Welly Paddlers

They told me so................

2012-01-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

O.k............So you guys don't fall off your seats..............after 10 months of hiatus away from Paddling altogether............and I said I was all done...................well I couldn't keep myself away from the internet and looking at all these pretty new surf skis.

So.................I have a new Think Evo kevlar on the way............... It looks like this www.geartrade.com.au/page-12413.html or a better description www.thinkkayaks.com/boats/think-evo-2-surfski/

It's the Evo II with the yellow stripes................ available in NZ through www.fergskayaks.co.nz/

Because I was laying low for much of the time prior to throwing it in, in late 2010/ early2011, with tennis elbow and to avoid any re-occurrance.................... I've decided to follow the lead of the Legendary Keith Alderson (Christchurch) and go for a crankshaft paddle from www.paddle.co.nz/ and the blades I'm choosing this time around are Jantex blades (Gamma Small) www.ipaddle.co.nz/

I'll be a fine weather paddler for a bit so I'll be hanging out on the ski in Evans Bay, Seatoun and Oriental Parade areas.

Update on Events

2011-05-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

The Wellington Kayak Marathon Champs that were scheduled to run on May 14 have been put on hold.

The Event will be re scheduled at one of the future Mana Kayak Racing Club meetings and when I see it re appear I'll place it on the event calendar.

The W1 Winter Series starts on May 22. The Series started in 2010 over the winter Season and proved to be a very popular Series for both local and visiting paddlers. The Series is run by Joern Scherzer and partner Tania and I'm sure this great Autumn weather will continue on through for the first couple of events

Matariki 2011 is on Saturday June 4th and will be based at the Waka house at the Lagoon.

You won't see any of the ceremonial Waka there but you will see a wide range of racing Waka Ama and lots of enthusiastic paddlers. For race info http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

To view results and photos from the Mana Ocean Challenge http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

Mana Ocean Challenge

2011-04-28T02:52:00.000-07:00

The Mana Ocean Challenge downwind race is on this Saturday April 30.

The entries have already closed but you can still pop over and check it out, with a view to doing it next year.

For details of the event.

http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

The forecast for this Saturday is for light Southerlies................ best wishes to Joern and all the paddlers participating in the event.

Chester and Sharlene

Racing this weekend

2011-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Tai Tonga Evans Bay race

Evans Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club Saturday April 16

2 distances 5km and 10km for more info

http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

NZ Marathon Kayak Champs

Porirua Harbour this Sunday April 17.

Lots of races, classes and courses of varying distances.

2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Ben Fouhy will be racing, a great opportunity to see how fast an International Paddler can go.

http://www.manakayakracing.wordpress.com/

Contegro King of the Harbour

2011-04-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Ben Fouhy 1:34:41 won this years King of the Harbour with Mike Walker second 1:36:00 and Tim McLaren 3rd 1:39:25

Katie Pocock was first woman 1:49:49 with Dene Simpson 2nd `1:50:59

The direction of the course this year ran from Waiheke Island to the Viaduct Harbour being a predicted Easterly on the day and a downwind course.

Wellington results:

Rob Nichol - 1:41:56 Jerry Sheppard - 1:57:09 Dave Rudge - 1:57:16

Neil Taylor - 2:02:38 (Nelson) who raced in our last Greta Point Twilight race was also in the field of 78 paddlers.

Full results: www.kingoftheharbour.co.nz

Twilight Series results March 29

2011-03-29T00:38:00.000-07:00

For the last race of the Season we were lucky enough to again have conditions just good enough to paddle from Hataitai Beach and around the Carter Memorial Fountain and back. After a brilliant warm fine day it was clear that summer is all but behind us now as we had another cool evening and with that it also signals that daylight saving comes to an end this weekend.

That's us for this Season thanks to everyone for your support, we've enjoyed hosting all the races.

Next Season Shane Ross is back to run the Greta Point Twlight Kayak Series again and he's also running the Ruamahanga River Marathon Relay Race also check our website for confirmed dates of the events and also www.betterthantv.co.nz

Don't forget that Jan Kees is running another JJK Kayaks demo Session this Thursday evening from 4.30 pm to 7 pm at Kupe Canoe Club.

Hataitai Beach - Carter Memorial Fountain - Hataitai Beach 7.5km

33:59 Glen Muirhead - UFO 6.1
34:31 Rob Nichol - Advantage
35:38 Dean Ford /James Coubrough - Hypernova
37:20 James Flannery - Mako 6
38:43 Jerry Sheppard - Evolution Classic
38:51 Sandy Winterton - Fenn XT
38:52 Neil Taylor - Stellar SE
39:44 Olivia Spenser-Bower - Phantom
39:45 Martin Leighton - U2
40:05 Liam Drew - Fenn Millenium
40:12 Nick Lowe - Total Eclipse
40:31 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
40:52 Jeff Booth - Think Evo II
40:54 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
41:17 Mark Hearfield - Ocean Eclipse
42:27 Dave Dellabarca - DMK Raptor
42:33 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
44:03 Geoff Ludemann - Opus
44:37 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
44:42 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2
47:04 A.J. Millward - Eclipse 5.2
49:42 Sheila Hart - Eclipse 5.7
49:58 Michelle Ellison - Eclipse 5.2
55:34 Claire Sherrington - Eliminator

Greta Point Twilight Series Finale

2011-03-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday March 29 will see Sharlene and I running our very last kayak race.................. we're hanging up the stopwatch. Some will say why..........well we've been running them for over 15 years and now is as good a time as any to finish up. So see you at the Kupe Canoe Club for the end of race pizza and fizz (stock standard from most take out menus) and of course a whole bunch of spot prizes to give away. Oh yeah the Twilight race starts at 6.30 pm sharp and well be taking times and photos as well..............entry is free for the last one. The Forecast for tomorrow is: Fine, light winds (Southerly) so it looks like will be finishing off with the Hataitai Beach - Carter Memorial Fountain - Hataitai Beach course. Low tide is at 8.09pm.

The Motorway Race

2011-03-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

One of the longest running paddling races in Wellington rolled through another year.

It's always hard to get the tides perfect and we were still about an hour off high tide today so most times were around 2 minutes plus down on the last 2 years, but it's still good to get out and race no matter what the tide or conditions are, they will always differ from year to year.

