The team of Ilona Davis, Mita Davis, Anna Te Rei, Ora Habib, Trevor Kauika and Bruce Butters on their way to winning the July race of the Winter Series on Sunday.
The team of Ilona Davis, Mita Davis, Anna Te Rei, Ora Habib, Trevor Kauika and Bruce Butters on their way to winning the July race of the Winter Series on Sunday.
Flat and misty conditions with some man-made wake from a supporting motorboat made for testing conditions during the third race of the 2017 Winter Series on the Whanganui River on Sunday morning.
Around 24 craft were entered in the July edition of the monthly series, a reasonable turnout for thestart of the school holidays, representing six clubs and schools.
"Unfortunately we had a supporting motor boat following their team during the race, clearly unaware of the effect their boat wake was having on the field behind them," said spokeswoman Jacs Rush.
"Small boats, especially racing-tuned rowing boats, are severely affected by boat wash, and many crews had to contend with constant wake for much of the race."
Larger boats and those who were ahead of the support craft were able to get the quicker prognostic times - the percentage of the record for their particular discipline - and therefore dominated the top of the standings.
The mixed six-person waka crew of Tipi Haere finished in 33m 7s, for a 82.44 per cent prognostic time, to be the winners.
"Often these paddlers enter the Winter Series in the individual boats, but they combined for this event into a 6-man waka to good effect," said Rush.
Second place was Whanganui Multisport Club's K4 under 16 crew, two boys and two girls, who finished in 27 minutes flat for a 78.94 per cent prognostic.
Rounding out the Top 3 was the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club's girls under 15 coxed quad, completing a very strong race for them in 28m 31s for 78.07 per cent prognostic.
Among the other highlights was Collegiate's Barry Banks taking his dog Rangi out on his MCM1 craft to warn him about log obstacles being brought out by the high water and swift tide.
Others did not have a faithful spotter, as Kyle Malone was having a great race in his single until his rigger was snapped clean off, having to retire and cross the finishline in a rescue boat.
The next race of the series will be another 6km event on August 2.
Rangi warning Barry Banks about any logs in the Whanganui River.
