Despite having only three training sessions under their belt, the St Clair duo executed perfectly to be named the top overall under-23 crew at the national IRB championships in Gisborne at the weekend.
Alongside Olivia Harrex, they won the under-23 single rescue and assembly rescue and were runners-up in the tube rescue.
Underwood-Nicol and Martin have been close friends since they were young, but after Underwood-Nicol moved to Auckland they had limited training sessions as they prepared for the big event.
‘‘We’ve been competing as a team for four seasons, but now I’ve moved up to the big smoke so we’ve had just three training sessions together,’’ Underwood-Nicol said.
‘‘We were nervous. But we have a good start — starts are our strong point. We turn and skim and we did a lot of visualisations,’’ Underwood-Nicol said.
Martin said St Clair had been supportive helping the crew prepare, including ‘‘local legends’’ Carla and Steph Laughton, and loved the national championships.
‘‘This national champs has been great,’’ Martin said.
‘‘We’re biased and love our home beach the most for IRB racing, but it’s special travelling to other beaches around the country and this is our first time racing at Waikanae, the weather and conditions have been awesome, and it’s such a cool atmosphere.’’
The national championships attracted 342 competitors across 18 crews from 30 crews from New Zealand and Australia.
St Kilda stood strong to be runners-up for the national title with 60 points and returned home with a swag of silverware.
Natalie Ashton, Jamie Vuglar, Emily Peacock, Dyani Shepherd-Oates and Isabella Grant won gold in the open female team rescue event.
Peacock, Shepherd-Oates, Lily Bovey and Gregor Watts were runners-up in the open female mass rescue and Peacock, Shepherd-Oates and Bovey also claimed silver in the open female assembly rescue.
Jackson Boyd, James Henderson and Zoe Allibone were crowned the under-19 male tube rescue champions and Allibone linked up with Holly Wright and Jake Shearstone to win bronze in the under-19 female tube rescue.
Watts joined Jack McDowall and Taryn Doyle to win bronze in the open male single rescue and assembly rescue, Shearstone linked up with Nic Brice and Lila Rhodes to win silver in the masters male assembly rescue and bronze in the masters male single rescue.
