Perfect weather & water conditions as Petrina, Amy Wakelam among winners at Geraldton Triathlon Club event

Sunday was an ideal day for the first event in the Geraldton Triathlon Club’s Geraldton Bikes Double and Triple series.

Conditions were Geraldton-ideal — flat water, a warm easterly not blowing a gale, and the only stingers were ticklers.

Some first-timers on the local race scene joined the regulars, including Kylie Scholz from Newcastle, who signed up for the triple-up long course.

The field was slightly diminished from the record-breaking crowds of previous weeks, perhaps as many are tapering for Busselton Ironman next weekend. It could also have been the heat keeping a few at home, as the temperature got close to the 40s.

The long course started off at a cracking pace, with Jess Wake leaving them in her wake as she left the water first on her three laps.

The first female contestant home on the long course was Petrina Wakelam, who is always speedy on the run legs. Wake was not far behind, coming in ahead of the first male long-course racers.

The Wakelams kept it in the family, with Amy bringing home a short-course win after a tussle on the run leg with second-placed Lisa Keefe.

Jill Weller won the female event on the enticer course, the shortest of the three distances, with Steph Essex coming in second.

In the men’s events, the times were quick in the enticer.

James Parry completed the job in under 35 minutes, with a young Alex Travesso not too far behind.

On the short course, Gerard Grant won ahead of Paul Burkinshaw and Byron Clarkson.

Rodney Eva won the long-course event ahead of Russell Browne.

The hero of the day was Rob Melville, who not only signed up for the double-up event instead of his regular enticer, but did it solo, as his racing partner marshalled on the modified run course.

Next week the club is at St George’s beach for race two of the championship series.