This was our last Welly Paddlers race so a huge thanks for everyone's support over the last 8 years ..... thanks to Piki for the flowers for Sharlene and the beers for me (I will share them with Sharlene) and thanks to Dave Ryde for the shout also at Flax Cafe in Petone.

Thanks to Fergs Kayaks, Hinano, Niu FM and Leon Rossbotham (Groundswell) for the extra merchandise for spot prizes for our last race. Many thanks to all those people who have help to bring the course buoys in after each race that's helped me heaps, so thanks again.

One last thanks to Sharlene.............without her we wouldn't have all the great photos each race, a smiling face at registration and a fantastically easy blogspot that she's set up as well and has made running these races over the years a much easier task by chipping in and adding her expertise.

I will see many of you out on the water at the W1 Series.

13 km Petone - Interislander reclaimation - Petone

1:06:27 Glenn Muirhead - UFO 6.1

1:09:12 Mike Tate - Fenn Millenium

1:09:29 Kokiri Puppies - W6

1:11:31 Andrew Cary - CHD Stinga

1:11:32 Matt Archer - Nelo SS

1:11:37 Dave Rudge - Think Evo

1:12:11 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5

1:12:43 Jerry Sheppard - Think Evo

1:13:40 Dave Ryde - Epic V10

1:13:49 Sandy Winterton - Fenn XT

1:16:14 Joern Scherzer - W1

1:16:19 Grant Barriball - W1

1:19:56 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT

1:21:04 Paddy Rimene - W1

1:21:23 James Sadler - W1

1:23:24 Piki Emery - W1

1:23:26 John Finch - W1

1:25:10 Taranaki Whanui - W6 (crew of 4)

1:25:48 O.J. Rodda - Stellar SR

1:26:28 Royce Gray - W1

1:26:39 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.6

1:29:47 Anita Taggart - W1

Race this Sunday

2011-03-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Final race for the Welly Paddlers Series is on this Sunday March 27, 2011.

It's on the Motorway course and it's an out and back course starting at the Wellington Waterski Club with paddlers heading towards the Interislander and turn around a buoy by the reclaimation then back to the finish total distance is 13 km.

Race starts at 10 am with registration open from 9 am.

Open to all types of Kayaks, WakaAma and Surf skis.

Entry fee:
$5 singles
$8 doubles
$12 sixes
There will be spot prizes dished out 15 minutes after the last craft has finished.

The forecast is for North Westerly winds of 19 km/h gusting to 28 km/h. (Forecast will be updated daily up till 8 pm Saturday)

High tide is 12.21 pm

Any inquires:
022 6455 820

Twilight Series cancelled tonight

2011-03-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Twilight Kayak Series hasn't exactly been a good luck charm for fine weather with rain over the last 3 weeks with tonights rain proving more constant so we decided many would just flag it tonight. But we can't complain we've turned up every week and run 16 Tuesday night races this Season with tonight the only one that we've flagged.
However I'm glad to say there are always a bunch of dedicated people who choose to get out there and Surf some waves, as they did tonight.

Next week is the final race of the Series and I would really like to see the weather play ball for the last one.............and that the rain stays away.

Being the last race of the year we'll have pizza dialled in for 7.30 pm and a whole bunch of spot prizes will get dished out around that time as well.

Also we hope to get Jan Kees (JKK KAYAKS) back to Kupe to run another demo session as he heads on the homeward leg back to Christchurch..............I'll send a few e-mail outs but the website will find most people quicker..............he may be back through around Monday to Wednesday night next week.

Trans Taupo results and Twilight Series Preview

2011-03-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

The 44km Trans Taupo race was run on Saturday so here's some results from some of the locals.

3:46:51 Marianne Archer/Glenn Muirhead - JKK Hypernova
3:53:23 Dave Rudge/Jerry Sheppard - JKK Quasar
4:18:23 Mike Tate - Think Evo SS
4:24:18 Sandy Winterton - Q-Kayaks Maximus
4:49:12 Paddy Rimene - Polaris W1
5:57:07 John Taylor - Albatross SK

Fastest Times:
3:27:09 Travis Mitchell Mens SS
3:58:05 Dene Simpson Womans SS
Full results http://www.epicevents.com/

Twilight Series penultimate race of the Season this Tuesday.

The forecast:
Southerly 37 km/h gusting to 43km/h rain at times

High tide is at 8pm.

The forecast will be updated again at 3 pm today

Likely course is one that runs from Hataitai Beach and follows the shoreline and breakwater along Cobham drive to the Troy Street roundabout and back x 2 laps..................remember along the shoreline it's fairly sheltered with some good smaller waves to keep it interesting.

JKK Demo Session @ Kupe

2011-03-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

The JKK road show hit the Kupe Club in Wellington on Thursday with Jan Kees bringing three of his latest models and one of his prototype Surf skis. About a dozen people turned up mainly Wellingtonians but also Leon Rossbotham (Hong Kong) and Mike Ball (Levin) did more travelling to get here than most.

Most people knew exactly what kayak they wanted to try out. Sometimes it's difficult for many of us to make our minds up on what supposed people weight range kayaks are designed for or how wide or how long we envisage the kayak should be to fit into our or someone else ideals.
More importantly the decision on what kayak you should buy sometimes comes down to how it feels when you paddle it.
So just go into it with an open mind you should be able to feel for yourself which kayak or surf ski is going to work for you.
Kayaks at the demo session.
Eclipse SS 5.2
Total Eclipse SS
Magnetar
Hadron prototype ski

Chester's hot tip for hull shape to watch out for..............the Magnetar.
Jan Kees may be back through to do another demo session after his 2 week journey up North where he will be racing at Trans Taupo, a beach series event in Auckland and a kayak Marathon in the Bay of Plenty..................that's what I call a great road trip.

Keep an eye out here for details of Jan Kees next demo session in Wellington. We'll also send info through to Mariska to e-mail out to you also.

Twilight results March 15

2011-03-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Yep it was a bit drizzly.............. but hey no one got too overheated out on the water tonight.

Fishing lines have been a real problem for kayakers this Season and yet another night when someone got caught up in them...................all I can say is watch the shoreline, but at times this is not as easy as it sounds, as you paddle around some of the points...............the fisherman don't yell out anymore to warn us..............tongue tied or worried about scaring the fish who knows.

