Medals in Waikanae’s sights at IRB nationals

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

Waikanae IRB crews have high hopes of medal success at the New Zealand IRB championships this weekend at Ruakaka Beach, near Whangarei.

Based on successes at the North Island Championships at Waikanae in mid-February, they have every reason to be excited.

Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae crews put together the club's best performance at the North Island champs, finishing second overall on points.

IRB head coach and team leader Connor Mitchell, who drives the under- 23 boat, and crewman Oliver Shivnan won all four events in their division— the mass rescue, assembly, single rescue and tube rescue — with patient Silke McNaught.

The u19 team of driver Harry Allan and crewman Travis Mitchell (with patient Hamish Swann) won three of the four titles in their age division.

The open women's team of driver Britta Carroll, crewman Ana Naden and patient Emily Horne were runners-up to the world champion Sunset Beach team in the assembly, single and mass rescue finals, and were third in the tube rescue race.

Cole Williams, crewman Sam Blackburne and patient Horne, will also race in the u23 division this weekend.

“They've been going well in training,” Mitchell said. “All four teams have prepared well, certainly as well as could be expected given that some of the team members are back at university.

“Overall we are a team short from the North Island event, so I'm not expecting the same sort of overall points result this weekend. But individually I think our teams can look forward to strong performances and will race really well.

“Oliver and I will go all out over the next two days. We've prepared better than we have done before.”

Around 100 crews are competing over two days.

“There is a slight swell running, enough to make a difference and for interesting racing.”