J16, intermediate crews continue charge

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne's Horouta Waka Hoe and Mareikura clubs enjoyed an afternoon of success on Lake Karapiro on day 3 of the national waka ama sprint championships.

Having already collected several medals in intermediate and junior 16 finals in the morning (as reported in The Gisborne Herald yesterday), the two clubs continued the Gisborne charge after lunch.

Horouta’s Baby Heli’s crew, hot from winning the J16 men’s W6 500 metres title, collected the W6 1000 honours in a final in which five crews were disqualified.

Mareikura’s Mareikura Hiro intermediate boys’ crew won the W6 500 with turns in impressive fashion, having earlier been beaten for gold by just 0.09 of a second in the W6 500.

Horouta’s Puhi Kaiariki J16 women’s crew won the W6 500 title and were pipped by a Waitakere Outrigger crew for gold in the W6 1000.

The last race of the day resulted in another gold to Horouta — intermediate girls’ crew Hinepukohurangi winning the W12 500 final by 0.25secs.

Combined Te Uranga o Te Ra crew Rukupo-Mareikura Hiro won the intermediate boys’ W12 500, with Horouta’s Tangata Hianga second.