Sorry I wasn't being a pussy by sitting in the ute at the finish............. my paper was getting wet.............thanks to Arc'teryx for our gortex jackets they keep us both nice and toasty on nights like tonight.

2 more races to go.

Don't forget to go and visit Jan Kees at the JKK Kayaks demo session at the Kupe Canoe Club Thursday March 17 from approx 4.30 pm to 7.00 pm............view info on http://www.sportzhub.com/ on the kayaking discussion group

Photos from tonight will be loaded on by 9 pm tomorrow evening.

Hataitai Beach - Carter Memorial Fountain - Hataitai Beach
7.5 km
34:01 Glen Muirhead - U.F.O
35:22 Leon Rossbotham - Evo II
36:01 James Flannery - Mako 6
36:53 Dave Rudge - Sharp 6.5
37:09 Jerry Sheppard - Evo II
38:33 Martin Leighton - U2
38:34 Rob Nichol - Advantage
38:38 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
38:48 Nick Lowe - Total Eclipse
39:34 Jeff Booth - Evo II
39:37 Olivia Spenser-Bower - Phantom
40:32 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
40:43 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
40:54 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
41:14 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
45:49 Mark Hearfield - Meteor 2000

Twilight race preview Mar 15

2011-03-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Forecast for tonights Twilight series race at Greta Point looks promising again we have a 15 km/h southerly forecast from around 6 pm............low tide is at 7.37 pm.

Tonights course is likely to be:
Hataitai Beach - Carter Memorial Fountain - Hataitai Beach.

If the North Westerly doesn't drop off by 6.30pm then it'll be a 4 to 5 lap course tucked into the sheltered confines of the Greta Point - Hataitai Beach Area

3 races to go in this Seasons Twilight Series with the wind up food, drinks, spot prizes on March 29.

See you down there for a 6.30pm start.

Also don't forget the JKK Kayaks demo session at Kupe Canoe Club on Thursday March 17.

Twilight results Mar 8

2011-03-07T22:52:00.001-08:00

Finally a nice little southerly and a ticky tour around the fountain.
There's always some obstruction that interrupts any journey, this week a broken seat mount and also a fisherman with an 87 kg catch..............kayak, paddler and buoyancy vest those items = full weight of catch.

Only 3 more races to go..............the more people who turn up over the next 3 weeks the more the prize pool increases for the last race on March 29................ pizza, fizzy (the classic take out menu) and spot prizes and of course socialising.

7.5 km Hataitai Beach - Carter Memorial fountain and return
33.28 Rob Nichol - Advantage
36:06 James Flannery - Mako 6
36:25 Sandy Winterton - Opus
36:33 Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse
37:54 Glenn Muirhead - Talon K1
38:20 Martin Leighton - U2
38:26 Nick Lowe - Total Eclipse
38:29 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
38:45 Olivia Spenser-Bower - Phantom
38:54 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
39:00 Jeff Booth - Evo II
39:01 Paul Chaplow/Rachel Moore - Hypernova
39:21 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
40:12 Dvae Fisher - Total Eclipse
40:34 Katherine Allan - U2
41:14 Mark Hearfield - Meteor 2000
42:19 Brian Astridge - Firebolt
42:30 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
44:43 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse
46:35 Michelle Allison - Arrow
--:-- James Coubrough - Sharp 6

Sharlene has uploaded all the photos - see the right hand side of the screen. Enjoy.

Twilight race preview Mar 8

2011-03-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

Moving right along after the cancellation of our race in the weekend.
I doubt if I would have found too many people busting their chops to get out on the water and run some of the great waves from the Southerly..................10 or 11 degrees bbbrrr............. get out of here that's a winter day being plonked into our Summer.

Anyhow the southerlies continue for a few more days and good to see it warming up for the Twilight series race at 6.30 pm on Tuesday.

We're looking at a 15 km/h Southerly................. and we've got a low tide at 2.52pm turning to a high tide at 8.49 pm.
I'll update the above forecast daily with the last one being Tuesday midday.

The weather looks promising for a course from Hataitai beach and and around the Carter Memorial Fountain and back.

Four more races to go in the Series.............last one is March 29.

Race Tomorrow Cancelled

2011-03-04T23:07:00.000-08:00

The weather wind forecast for tomorrow is for a cold Southerly 56 - 59 km/h rain easing to showers.

I've decided to cancel, due to past experience at this venue with adverse wind and weather has lead to very few people turning up.

I would expect that there will be a few people who will be keen to do a paddle tomorrow at some stage during the day when the weather has improved.

The final Welly Paddlers Series race of the year "The Motorway Race" (13 km) will be on Sunday March 27.

Welly Paddlers race this Sunday

2011-03-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Race 9 and the penultimate race of the 2010/2011 Welly Paddlers Series takes place this Sunday March 6 starting at 10 am at Hataitai Beach.

We will be there for registrations from 9 am and will have a race briefing at 9.50 am.

The race has a short course and a long course option.

Short course 8 km:
Start at Hataitai Beach (same time as long course) head North up Evans Bay turn around Point Halswell then turn into Kau Bay and turn anti clockwise around the orange mooring buoy then head back the same way back to the finish.

Long Course 16 km:
Start at Hataitai Beach head North up Evans Bay turn around Point Halswell then head south down the Coastline past all the Seatoun Bays and turn anti clockwise around the yellow Welly Paddlers buoy just before the Seatoun Wharf then back the same way to the finish

Entry fees:
$5 singles
$8 doubles
$12 sixes

All entry fees go into the spot prize pool, spot prizes will be given out 15 minutes after the last long course paddler comes off the water.

There will be no motorised safety craft on the water we expect everyone to either carry or wear a buoyancy vest and any other safety equipment that is appropriate for the craft detailed in your respective Sports Open water races.
We expect everyone to be self sufficient basically, you should be capable of self rescue (if you fall out climb back in your craft and carry on).

It's an open water race so craft and participants/competitors capable of paddling in the conditions on the day in Waka Ama, Surf skis, Sea kayaks and some stable multsiport kayaks are welcome.

