By: IronWoman Series - Courtney Hancock has taken out the second round of the IronWoman Series at Victoria’s Portsea beach, giving the defending Series champion two wins from the summer’s opening two rounds. Hancock won the first of two races in the Sprint format and when she recovered from a massive hit on the shore break in the second race’s final ski leg to finish fourth her second successive win was assured.

Allira Richardson won the second race to go with a seventh in the first for second, a marvellous bounce back from her disastrous 19th in round one. Kristyl Smith had a sixth and a third today for third place overall, matching her position in the season opener at Surfers Paradise last month.

Hancock now holds a commanding lead the IronWoman Series pointscore on 50 points from Smith on 40 and Liz Pluimers on 32. Pluimers was 11th today, continuing her personal Portsea curse that saw her lose the title last year at the famed Mornington Peninsula break. Today she was second in the first race but was involved in the same shore break carnage as Hancock and Smith in the second race and finished last.

After claiming her victory an ecstatic Hancock said she feared her chances were shot when she was thrown backwards on the shore with Smith, Pluimers and her sister Bonnie.

“Kristyl, Bonnie and I absolutely got nailed on the shorey today,” Hancock said.

“It was probably exciting for everyone watching today but I was really quite nervous when I jumped on that ski and got going again.

“I figured out I was in about eighth so it was quite nerve-racking in that last race.”

For Richardson it was a drastic turn around from round one, something she put down to a more relaxed mindset. ”I was definitely disappointed after the first round, but you know what, this round I cared less,” Richardson said. “I had a little bit more fun, I wasn’t as anxious, I just enjoyed the moment for what it was. I love this beach, I love travelling. Having my family come down from NSW definitely made me relax a lot more. “Basically I think I was less stressed and more relaxed.”

Sydney’s Candice Falzon was fourth – her best result since returning to the Series after a three year hiatus.

The third event of the six round Series will be contested at Newcastle in New South Wales on Sunday January 22, with round four set down for battle along Perth’s coastline the following Sunday.