"I just came off a good race and had a three-day turn around, so I was feeling a little bit tired. I was second out of the water but I beat him out of transition," Jay said. "It wasn't too much of a gap and I backed myself on the run and eased out and did my own kind of race."
His first experience of the at-times dodgy surface of the base track was an eye opener.
"The loose gravel is quite interesting. I guess I might have picked the wrong shoes. It was really hard, a good tough run. I like it, it's good. The scenery is awesome and the water is so clear here. I enjoy coming down here to race."
New Plymouth's Hannah Sturmer, 20, who finished 8th at the ITU World Triathlon Series 16-19 age sprint race final in London last year, easily took out the women's race. Her time of 32.59 was well clear of former world junior champion Mikayla Nielsen (34.14) with Jacey Cropp third (34.27).
Sturmer is easing herself into the summer season and admits she was not at 100 per cent fitness levels. But it was more than good enough on the day.
"I raced here last year and I am quite happy with the win for the start of the season," she said.