The forecast for Sunday is for a strong cool southerly 54 km/h gusting to 65 km/h rain easing to showers (as at 9.45 am Saturday) we will post details of wind changes daily on this posting.

The final call on the race venue and courses will be posted here by 8 pm Saturday March 5.

Any information that you require further to the above phone 04 976 1795 or 022 6455 820 or 0274 581 005.

Twilight results Mar 1

2011-02-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Well the winds just keep rolling through every Tuesday night but that's the way we like it, lots of wind = lots of fresh air.............and hey look at the weather we have on Wednesday, Tuesday looked pretty good.

Sorry we had a baggy line on the top buoy and it got a little baggier with the tide going out and Sandy got caught on it on lap 4 ..... unfortunately those on skis and kayaks with understern rudders suffer this fate when cutting the buoys finely....................I'll make sure I get the buoy line length right next week...............or better still live in hope of a course that heads around the Fountain and back................I'm sure a bit of a lull in the winds stakes and fine weather may draw a few more paddlers out next week.

There are now four more races remaining in the series which means that the last one is on March 29, we will have a spread of Pizza and drinks and dish out a big pile of spot prizes..................the more people that participate in the next 4 races the bigger the spot prize pool will be.

Race 9 of the Welly Paddlers Series (Harbour races) is on this Sunday we have a 7 km and a 16 km option, both courses start and finish at Hataitai beach with the long course heading around to Seatoun Wharf and back more details posted on Wednesday afternoon.

Course: Hataitai Beach - Soi Restaurant -boat Lionheart x 5 laps
Distance 5.6 km
25:49 Glenn Muirhead - U.F.O
27:57 James Flannery - Mako 6
28:34:00 Dave Rudge - Evo II
28:34:05 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
30:07 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
30:41 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
31:01 Martin Leighton - U2
31:12 Jeff Booth - Swallow
31:16 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
32:21 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
33:45 Katherine Allan - U2
34:50 Sheila Hart - Eclipse 5.7
35:44 Louise Hales - Eclipse 5.7

Twilight race preview Mar 1

2011-02-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

5 races remaining in the 2010/2011 Greta Point Tuesday Twilight Kayak Series.

Forecast for Twilight race 35 /h gusting to 56 km/h northerlies with some drizzle later....................as at Tuesday at 3 pm.

The course will more than likely be the - Hataitai Beach - Soi Sestaurant - boat Lionheart triangular course x 5 laps.

See you there for a 6.30 pm sharp start.

Twilight Race 22nd Feb 2011

2011-02-21T23:31:00.000-08:00

An easy 20km/h NNW breeze tonight a few showers, just to cool everyone down but a great night to be out on the water.............and it was pretty good sitting on the rocks watching everyone pass by.

The photos from tonight will be loaded on by 9 pm tomorrow night.

Course: Hataitai Beach - Buoy at Greta Point- turn boat Te Kotuku x 4 laps
7km approx
36.24 Glenn Muirhead - U.F.O.
37:44 Matt Archer - Nelo ski
38:06 James Flannery - Mako 6
40:10 Dave Rudge - Evo II
40:33 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
40:35 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
41:32 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
42:10 Martin Leighton - U2
42:52 Nick Lowe - Total Eclipse
44:43 Jeff Booth - Evo II
46:23 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse

Twilight race preview Feb 22

2011-02-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night the wind predication is for a Northerly 19km/h to 23 km/h.
Low tide is at 3.22 pm............... high tide is at 9.28 pm. (Update as at 3.30 pm Tuesday)

The above winds look quite promising and I'd like to think we can run a triangular course from Hataitai Beach - buoy at Greta Point - then turn around the boat Te Kotuku (by the Coastguard building) then back to the Hataitai beach buoy.............however the wind forecast looks changeable so we could even be heading around to the fountain and back?

Twilight results February 15

2011-02-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a good old 30km/h South Easterly breezing across the bay so we went for a slightly altered Cobham Drive course with an imaginery buoy by the Meridian light/wind sock scuplture (as the buoy drifted away on us just before the start.)

Next week............. we live in hope of doing the around the fountain course?

Course : Hataitai Beach - boat Te Kotuku by the Coast guard - buoy by Wind sock sculpture- Troy Sreet buoy back to Hataitai beach buoy the same way x 2 laps (5.5 km)

Photos all uploaded - just look on the right hand side of the screen.

28:04 James Flannery - Mako 6
28:07 Chester Burt - Evo II
28:15 Dave Rudge Evo II
28:35 Jerry Sheppard - Evo II
30:23 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
30:31 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
30:35 Ron Lock - Excalibur
30:59 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
31:56 Jeff Booth - Evo II
34:27 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7

Twilight Series preview for Feb 15

2011-02-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Race 12 of the 18 race 2010/2011 Greta Point Twilight Series hits the water again on Tuesday evening with the usual 6 .30 pm start................full details on the Series bottom left of this page.

The forecast for Tuesday evening is for a 26 km/h to 30 km/h South Easterly as forecast at 10 am Tuesday)..................... so this weeks course will either be around the Fountain and back or a course out and along Cobham Drive and back x 2 laps.....................I'll post another couple of weather updates tomorrow the last one will be about 3.30 pm.......................... high tide is 2.45 pm - low tide 8.52 pm

Ngatitoa results 13/2/11

2011-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

49 Paddlers out on the water today thanks to some pleasant weather, people loaning their spare craft out and even half of the Hodges Family out on the water on a range of craft and last but not least Chris Brown bringing a bunch of his Stand Up Paddle Board mates along as well.

The SUP course started back to back with the long course paddlers at the start line and headed into the Pauatahanui Estuary and around the green marker at Moorhouse Point and back to Ngatitoa Domain clocking up a good 4km with the Long Course heading out out to the yellow 5 knot buoy between Goat Point and Plimmerton Shops out and around the inner reef back around the 5 knot buoy again past the start finish then around the SH1 Road bridge then back to the finish covering 8 km.

The Photos will be loaded on the right of the page tomorrow Evening at the latest.

