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Poor Knights Crossing 2016 Results

Race debrief and results attached

It was about halfway across to the Poor Knights Islands that one slightly frustrated paddler glanced over at the race control boat and, in tones you might have heard used to order a working dog to heel, asked:  ‘So where’s the #@%ing wind”.

Who knows?  In virtually every other aspect of the 2016 Poor Knights Crossing Ocean Race, all the components had fallen into place.

Oh, except for the bit where some babbling news presenter had offered this little gem a mere 24 hours before the race was about to start: “And Civil Defence advise everyone to move to higher ground and avoid all ocean related activities until the tsunami warning has been lifted.”

Cue an expletive laden rant from race headquarters that made a Trump rally protest look like a Girl Guide badge ceremony.

At this point, it is best for all involved to fast forward to approximately 12 noon on race day, at which time Simon Longdill was powering through some challenging waters toward the finish line at the pointy end of the pack.


Simon Longdill leaves the field behind as he powers toward the Poor Knights Island:  Malcolm Pullman photo.

Simon had laid waste to a field of the best ocean ski and waka ama paddlers who had assembled for the third edition of the Poor Knights Crossing event.  It was a fairly impressive performance in waters that would best be described as ‘technical’.

 But it was just part of the story, and only a small part really, in what may just have locked the Poor Knights Crossing event into the racing calendar for good.

This edition surpassed all expectations, even with the absence of Tawhirimatea, the most sought after addition of all downwind races, and is now a slick operations machine.

From the moment paddlers were welcomed in Tutukaka with a karanga and waiata from the people of Ngatiwai at the race briefing, then serenaded with a delightful version of ‘Beautiful Brown Eyes’ before the race briefing proper had even begun, to the point where waka paddler Liz Tane completed the race at the tailend of the field, the event went virtually without a hitch.

That’s not strictly true of course, behind the scenes there had been some rapid decision making, Tsunami warnings do tend to heighten the senses.  From that point on the problems seemed minsicule.


Travis Mitchell takes second place through the finish line at Southern Arch.  Photo Malcolm Pullman.

But to the racing proper.

From the flagfall at Sandy Bay paddlers where sent north almost to Whananaki before turning to charge eastward to the spectacular finish line through the Southern Arch at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.

From the get-go it was Longdill, Michael Walker and Travis Mitchell who looked the most likely in the ski division with Garth Spencer and Jono Reschef leading a pursuing pack.

Not far behind was Tupu King, the waka ama ace from Taipa in the far north who was fresh back from competing in Tahiti and preparing for more races in Hawaii, United States and other paddling destinations afar.

King was being pushed hard by Kaitaia’s Sean Herbert and Aucklander Poara Monk.

But there was a real tactical arm wrestle emerging among the midpackers.  The predicted 10-15 knot westerlies had not arrived as expected, replaced instead with a variable nor wester and a not inconsequential northerly sea surge.  Paddlers could bank a few runs by jumping on the northerly push early but then pay some tax by being pushed south of the finish line and face an upwind push to the end.  Or they could grind out a cross wind early then turn with the conditions late in the race.

The field dutifully split almost clean in half.  One pack went south, the other tracked north.

It turned out very little divided the two packs.  The consensus afterwards was more centred on a sense of relief and pride mixed with awe.  Paddling through a massive rock archway to finish then being treated to a unique tour of the sights of the Poor Knights Islands including Rikoriko Cave, the world’s biggest seacave, tends to mask the pain of paddling 30km of testy water.


Womens waka ama champion Ngaire Pehi.  Photo Malcolm Pullman.

The privilege of hosting the best kiwi paddlers and a clique of intrepid Australians suddenly took a spiritual meaning.  The Tutukaka coast has a special place in the heart of this race director, and seeing the smiles of the competitors afterwards was soul food.

Love ya’s all man.

Put this down in your calendars:  Poor Knights Crossing 2017, Saturday, September 4.  We’ll be waiting.

And hey!  Give the sponsors some love to….please.

 

  

 


 

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