Sunset Beach Surf Lfiesvaing Club emerged as clear leaders on the finale day of the BP Surf Rescue Championships.

The club from Port Waikato managed to pull away from their nearest rivals, St Clair Surf Life Saving Club [Dunedin], to win the annual IRB event held in Papamoa.

Action from the BP Surf Rescue Nationals on Sunday. Photos: Vandi Photography.

East End Surf Lifesaving Club and host-club Papamoa finished third equal, only one point behind the second-placed getters, with Waimarama Surf Lifesaving Club [Hawke's Bay] finishing close behind them in fifth.

'We are stoked with how well everything went at the BP Surf Rescue Championships this weekend. We had a couple of minor issues, like the weather, but we still finished early and everyone is happy and safe, so overall, it has been a great weekend,” says event manager Scott Bicknell.

Teams enjoyed more settled weather today after yesterday's challenging wet and windy conditions and Scott says this proved why these athletes are the country's best.

'The calibre of the athletes was just fantastic and meant we had a lot of really close races which is obviously great for the sport. They all did incredibly well this weekend, so a huge congratulations to everyone who took part.

'It was also good to see so many spectators and supporters out there cheering our teams on. It created a really cool vibe out there and we're already looking forward to the 2017 edition.”

The races held during the two-day event mimic a variety of potential real-life rescues using the iconic orange IRB's and test competitors' skills both in and out of the water.

Yesterday saw the Teams Race, Tube Rescue and Single Rescue races in variable surf conditions.

The BP Surf Rescue Championships marks the last major event for Surf Lifesaving New Zealand for the current season as they prepare for the winter months.