Saturday 25 October dawned sunny and crisp for the inaugural Pearl of the North Regatta at the beautiful Tapuawaetahi Beach, just north of Kerikeri on the Purerua Peninsula.  At the welcome the wonderful Pearl of the North taonga, carved especially for this event by Rob Kaiawe, was unveiled to much awe and the scene was set for a great day.

As the sun rose the Novice teams readied themselves for their race up the peninsula to the large Lion Rock.  The racing was close and competitive, calm conditions for the first part but with a rising easterly wind giving crews a good run on the way home.  First across the line was local Ngati Rehia crew Loaded Muskets in their very first race after only a few weeks in the sport – awesome effort team!  Second place was a mixed Ngati Rehia team, Sweet ‘n Sour, followed closely by teams from Te Pou Herenga and Waitakere.  All these teams arrived home to the welcome sight of three dolphins, who stayed around the beach playing with waka and spectators in the water for over an hour – a true sign we were all welcome in this magic place.

The eagerly awaited seniors race was a staggered start, with women and mixed first, followed by the master and senior master men and then the open men.  This race proved that a small field can still give close racing.  The wind was up and the conditions were true open water paddling, the side-on waves testing the skill of steerers and paddlers alike.  First to the turn rock at the Cavallis was Miti Mixed closely followed by many teams who had bunched up.  Big waves here and Herberts on Tour took advantage, powering ahead from 6th place to 1st in the space of 1km.  The “yahoo!!” from the Herberts was echoed by many crews as they enjoyed paddling over the wall of waves and getting plenty of showers in the process.  Reminders of Raro, but not so warm!

On the way home Herberts on Tour steerer Conan Herbert showed his superb open water steering skills, the team extending its lead to win in a great time, and to become the first Pearl of the North title-holder.  Team members Conan Herbert, Chase Herbert, Sean Herbert, Tupu King, Bryce Irving and Scott Linklater. 

Herberts were followed in by another top open men’s team, Manukau’s Vaka Manu, who also paddled through the entire field.  Parihaka Pirates paddled closer into the coast on the return leg for third place and first Master Mens, followed very closely by a sprint battle over the last km between Miti Boys and local crew Waitokerau Senior Masters, and then the promising looking Taranaki Open Mens.  Another close finish saw Parihaka Master Womens team Waitii Seven Sisters pipping their open women clubmates, Waka Wairua, with Miti Mixed coming in soon after.  Waitakere Wayfarers were second in the mixed and Waiheke team Motu Boys were 2nd Master Mens after a little tipping practice just before the turn.

An awesome meal of kaimoana and wild pork was another highlight of the day.  Many paddlers and supporters then retired over the peninsula to Te Tii to enjoy the setting sun, an evening of local hospitality, music and stories from the day.   Those who couldn’t pull themselves away from this paradise were back out on the water next morning for a singles paddle off the beach.

Well done Danny and Tups Kaiawe and your organising team.  A special thanks to those who volunteered their boats and their time – you gave all the lucky people who attended this event a memory they will look forward to repeating next year and the years ahead.

See attached for full results