FAMILY FEUDING HOTS UP CHASE FOR TAPLIN RELAY GLORY

Sydney Northern Beaches, February 10: Queenscliff, with the three Atkinson brothers Tom, Mick and Ben in the engine room, are determined to upset Surf Life Saving's big guns Manly, Cronulla and Northcliffe as this year's surf sports championships hot up. IAN HANSON reports.....

Manly and Freshwater may have dominated the pointscore at the Streets Sydney Northern Beaches Branch championships at Palm Beach last weekend but it is the Queenscliff team who are the talk of the town after a runaway victory in the prestigious Taplin Relay.

They now have a hot-shot Cronulla team - led by the Allum and Simpson brothers firmly in their sights when the cream of the State's surf lifesavers converge on Blacksmith's Beach, Swansea Belmont for the NSW Championships in two weeks.

Then it will be off to the 2009 Where is Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough, WA (March 17-22) as they chase the elusive National crown against the top Queensland clubs Northcliffe, North Burleigh, Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park and Mooloolaba.

Surf Lifesaving's blue ribband team event has always been close to the hearts of the Queenscliff team, inspired over the years by never-say-die ski paddlers Nick Holt and Damien Daley.

And that was just the case in the testing, choppy nor-east conditions that greeted the competitors on Saturday with Holt again displaying his raw power off the beach to set up the victory in the open ski leg.

Freshwater and defending NSW champions Manly were no match for Queenscliff once Holt blasted off the beach in the opening leg.

Daley, affectionately known as "DD" in surf lifesaving circles all round Australia, extended the lead before new swimmer in the team, Tom Atkinson - one of three brothers in the Queenscliff combination.

Atkinson then tagged outstanding swimmer Saxon Bird - who won silver in the open and under 19 surf races - before the Atkinson boys Mick and Ben completed the domination with outstanding board legs.

It was the Atkinson boys who gave Queenscliff the silver medal in last year's Australian board relay final but it is Taplin glory they are chasing this year.

"The Taplin Relay is the most prestigious event on the Surf Life Saving program and it's the event we love at Queenscliff," said Holt, who also won the single ski and combined with Daley to finish second in the double ski.

"We have a complete team, without a weakness and we really want to give the NSW Championships a real crack again although we know the Aussies is another story.

"Queenscliff has won the NSW Championship before and we have been placed at the Australian Championships and we want to give it a red hot go this year.

"Moving Tom Atkinson from the board to the swim has worked really well, he is swimming the house down."

It capped a great day for Tom Atkinson, who also won the board and finished third in the open surf race.

MANLY-FRESWATER LOCK HORNS IN POINTSCORE RACE

It was Branch powerhouses Manly and Freshwater who battled out for major overall honours with the sky blues winning the open pointscore on 586 points, from Freshwater (509) and Collaroy (304).

Cam Coghlan added his name to the list of surf sports stars who have won the Branch Open Ironman title - a list which includes the likes of Craig Riddington, Guy Leech and Sean Kenny

Coghlan also won silver in the open board race and led the sky blues to victory in the open board relay.

Murray Stewart led a dominant Manly in the ski area, combining with Blake Ballard to win the double ski, Jo Bridgen-Jones in the mixed double and Nick Dawe and Adam Keelan in the open ski relay while Bridgen-Jones combined with Bec Keelan to win the women's double ski.

The under 19 boys chimed in too with the team of Adam Crerar, Sam Speer and Liam Kelly winning the ski relay and Crerar and Speer taking gold in the double ski.

Flo Epper also had a great day, winning the under 19 board race, leading Manly to victory in the under 19 Taplin Relay and surf teams and silver medals in the Ironwoman, surf race and ski race.

While Trent Klousal (under 17 boys), Polly Williams (under 17 girls) and Ciaran Wolohan (under 15 girls) all won their respective surf races and Robbie Jones led a dominant Manly in the under 15 beach area, winning the beach sprint-flags double and the beach relay.

Alisha Miller led a stirring all-round performance from the Freshwater team, winning the open and under 19 Ironwoman double, the open board, the under 19 surf race and as a member of the open Taplin Relay, the open board relay and board rescue with Rachel Crerar.

She joined with team mates Crerar, Shannon Cooper and Kim Low for Taplin supremacy while Low also won the open single ski and led the maroon and whites in the winning open ski relay.

Outstanding swim prospects Luke Stirton and Jake Nolan landed Freshwater the coveted open and under 19 surf races, while Freshwater finished first and second in the open surf teams.

Ben Kirkby won the under 19 board, led the club to win the under 19 board relay gold and teamed with Kurt Hanson to win the open board rescue.

Brother Tim kept it all in the family when he won the under 17 board race and board rescue while the under 17 Ironwoman saw a Freshwater trifecta with Haylee Couchman taking gold ahead of Tegan Willis and Alex Stirton.

TOP TEN: Manly, Freshwater, Queenscliff, Newport, Nth Curl Curl, Collaroy,  Nth Steyne,  Mona Vale,  Sth Curl Curl,  Avalon.

ENDS....