4 km Course
24:08 Chris Brown - SUP
24:32 Warwick Gray - SUP
24:56 Tim Haxell - SUP
27:14 David Lee-Smith - SUP
27:42 Magnus Ahlman - SUP
28:12 Anton Ognyer - SUP

8 km Course
36:52 MattArcher - SS
37:02 Mike Tate - SS
37:13 Chester Burt - SS
38:00 Andrew Carey - SS
38:01 Jerry Sheppard - SS
39:01 Joern Scherzer - W1
39:46 Sandy Winterton - SK
39:58 Grant Barriball - W1
40:38 Iain Gillies - SS
40:44 Marianna Hodges - SS
40:54 Jonathon Alsop - MK
40:55 Nigel Parry - SS
42:32 Paddy Rimene - W1
43:48 John Taylor - SS
43:50 Tipi Te Rangihaeata - W1
44:05 John Finch - W1
44.42 P.T.P - W6
45:12 Piki Emery - W1
45:15 Mixed Up Krew (Juniors) - W6
45:18 Royce Gray - W1
45:52 Mena Hodges - SS
46:04 Selena Katene/ Sarah Snow - W2
46:57 Ronnie Hose - SK
46:59 Joe Nuku - W1
47:14 Anita Taggart - W1
47:44 Chris Fox - W1
48:01 O.J. Rodda SS
50:06 Terry Gardiner W1
50:09 Kris Dahl -W1
53:33 Fahina Tulepu -W1
54:25 Manaaki Hodges - W1
--:-- Kevin O'Connor - SS

SS Surf ski - W1 Waka Ama - SK Sea kayak - MK Multisport kayak - W6 Waka Ama 6 person W2 Waka Ama double

Race 8 of the Welly Paddlers Series will be based at Hatatai Beach, Evans Bay on Sunday March 6. There is a 17 km option which will head around to the Seatoun Wharf and back and an 8 km option which will head to Point Halswell and back................if there are strong to near gale force winds that day we'll be going for an alternate course along the Motorway and Petone Foreshore and we'll be basing ourselves from the Wellington Waterski club.

Race this Sunday February 13

2011-02-09T11:52:00.001-08:00

Race 7 of the Welly Paddlers Series takes place this Sunday at Ngatitoa Domain with the race starting at 10 am.

Registration is from 9 am.............. race briefing at 9.55 am.

Course: Ngatitoa to turn buoy at Goat Point - head out and around the inner reef off Plimmerton - back to the buoy at Goat Point - past the start finish - around the SH 1 Mana road bridge then back to the finish

SUP course: Ngatitoa to Goat Point buoy then back to Ngatitoa.

Open to all Sea Kayaks, Waka Ama, Surf skis, multisport kayaks and Stand Up Paddle Boards.

Entry:
$5 singles
$8 doubles
$12 sixes

Buoyancy vests are compulsory either worn or carried and any other safety equipment applicable to your type of craft and your Sporting Bodies safety standards.

The Forecast is for a Northerly 17 km/h gusting to 24 /h.....................low tide 11.47am............(updated Sunday 8.15 am)
I'll update the forecast daily with the last update on Saturday evening at 8 pm.

Spot prizes will be drawn 15 mintues after the last craft comes off the water. All results and photos will be on the website on Sunday night.

Twilight Results Feb 8

2011-02-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight more of the same winds, but gusting a lot more than last week, we've used this course 4 weeks in a row now.....................Hataitai Beach - Soi Restaurant- Boat Lionheart.
Distance 5 .6 km.

Next week we will be living in hope for a change in wind patterns on Tuesdays, and maybe if we are extremely lucky and it's calmer, than it has been, we may get to go around the fountain?

This weekend we carry on with the Welly Paddlers series with race 7 taking place out at Ngatitoa Domain in Mana, at 10 am on Sunday................more details to follow tomorrow evening.

Best wishes to all those involved in the Coast to Coast this weekend we will be thinking of you all.

29:04 James Flannery - Mako 6
29:22 Dave Rudge - Evo II
30:15 Jerry Sheppard - Evo II
31:31 Sandy Winterton - Sprinter
32:03 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
34:02 Ron Lock - Excalibur
35:21 Heather Kirkham - Maximus
35:55 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2

Twilight Race preview for Feb 8

2011-02-06T16:58:00.001-08:00

More of the same conditions as we've had for the last four Tuesday night races.

Forecast for fine weather, a Northerly 39km/h gusting to 57km/h (as at 9.20 am Tuesday Feb 8)
Two course options that will be available to us are, the same course we've run for the last 3 weeks:

Hataitai beach - buoy left hand side of Soi restaurant - around the boat Lionheart - Hataitai Beach x 5 laps = 5.6km.

If the winds straightened up and the wind and waves are managable near the Coastguard building then we'll do Hataitai beach - buoy turn near the tip of Greta Point - down to a turn around the boat Te Kotuku by the Coastguard building - Hataitai Beach x 4 laps = 7 km.

Twilight Results Feb 1

2011-01-31T23:02:00.000-08:00

Yep the wind picked up tonight but you all looked liked you handled the conditions with ridiculous ease.

Of course we'd like to use 2 of the other 4 courses we have on the books this year but the wind generally dictates what's going to be the most user friendly course on the night.

We've raced this short rough weather Northerly course for the last 3 weeks in a row..............but it would be good to use the 4 lap course from the tip of Greta point down to the Coastguard but we'd like the wind to straighten up a bit for that one and also the old crowd favourite, which is Hataitai around the Fountain and back.

It will be interesting to see what the weather gods deliver to us next.

The photos from tonight should be loaded on by 9 pm tomorrow night.

Course: Soi Restaurant - Lionheart Boat - Hataitai Beach
5.6 km
26:35 Craig Jones - Sharp 6
26:37 Glenn Muirhead - UFO
26:39 Dave Rudge/ Jerry Sheppard - Quasar
28:00 Matt Archer - Nelo ski
28:04 James Coubrough - Sharp 6
28:47 Dean Ford - Sharp 6
29:01 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
29:10 James Flannery - Mako 6
29:37 Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse
30:17 Craig Anderson - Mako 6
30:44 Andrew Cowley - Total Eclipse
31:07 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
31:25 Martin Leighton - U2
31:48 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
32:10 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
32:24 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
32:43 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
33:09 Heather Kirkham - Sprinter
33:17 David Booth - Swallow
33:21 Annabelle Ramsey - Eclipse 5.2
33:35 Ron Lock - Excalibur
33:40 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
33:58 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
34:12 Colin Slater - Evo 1
35:44 Jeff Booth - Evo II
36:17 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7
36:27 A.J. Millward - Eclipse 5.2
36:54 Sheila Hart - Eclipse 5.7
38:03 Ronny Hose - Fouveax Express

Weekly Twilight Race preview

2011-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday is race 4 of 12 in the second block of races of the Greta Point Twilight Series.
Usual start time is 6.30 pm and we have a 6.20 start time for those who would just like to be purely recreational and cruise off ahead of the main start group.

