“I would expect that team to do really well in the open women’s events at Waihi.”
Mitchell will drive another boat with his crewman Oliver Shivnan in the men’s under-22 competition.
“We’ve done reasonably well in the past and hope to perform well again this weekend,” Mitchell said.
The third boat will be driven by Cole Williams, with crewman Sam Blackburne.
“They’ve prepared themselves quite well for this carnival, with solid training, and I think they are capable of some podium finishes.”
The three patients used this weekend will be brothers Harry and George Allan and Briana Ingoe.
Event manager Scott Bicknell expects fast-paced racing.
“A good swell is forecast for the competition this weekend, so the racing could be tough, with the waves adding another exciting element to the mix,” he said.
“It could get a little bit gnarly trying to navigate the surf.”
This weekend’s BP North Island IRB championships will be the first IRB event for the year. The BP South Island IRB championships will be run on March 16 at Dunedin’s Waikouaiti Beach, followed by the national IRB championships on April 6 and 7, also in Dunedin.