And still No 1 ... Horouta Waka Hoe Club members with the top club trophy they have won 14 times in the 15 years it has been contested at the waka ama sprint nationals. Photo / Waka Ama New Zealand
A final-day haul of six gold medals, two silver and three bronze put the seal on the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karāpiro for the Horouta Waka Hoe Club.
Horouta won the “top club” trophy for most points for the 14th time in the 15 years it has been contested. This was the 12th year in a row.
Two gold medals from each of the premier women’s and J19 women’s crews, and one each from the J19 men and master men were the highlights, and two paddlers – Akayshia Williams and Hine Brooking – each won five gold medals.
Horouta women’s flagship crew Kaiarahi Toa won the six-person sprint double, the premier women’s W6 500m and W6 1500m (with five turns).
Akayshia Williams, Briar McLeely, Cheidan Moetara, Gaibreill Wainohu, Keri Ngatoro and Taylynn Morete won the 500m race in 2m 0.65s. They headed a blanket finish where 0.9s separated the first and third crews.
Kaiarahi Toa won the turns race in 8m 00.40s. The runners-up, from Tarawera Outrigger Canoe Club, were 1.52s back.
Kirimamae, of Ūawa Surf Life Saving Club, also made the final. They were seventh in 8m 53.23s.
Tairāwhiti had one representative in the premier men’s sprint finals – Taiau, from the Taiau Waka Ama Club. They finished eighth in the W6 500m final.
Horouta crew Manawahine won the J19 women’s W6 double of 500m and 1000m (with three turns).
Hine Brooking, Kaiarahi Brooking-Haapu, Marnie Toloa, Melrose Morete, Riana Rennie and Saydie-Jay Biddle won the turns race by 5.57s in 5m 25.71s.
With Ella August coming in for Rennie, Manawahine won the 500m in 2m 06.77s.
In the J19 men‘s division, Horouta crew Tama Ki Te Rangi won the W6 500m final and were third in the W6 1000m (with turns).
Frazor Wainohu, Jack Gifford, Kaedyn Thrupp, Kane Soto, Kyan Ayton and Maia Campbell covered the 500m in 1m 44.31s, holding off the second-placed Akarana Waka Ama crew by 0.78s.
YMP crew Rukupo were eighth and Mareikura Whakarukea, of Mareikura Waka Ama Club, were 11th.
In the W6 1000m, Tama Ki Te Rangi were third, in 4m 44.65s, just 0.05s behind the runners-up from Hei Matau Paddlers and 4.50s behind the winners, the Akarana team they later beat in the 500m.
The Woollies, competing for Horouta in the master men’s division, won the W6 1000 (with turns) and were third in the W6 500m final.
David Apelu, Glenn Anderson, Grant Donaldson, Jake O’Connor, Jed Mackenzie and Michael Kemp did the turns race in 4m 49.42s, just under 3s faster than runners-up Bhutty Brothers of Hei Matau Paddlers, of Rotorua, and 3.30s ahead of third-placed Vaka Manu MM of Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club.
The placings were turned around in the 500m. Vaka Manu won the final in 1m 47.72s, the Bhutty Brothers were 3.42s back in second and The Woollies were third in 1m 51.40s.
Horouta crew 35 Mai Tawhiti were runners-up in the master women’s W6 1000m (with three turns). They crossed the line in 5m 31.21s, trailing the winners from Taupō by 3.38s.
In the W6 500m final, they covered the distance in 2m 09.65s for third, 0.02s behind the runners-up from Haeata Ocean Sports.
YMP Waka Ama crew Puketapu were fourth in the turns race and seventh in the 500m final.
The Horouta senior master men’s team Paikea Masters were second in their final of the W6 500m in 1m 52.64s, trailing the winners by 2.11s and beating the third-place-getters by 0.14s.
Paikea Masters were fourth in the W6 1000m (with turns) final, half a second behind the third-place-getters.
Horouta senior master women’s crew Nga Kopara Toa were fourth in the W6 1000m (with turns) and W6 500m finals.
Another Horouta team, Nga Hau e Wha Outrigger Women, were sixth in the 500m final.
Master 70 men’s team Ko Wau To Papa, of Horouta, were second – with a time of 2m 37.81s – in the final of the W6 500m (with a turn), 1.84s behind the winners.
Another Horouta team, I’m Your Daddy, also made the final, finishing eighth.
Ko Wau To Papa were fourth in the 500m straight sprint final and I’m Your Daddy were eighth.
In the golden master men’s division, Horouta crew Ko Wai To Papa were fifth in the finals of the W6 1000m (with turns) and W6 500m.
Another Horouta crew, The Papas, were 11th in the 500m final.
Mareikura golden master women’s crew Hine o Te Moana were fifth in the finals of the W6 1000m (with turns) and W6 500m.
Horouta crew Hinewaiariki were seventh in the 1000m and sixth in the 500m (0.02s behind the Mareikura team).
In Friday’s racing, a Tairāwhiti team going under the name Ngā Kuaka o Te Moana and representing the region Te Uranga o Te Ra finished second in the golden master women’s W12 500m final in 2m 28.14s.
Horouta Waka Hoe crew Hinewaiora-Hinewaiariki finished fifth.
Horouta team Kaiarahi Toa were third in the premier women’s W12 500m final. Their time of 2m 06.79s was 0.01s behind that of Haeata Ocean Sports crew Mjs and 0.3s behind that of winners Kopeka of the Pineula club.
The Mareikura Waka Ama Club entry, Huhuritai/Marei Mai Tawhiti, were seventh in the final in 2m 19.33s.
Horouta crew Woolley Kumara made the final, covered the distance in 1m 51.80s and crossed the finish line seventh, but were disqualified for an unspecified infringement.
Horouta crew Tama Ki Te Rangi were fourth in the J19 men’s W12 500m final in 2m 03.68s.
In the master men’s W12 500m final, Horouta crew Woolley Kumara Masters finished fifth in 2m 00.74s.
Two Tairāwhiti crews contested the senior master men’s W12 500m final. Kahungunu, representing Te Uranga o Te Ra, finished fifth in 2m 02.37s. Paikea Hau Mako, from Horouta, were sixth in 2m 02.60s.
The senior master women’s W12 500m final included Horouta crew Nga Hau e Wha Wahine Whalers, who finished fifth.
Golden master men’s crew Ko Wai To Papa, of Horouta, were fourth in the W12 500m final.
Horouta crew I’m Your Papa finished fourth in the master 70 men’s W12 500m final, just under 7s behind the winners, from Auckland.
Adventure Wairoa team Hono Tāwhiti finished fifth in the J19 women’s W12 500m final.
The adaptive mixed W6 500m final included Horouta crew Horouta Avatar, who were fourth. In the final of the W6 500m with a turn, they were disqualified for missing exit buoys.