Entry fee $5 with all race funds going into the last race food and drinks and an increased prize pool which is likely to include icebreaker products and hopefully a Mocke summer weight buoyancy vest.

The forecast is for fine weather with Northerlies strengthening.
The latest prediction (Tuesday 9.30 am) is that we'll get a Northerly of 35 km/h gusting to 48 km/h.

Tuesday we have a high tide at 4.32 pm.

The course will be the same as we've had for the last two weeks, which is: around buoy left of Soi Restaurant - around Lionheart boat - around start finish buoy on the point at Hataitai Beach x 5 laps..................or if the wind is favourable the Northern buoy will be near the tip of Greta Point and we'll turn around the boat Te Kotuku by the Coastguard building, the start finish buoy will remain in the same place.

Twilight results Jan 25

2011-01-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry a bit of a juggle this week before the start............. I was out with James Flannery, who was assisting 2 novice Sea kayakers in the middle of Evans Bay as one of the guys kept tipping out...........in the end they rafted themselves together and let the wind push them to the bottom of Evans Bay.
(James did all the hard work helping them out)

The course this week was the same as last week...........but was a lot faster due to all the wind and wave assistance...................that and a short cut under the wharf on the upwind leg...............where as last week at high tide it was around the wharf both ways.

A few extra bodies out on the water, getting back into the paddling again after a long break, keep it up and see you all next week.

Hataitai Beach - Soi Restaurant - Lionheart boat x 5 laps
5.6 km
25:44 Glenn Muirhead - U.F.O
27:08 Matt Archer - U.F.O
27:22 Dean Ford - Sharp 6
27:24 Chester Burt - Evo 2
27:41 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
28:14 Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse
28:23 Dave Rudge - Evo 2
28:27 James Flannery - Mako 6
29:52 Andrew Cowley - Total Eclipse
30:10 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
30:14 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
30:34 Paul Chaplow - U.F.O
30:42 Greg Adlam - Opus
30:45 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
30:51 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
32:01 Heather Kirkham - Sprinter
32:21 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
32:28 Colin Slater - Evo 1
32:32 Ron Lock - Excalibur
32:48 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
36:26 Darren Courtnage - Opus

The Photos from tonight should be loaded on within the next 24 hours

Twilight Series race Jan 25

2011-01-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

The forecast for the race this Tuesday is looking like we'll have a Northerly providing 33 km/h to 46 km/h of breeze...................and we're in for some fine warm weather like last week. I've updated the above forecast today, Tuesday at 9.15 am.

We would really like to get a course running down from the inside tip of Greta Point running down to the Coastguard building then back along the sheltered shoreline to Hataitai Beach (a triangular course of 4 laps).

The low tide is 4.38 pm on Tuesday so there's a shortcut under the wharf.

If you're into doing this course for purely recreational purposes then it's a 6.20 pm start.............. then 6.30 pm start for the main field.

Twilight results Jan 18

2011-01-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

A classic night of being patient, watching two lots of weather forecasting closely, setting a good course and wallah a keen group of paddlers get out on the water and sneak in a quicky race before the weather turned back around again.

Within 5 minutes of the last paddlers coming in it bucketed down briefly and the rest of the weather you can watch out the window at home tonight.

See you all next week

5.6 km course
Hataitai Beach buoy - Soi Restaurant buoy - Lionheart Boat x 5 laps

26:57 Rob Nichol - Advantage
28:26 Les Morris - Sharp 6
29:11 Jerry Sheppard - Evo II
29:34 Dave Rudge - Evo II
30:02 Martin Leighton - U2
30:41 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
30:52 Andrew Cowley - Total Eclipse
31:05 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
31:27 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
31:54 Mark Hearfield - Ocean Eclipse
33:02 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2
34:34 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
34:57 Margot Neas - Firebolt

Greta Point Twilight Race Jan 18

2011-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Forecast for tomorrow nights race is for a Northerly 28 km/h gusting to 59 km/h.................as at 9.30 pm Monday.

Unlike Sunday we will be able to run a good course down the western side of the shoreline.

Likely to be a triangular course Hataitai Beach buoy up to Soi Restaurant buoy down and around the boat Te Kotuku Hataitai Beach x 4 laps

We have a high tide at 4.13 pm and the low tide is at 10.17 pm.

Please could all paddlers come and register with Sharlene before the race starts.

Race starts at 6.30pm.............and there is now a 6.20pm start for recreational paddlers who just want to get out there and turn the arms over.

Race 6 cancelled

2011-01-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

Well a bit of fickle weather of the last 6 weeks and today was "One of those days".

I don't take cancelling races too ligthly, it's usually after much deliberation, checking the forecast over a 6 hour period as well as physically being down on the water an hour before each race starts to see if we can turn a "sows ear into a silk purse" as far as getting some good conditions to paddle in.

At 8.45am this morning checking that we had a 56km/h North Westerly looked fine.............. but the fact that we had gale force gusts of 107km/h was not............Never mind there's always next time and I'm sure those who were keen to get out on the water did so today at their own pace and on suitable stretches of water that met their skill levels.

See you on Tuesday the forecast looks much better!

Welly Paddlers race 6 this Sunday

2011-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Tomorrows Race will be transferred from Shelly Bay to Hataitai Beach.

At this stage we will look at running a 4 lap course that runs off the tip of Greta Point then downwind to one of the boats near the Coastguard building then up wind in the relative shelter by Hataitai Beach, this course is 7.5 km.

Low tide is 8.22 am..................... with the race starting at 10 am.

