Boats

Our Proud History

Manly Lifesaving Club has a long and proud history in the sport of surfboat rowing and consequently surf lifesaving in Australia. In fact it was Manly Surf Club who held the first ever surfboat race during the Manly Surf Club Carnival in January 1908, using boats borrowed from ships in the harbour.

However, it was the Sly family from Fairy Bower who were the first unofficial lifesavers for the hoards of bathers that began flocking to Manly beach at the start of the 1900s. Using a double ended ship’s boat they cut off part of the stern and sat out beyond the breakers performing rescue and patrol work for the Manly club.

It was then Fred Notting, the boat captain of the newly formed Manly Lifesaving Club, who then adapted this boat to the local conditions. This newly formed MLSC surfboat was twenty feet long, double ended and had an exaggerated spring in the keel. This surfboat also had a quarter-bar to enable Notting to gain leverage to keep the boat straight on a wave.

Since that time Manly LSC have won two gold medals in the Open Surfboats in the 1927-28 and 1948-49 seasons, as well as numerous championship titles and medal across all the divisions.

The Present

Today surfboat rowing is a sport under taken by dedicated lifesavers of MLSC who are either brave or just plain foolhardy!

Manly currently have crews rowing and competing in the following divisions:

• Junior Men
• Under 23 Men
• Men’s Reserves
• Open Women
• Open Men
• Masters

The Captain of Boats is Ben Dawes, son of the Club’s most famous rower ‘Dumper’ Dawes.  Ben and all the boat-rowers will be happy to talk to any current or prospective member about the great sport of surfboat rowing.

In addition to past and present rowers and sweeps, the surfboat section of the Club would also like to thank the generous support of:

•  Cable Cage Systems
• Noel Carroll and Michelle’s Patisserie
• Matt Clymer and Clymer Surfboats

For information about boat crews, contact the administration office on 9977 2742 or admin@manlylsc.com