The top-five finish means he has maintained his status at the top of the leaderboard.

Day, who won the last round at Coolum, sits on 242 points, leading Trevor Hendy on 223, with Bevilacqua now just 25 points off the top. 

Matt Bevilacqua and Brielle Cooper – two of the best in the sport right now – tasted success on a superb Sunday afternoon of racing.

He had stolen a winning break by the time he had left the water for the final time and shared high fives with crowd members on his way to the finish line.

It was a valuable victory for his overall title aspirations. The result moves him to third overall at the halfway point of the series. 

Cooper was made to work hard up the beach as title rival Harriet Brown stayed hot on her heels in the Women’s Ironwoman Final.

But Cooper was able to keep the Northcliffe star at bay, with Currumbin’s Karlee Nurthen close behind in third. 

Cooper (200) won the last round at Coolum and closed the gap on Brown (229) in the race for the title with her win in Wollongong. 

Northcliffe’s Danielle McKenzie is level with Cooper on 200 points.

In other events, Newport’s Blake Drysdale edged out club mate Jake Lynch to take out the Male Beach Flags while Kurrawa’s Bree Master claimed the Female division. 

In the Beach Sprint, Newport’s Lynch went one better to claim honours while Currumbin talent Olivia Eaton, who also finished second in the Flags, got the best of a high quality field.

Northcliffe’s Mitchell Combes was victorious in the Men’s Surf Race and Alexandra Headland’s Lani Pallister won the Women’s Event. 

Mermaid Beach (Men’s) and Newport (Women’s) won the Board Relays, Alexandra Headland (Men’s) and Northcliffe (Women’s) took out the Ski Relay while Manly (Men’s) and Noosa Heads (Women’s) claimed the Taplin Relay. 

The next event in the series will be held at Fairhaven before the competition travels to Surfers Paradise.

North Cronulla will host the final event of the series on the last weekend in February.