Huge seas judged too dangerous for racing

BIG SEAS: The New Zealand IRB championships at Waihi were cancelled yesterday because of dangerous sea conditions. But the mass rescue was one event that could be completed and Waikanae’s Hamish Swann and Taran Wilson with patients Michaela Clearwater and Ana Naden won gold. Harry Allan and Travis Mitchell won bronze - seen above punching out in the big seas. Pictures supplied

Mountainous onshore seas deemed too dangerous for racing brought an early end to the IRB national championships at Waihi Beach.

The 120 crews there for the BP-sponsored event — including four from Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae — went home disappointed.

Riversun Wainui had hoped to have a couple of crews competing too, but that didn’t eventuate.

Only one of the five race disciplines, the mass rescue, could be completed on Saturday as the swell steadily built in size before organisers suspended racing for the day. Then yesterday morning they decided to cancel the championships altogether.

“The swells built to around three to four metres on Saturday and were building further yesterday,” said Waikanae’s IRB (inflatable rescue boat) leader Connor Mitchell.

“Conditions on Saturday were the most challenging I’ve ever raced in.”

He and crewman Oliver Shivnan were leading the open men’s mass rescue when they hit a wave and flipped their boat, meaning a disqualification.

“We were in front and this four-metre wave just popped up in front of us out the back, and over we went.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever tipped an IRB in competition, but there was nothing Oliver and I could do about it.”

The club did win a gold medal, though, in the under-19 men’s mass rescue — to driver Hamish Swann, crewman Taran Wilson and “patients” Michaela Clearwater and Ana Naden.

“Hamish and Taran were slow off the beach in their final but showed wicked skill on the way out and back through the big surf to get the win,” Mitchell said.

“They picked a line out through the waves that the other boats in the final couldn’t find.”

Mitchell said the young crew were “blown away” with the win.

“They were speechless.”

More medal success came Waikanae’s way in the u23 mass rescue final.

Driver Harry Allan, crewman Travis Mitchell and patients Matahari Richards and Hamish Swann got up to take the bronze medal.

The club’s open women’s team of Britta Carroll and Ana Naden finished sixth in the women’s mass rescue final.

Waikanae were sitting in fourth place on points, just behind Sunset Beach from the Waikato, when the championships were abandoned.

The carnival organisers said no overall winners would be declared or Top Club Trophy awarded.

“It was bloody disappointing the champs had to be cancelled,” Connor Mitchell said.

“But it’s almost a fitting end to a terribly disrupted season, especially here in Gisborne because of the beach conditions in the Bay and poor summer generally.”