCORE
Caves Beach – 456
North Cronulla – 361
Thirroul – 293
Newport – 279
Kiama Downs – 258
Queenscliff – 211
Bondi – 185
South Maroubra – 154
Forster – 105
Nobby’s – 84
Maroubra – 53
North Avoca – 53
Terrigal – 26
Bungan Beach – 10
Fingal Beach – 2
Ocean Beach – 0
Wednesday 24 June 2026