Like many of the windy days in Wellington, you only get a real idea of the best course to go with, about an hour before the race start and by getting out on the water and seeing what's really happening out there.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Chester
022 6455 820

Twilight results 11/1/11

2011-01-10T23:24:00.000-08:00

A nice warm night for the first Twilight Series race of 2011.
Course tonight
Hataitai Beach - Kotuku - around 2 buoys along Cobham Drive and back x 2 laps
South Easterly breeze low tide 5.25pm
Distance 5.45 km

26:14 Rob Nichol - Advantage
27:18 Dave Rudge/Colin Slater - Quasar
27:52 Dean Ford - Sharp 6
28:37 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
28:59 Jerry Sheppard - Evo II
30:28 Andrew Cowley - Total Eclipse
30:46 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
31:29 Sandy Winterton - Maximus
31:41 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT
31:44 Brian Sanders - Escape 6.1
33:04 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
33:53 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7
34:21 Pete Notman - Fenn XT
34:29 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse

Photos to follow tomorrow evening

For the hardened Coastal paddlers this weekends Welly Paddlers Series race from Shelly Bay will more than likely run around to Scorching Bay and back start time 10 am................race and wind updates to follow from Thursday onwards.

Twilight race Tuesday Jan 11

2011-01-07T23:36:00.000-08:00

Business as usual this Tuesday evening with the first Greta Point Twilight Series race of 2011.
There are 12 races in this block with the final race on March 29 where there will be another Series wrap up with food, drinks and we'll be looking at about $1200 of spot prizes all funded from each weeks entries fees................we'll have Buoyancy Vests and Icebreaker gear as some of the main prizes on March 29 so the more everyone partcipates in the Greta Point Twilight Series the more gear there will be to distribute at the last race.

The forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) is for South Easterlies dropping off so we should have a calm flat conditions on the Harbour late in the afternoon.

Hopefully we will see many of you back on the water by then if you're not into Coast to Coast L.D training mode or still away on holiday that is.

A busy block of races for the Season for us with the March 29 race being the 28th race we will have run since August 2010.

It costs $5 per person and the races start at 6.30pm every Tuesday.

Chester and Sharlene.

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-03T01:47:00.000-08:00

We've whacked a new header photo in as you can see and we'd like to get another one it's place every 3 weeks.................and we'll get a front on one next time so everyone can check out their mugshots.

The next Tuesday Twilight race is on January 11................at Greta Point the permanent home of the Series rain, hail or shine...............but most likely windy..............the conditions of choice in our fine City.

The next Welly Paddlers Open Harbour race is on January 16 at Shelley Bay with the course likely to head around to Scorching Bay and return............the course is close to the shoreline so multisport kayaks may like to give this one a crack again............ along with the traditional craft for this Series............ Surf ski, Waka Ama and Sea Kayaks.................if the wind thows a big spazz like it did last time, we'll bang this race over to the more sheltered side of Evans Bay at Hataitai Beach.

As each of the races gets closer we'll post race details and predicted weather conditions for those days.

Don't be shy we'd love to see as many of you back on the water in 2011.............and yeah, bring more of your mates!

Chester and Sharlene

King of the Harbour & Wellington L.D. race

2010-12-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

Just a quick mention about The King of the Harbour Ocean surf ski Race on April 1 & 2, 2011.

If you live in Wellington, Nelson or Christchurch Mainfreight, one the Race Sponsers has 24 spaces for surf skis to be transported (return) to the 2011 event.
Be in quick though, first in first served.

For all the information on the Event go the website link below.
www.kingoftheharbour.co.nz

Welly Paddlers proudly presents.............
Wellington L.D. Race
March 6, 2011

This race is a lead in race to the King of the Harbour........also race 8 of the Welly Paddlers series
distance 16 km...........also an 8 km option.

Open to Surf skis, Waka Ama & Sea Kayaks

course: Hataitai Beach - Point Halswell - Seatoun Wharf - Point Halswell - Hataitai Beach
2 upwind and 2 downwind legs

An alternate course will be used along the Motorway and Petone Foreshore if the wind gets too snakey to run it in the Eastern Surburbs.

Final Twilight race for 2010

2010-12-21T00:17:00.000-08:00

Big credits to those who got out there tonight and gave the course a crack you all did exceptional well considering the conditions, there was a mix of some shelter closer to the shoreline a few lumps and bumps and some hefty gusts of wind that stopped a few in their tracks on the odd occasion.
Out on the water, some had some rolling practice, a mid race cooling session and an assisted rescue, so thanks to those that either took up the challenge or helped others out it's all part of the experience.

We enjoy running the races for you all, and we get a lot of pleasure when we get the support from you the paddlers, with you all turning up to particpate when you can.

I Hope you all enjoyed the pizza and fizzy.............. and a mixture of spot prizes that you'll put to good use.

Normal service of the 2010/2011 Greta Point Tuesday Twilight Series will resume on January 11.

To all you Paddlers out there............. have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Big thanks to Steve Knowles at www.sportzub.com who has been great posting articles for us over the last 12 months and thanks to those of you who have recommended joining in with the various paddling races that have been run all over Wellington during the last 12 months...............one last thank you to the Kupe Canoe Club for the use of their Gear Shed for the end of race gathering.

Course 6 km approx - Soi Restaurant - Hataitai Beach - Evans Bay Yacht Club Boatramp
x 4 laps
29:56 Glenn Muirhead - U.F.O. MK
30:07 Rob Nichol - Millenium SS
32:02 Leon Rossbotham - Think Uno Max SS
32:10 James Coubrough - Sharp 6 MK
32:43 Chester Burt - Molokai SS
32:53 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5 MK
33:05 James Flannery - Mako 6 SS
33:55 Dave Rudge - Mako 6 SS
34:06 Martin Leighton - U2 MK
34:38 Ben Candy - Opus MK
34:43 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor MK
35:01 Andrew Cowley - Total Eclipse MK
35:38 Sandy Winterton - Maximus SK
35:41 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT SS
36:12 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6 MK
36:39 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7 MK
37:32 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse MK
37:39 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2 MK
37:58 Dave Thorburn - Total Eclipse MK
38:38 Brian Astridge - Firebolt MK
38:41 Pete Notman - XT SS (2 min credit, assisted another paddler)
40:21 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse MK
34:07 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7 MK (3 laps)
36:17 Mark Hearfield - Meteor 2000 MK (3 laps)

