Bay rafters ready to take on the world

WORLD STAGE: The New Zealand under-19 women's rafting team training on the Kaituna River ahead of the world championships in Indonesia. Pictured are Annaliese Heuvel (left), Monique Hawthorne, Suzy Cumming, Kaydi O'Connor-Stratton, Kelsey Eames, and Tenaya Chatera. PHOTO/GILLIAN HODGSON

A HUGE Bay of Plenty contingent will compete at the World Rafting Championships in Indonesia when racing gets under way next week.

The World Rafting Championships are held every two years and were last staged in Rotorua and Kawerau in 2013.

This year, New Zealand has sent teams to compete in six of the eight divisions on offer, including the feature men's open and women's open divisions.

Five-time world champion Denise Martin, from Rotorua, has been coaching the New Zealand Under-19 women's team this year and said most of the Kiwi teams were made up of local paddlers.

"Most of the teams are Bay of Plenty-based and more specific to the Okere Falls area, but include a good contingent from all over the Bay."

She said each team had the potential to do well and medal.

"I think the New Zealand teams always do well and are very successful, and try hard. When they get on the water they are very focused and often place well."

Martin said the advice she gave her under-19 team - which includes Annaliese Heuvel, Monique Hawthorne, Suzy Cumming, Kaydi O'Connor-Stratton, Kelsey Eames, and Tenaya Chatera - was to have fun but to focus as a team when the racing begins.

"I said have fun off the water and really enjoy yourselves, but when you go into race mode really put your head on and focus," she said.

Each New Zealand team heading to the world champs this month had to earn the right to represent the country during a qualifying tournament in Kawerau in April.

Teams will be competing in six-person rafts and will be marked across four main disciplines, which are sprint, head-to-head, slalom and downriver.

The sprint is a time trial race, with teams racing alone against the clock and times helping towards seeding in the head-to-head races.

The head-to-head is a knockout race pitting two teams against each other until there is a champion. The slalom discipline sees teams racing alone through gates, and the downriver discipline usually includes a mass start and a longer course, with the first team across the finish line the winners.

An overall champion in each division is then named according to points gained in all four disciplines.