Silver finish for Mareikura paddlers in 18km waka ama race at Takapuna

Waka Ama. Denise Tapp, Leighvi Maynard, Tania Hill, Kahu, Kara Maynard And Tony Tapp. Racing On Tairawhiti

WAKA AMA

THE vagaries of open-water waka ama racing paid a visit to Mareikura Waka Ama Club’s Tairawhiti crew in the Takapuna Beach Cup last month.

The team finished second in the open mixed division of the 18-kilometre race for six-person teams, but steerer Tony Tapp believes they could have done better.

“I believe we would have taken gold, but I changed course to follow the support boat,” he said.

“By the time I realised this, we had lost position and had to play catch-up, but that’s waka for you.”

Tairawhiti finished less than a minute behind the winners of their five-team division, Greyman Mixed, who completed the distance in one hour 37 minutes and two seconds, and were sixth crew overall in the 34-strong six-person waka fleet for the 18km race.

Tairawhiti’s time was 1:37:59, and they were eighth overall. The crew members were Denise Tapp, Leighvi Maynard, Tania Hill, Kahurangi Falaoa, Kara Te Whata-Maynard and Tony Tapp.

“Initially we were going to contest the 35km, but decided to race in the 18km because it was Kahu and Leighvi’s first time at this event,” Tony Tapp said.

“We did five 18km training paddles out in the Bay.

“Most crews, when they go away to competitions, hire a waka, but I have always taken the waka Tairawhiti as it represents our region.”

Denise Tapp, Te Whata-Maynard and Hill will compete at the world sprint championships in Tahiti in July. Tapp is in the Mareikura senior master women’s crew who qualified for the 1000m and 500m, and husband Tony is their coach.

Te Whata-Maynard and Hill will compete in the open women’s 12-place 500m and six-place 1500m and 500m. Te Whata-Maynard has also qualified for the master women’s individual 500m race.