THIS year’s RAF Careers Weymouth Beach Classic was one to remember with some of the best volleyball ever seen in the seaside town played out over the course of the 2015 tournament.

The whole event was another great success despite appalling weather on the final day which really tested the resolve of both the competitors and organisers.

In the end, Australia’s Aden Tutton and Kiwi Kirk Pitman took the men’s title following a titanic battle with Scotland’s Robin Miedzybrodzki and the USA’s Taylor Wilson.

English pair Vicky Palmer and Jess Grimson won the women’s crown after defeating Scottish duo Mel Coutts and Lynne Beattie.

The two teams that made the women’s final had to contend with the worst of the weather in their semi-final matches early on Sunday morning.

Although the rain was unpleasant, the very strong winds made play particularly difficult.

The most dramatic of these last-four games was the Scottish pair’s defeat of Great Britain’s Olympic duo of Zara Pitman and Shauna Miedzybrodzki.

The encounter came down to the last few points in the deciding set before Coutts and Beattie came out on top with a 15-13 victory.

The final itself was played in calmer conditions and was a rematch of a very tight battle between the teams in the qualifying rounds the previous day.

However, this time Palmer and Grimson seemed to have control for most of the match and emerged 21-19, 21-12 winners to take their first ever Weymouth title.

The men’s teams also had to battle through the horrendous weather in the semi-finals but it was no big surprise to see the number one and two seeds make it to the final.

Tutton and Pitman, who triumphed alongside Miedzybrodzki in 2013, took the first set 21-18, but four-time winner Miedzybrodzki was not going to let the match go easily.

He and Wilson, one half of the winning men’s team last year, fought back to take a dramatic and exciting second set 22-20.

This set up a dramatic final set which produced some of the best volleyball seen on Weymouth Beach, but Tutton and Pitman were just able to pull ahead (16-14) to take the match and the title.

There was also success for local favourite Ryan Stout who finished in fifth place.

That was his highest ever position at the Weymouth event and on the British Tour.

In an all-Weymouth final in the South West Development Tournament, Stephen Williamson and Ali Mitchell defeated Craig Bishop and Jules Stout.

Amber Davies, also from Weymouth, was a runner-up in the junior girls’ final.

One of the event’s directors, Graeme Sawyer, said: “We are highly delighted with how it all went.

“The excellent weather on Saturday showed off Weymouth at its finest and then on Sunday it was amazing to see the quality of play which could be still performed in such awful conditions.

“It is a huge credit to the players that they battled through this weather and put on such good finals.

“It was also fantastic to see all the hard work put in by the Weymouth Beach Volleyball Club members without whose support the event could not take place.

"We now start to plan for 2016.”

As well as the presentation of trophies to winners on the court, a Spirit of the Tournament Award was also given to a Weymouth family.

The special accolade went to Terry, Emma and 11-year-old Lucy Oldrid for the work they have done behind the scenes to make the event the success it is.