FRESHWATER'S RECORD GOLD MEDAL HAUL AT NSW MASTERS

Freshwater has dominated the NSW All Phones State Masters Surf Life Saving Championships at Blacksmith's Beach, Swansea Belmont, winning a staggering 14 gold medals - with iron man Paul Lemmon and swimmers Peter Obern and John de Mestre winning 11 gold medals between them.

Lemmon, the former Central Coast champion,  led the maroon and white charge to the podium, winning six gold and one silver medal in the 40-44 years age group.

The reigning world champion won gold in the iron man, surf race and rescue tube and as a member of the victorious surf teams, taplin relay and board relays.

In a day of dominance rarely seen in the State Championship water area and without doubt the club's finest day in Masters competition:

• Lemmon, paddling the board, also combined with mercurial ski paddler Bill Wilson and swimmer de Mestre to take gold in the 130 years Taplin Relay; with de Mestre and Peter Theil in the 110 years surf teams and Matthews and Michael Kirkby in the 150 years board relay.
• De Mestre won the 45-49 years surf race and combined with OBern to win the 45-49 years board rescue while OBern also won gold in the 45-49 years rescue tube and combined with the powerful swimming of Alan Burns and Don Boland to win the 150 years surf teams.
• Boland again showed his strength to win the 50-54 years surf race and combined with Kim Hanlon and Kirkby to cause an upset win the 150 years Taplin Relay, while;
• The ever present James Newman combined with Wilson and Ian Wallace to claim gold in the 130 years ski relay.

Lemmon, Burns and Obern will now back up in the Freshwater Taplin, surf and R and R teams when the NSW Open Championships continue at Blacksmith's over the weekend.

But the day of water dominance wasn't enough to give Freshwater the overall Masters Pointscore which once again went to the consistent Brian Dolly and Michael Gedz led Queenscliff club.

Queenscliff totalled 161 points to win the pointscore from Newport (144), Manly (132) and Freshwater (122) in a red-letter day for the Sydney Northern Beaches.

Dolly won the 40-44 years beach sprint from Gedz, while Gedz won the 40-44 years beach flags and combined with Steve Nelson and Steve Hoy to win silver in the Queenscliff 170 years beach relay.

Robyn Henderson added further gold to the Queenscliff tally when she won the 40-44 years beach sprint and then combined with Kylie Antenna, Natalie Bayly and Annabel Nelson to win gold in the 140 years female beach relay.

Henderson claimed her third gold, bronze in the 40-44 years beach flags.

Manly's Mel Pelly led the sky blue caps, winning the 30-39 years single ski, while Christie Krenkels dominated the 40-44 years swimming arena, winning the surf race and rescue tube.