Waka Ama: Endurance challenge awaits paddlers

Reigning champions The Herberts on Tour head for home after rounding the Sugar Loaf in the last race in 2011.

A challenging open water waka ama race off Northland's coast will be run again this month and is sure to test the best paddlers in the sport.

The Mitamitaga Waka Ama Club based on the Tutukaka coast will be staging the Sugar Loaf race on March 21.

Teams will complete a 42km paddle from Tutukaka and circle the Sugar Loaf Island before racing around another set point in the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.

A team paddles towards the Sugar Loaf.

Bad weather has often caused the cancellation of the event in the past, the last time it was run being February 2011 then 2006 prior to that.

This year, the race will allow for paddler changes - paddlers can sub in and out of the waka from a team of 10.

After about 30 minutes, the crews will change with spare paddlers being dropped in the water ahead of the waka. The changes are then done at regular intervals for the entirety of the race.

Mitamitaga club president Charlie Roughan, who has completed three races round the Sugar Loaf, said the support boats would be kept busy.

"It will make it more exciting and interactive for the support boat crews. They will be constantly working with the paddlers," he said.

Each crew will have a support boat and boaties from Tutukaka and Whangarei have been quick to help out.

Roughan said paddlers would also be attracted to the race as it was a challenge to compete in the open ocean where conditions were more variable than paddling on harbours or along the coast.

"There are no other races in New Zealand where you go offshore for this type of distance and going around the rock in the reserve adds to the excitment."

Crews will launch from Tutukaka boat ramp before lining up for the start inside the harbour entrance and, depending on ocean conditions, the race will take about three to four hours.

Reigning champions Herberts on Tour, of Pawarenga, will be back again this year after narrowly winning the 2011 race 200m ahead of rivals Mitamitaga North in a time of three hours and 13 minutes.

In the women's race, Mitamitaga Girls led the flotilla out the harbour entrance but it was Parihaka who made it to the turning point first and didn't give up the lead after that.

Increased interest in this year's race has come with local teams and paddlers from Australia looking to team up with New Zealanders to get a crew on the water.