Thanks to Diane Morgan, A.J. Millward and Jacinta Gould for coming along to support the race and socialising at the gathering afterwards...............and last but not least thanks to Laurelle for taking the photos for Sharlene............so she could do the timekeeing for me.................so I could get out on the water................nice.

regards,
Chester, Sharlene, Laurelle and Chris
Welly Paddlers team for 2010

Greta Point Twilight Tuesday Kayak series

2010-12-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

The forecast tomorrow looks like there will be a lot of wind around.
Forecast is, as at 7.30am Tuesday:
North North Westerly 54kph gusting to 69kph.
The rain should fade out by late afternoon.
We will go for the sheltered course that tucks close to the shoreline with a turn buoy just west of the Soi Restaurant and turns around a couple of the boats about 100 metres south of Haitaitai beach............it's a 5 lap circuit which is around 5.5 km................start time 6.30pm.
We will have the food ready earlier around 7.15 pm using this course. Spot prizes approx ($400 worth) will be dished out by 7.30 pm.

Race 5 Petone 19/12/10

2010-12-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

The big winds didn't eventuate but the odd shower and some shifts in the breeze provided some variety in the conditions today good to see so many venturing out and get amongst the varied weather conditions today.
A very even spread of Sea Kayaks, Waka Ama Mulitisport kayaks and Surf skis on the water also.

Thanks to Eric Barber and Doug Aplin for rallying up all the boys from the Wairarapa, John, Stan and Laurence, thanks for making the trip over and hope you enjoyed some more paddling around Eastbourne later in the afternoon.
Welcome back Leon from Hong Kong. Leon has done a few of the World Surf ski Series races in Mauritius and Hong Kong over the last few years and also races Vaa (Waka Ama ) as well.................. and Kyle Christensen (ex Blenheim and Marlborough Multisports Club) who is back from overseas and has now settled in Wellington.

Thanks to everyone for supporting the Welly Paddlers Series in 2010 have a Merry Christmas and a great break through the New Year and hopefully we'll see many of you back for the next race on January 16, 2011.

Petone - Matiu (Somes) Island - Petone 8.25 km
41:12 Leon Rossbotham -V12 SS
41:24 James Coubrough - Sharp 6 MK
42:32 Chester Burt - Evo II SS
43:59 Craig Anderson - Fenn Mako 6 SS
44:38 Andrew Carey - Legend SS
46:03 Joern Scherzer -Polaris W1
46:04 Grant Barriball - Hurricane W1
46:51 Kyle Christensen - Vayron SS
47:14 Sandy Winterton - Maximus SK
48:15 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT SS
49:30 George Faalogo - Hurricane W1
50:06 Doug Aplin - Slingshot SK
50:43 Piki Emery - XT Sea (rudderless) W1
50:50 James Sadler - Pegasus W1
51:55 Dave Fisher - Jaeger cutlass SK
52:28 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7 MK
53:17 O.J. Rodda - Stellar SR SS
53:19 Tina Millward - W1
53:35 Brian Astridge - Eclipse 5.2 MK
54:44 Eric Barber - Shearwater SK
54:52 John Allen - Shearwater SK
57:04 Anita Taggart - Hurricane W1
57:58 Stan Braaksma - Penguin SK
59:50 Kris Dahl -W1
60:40 Diane Morgan - Southern Skua SK
45:43 Laurence Kent - Penguin SK (short course)

Forecast for Race 5 this Sunday

2010-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

I went round the island at 10 am Friday morning it was quite pleasant in the drizzle with a Northerly of about 20 kph.

The forecast for tomorrow Sunday is:

9 am to 12 noon Northerly winds 25kph gusting to 46 kph - occassional rain 17 - 21 degrees C
Low tide is at 9.45 am

The start is on the Esplanade, Petone (by Cuba Street) we will be there from 9 am.
The alternate courses (if winds are too horrendous) will all be from the same location now.

Any problems just call us.

Chester 022 6455 820 On the water
Sharlene 027 4581 005 On the shore

Twilight results 14/12/10

2010-12-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

Next Tuesday sees the last race for 2010........... which means food and drink will be put on.
The balance of the funds after the food and drinks are taken out will mean the rest goes into the big spot prize pool..............so depending on the numbers who turn up next week (also depends on what the weather is on the night) I think we may be looking at around $400 worth of spot prizes to be dished out.
Kupe Canoe Club have invited us to come into their club gear shed for the post race gathering.............. so that sounds like a pretty good idea to me, since many of the paddlers come from the Kupe Sheds.
The food & drinks will be there at 7.35 pm and we'll dish out the spot prizes at pretty much the same time so many of you can get away to do other things.

Hataitai Beach - Carter Fountain - Hataitai Beach
Distance 7 km - low tide 5.36pm - Wind - Southerly- Northerly - Southerly
33:53 Glenn Muirhead - Talon K1
35:28 Andrew Carey - Legend SS
35:30 James Coubrough - Sharp 6
36:15 Dean Ford - Sharp 6
36:29 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
36:33 James Flannery - Mako 6 SS
36:37 Ben Candy - Opus
37:38 Craig Anderson - Mako 6 SS
37:46 Jerome Sheppard - Evo II SS
38:28 Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse
38:44 Sandy Winterton - Opus
39:08 Jeff Booth - Swallow
39:26 Mark Hearfield - Meteor 2000
39:33 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
39:38 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
40:06 Iain Gillies - Fenn XT SS
40:35 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
40:46 Colin Slater - Evo SS
40:48 Brian Sanders - Escape 6.1
40:50 Ron Lock - Excalibur
41:32 Katherine Allan - U2
41:39 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2
41:50 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
42:27 Pete Notman - Fenn XT SS
42:30 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse
43:11 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7
43:54 Margot Neas - Firebolt
44:54 Darren Courtnage - Opus
44:59 Jacinta Gould - Rebel
45:45 A.J. Millward - Eclipse 5.2
47:43 Ronny Hose - Foveaux Express
49:32 Diane Morgan - Eclipse 5.2

Twilight race preview for 14/12/10

2010-12-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Looking at the forecast we will be racing from Hataitai Beach as usual........... and racing around the Carter Fountain and back.

Tonights forecast as at 2.00 pm today (Tuesday):

East South Easterly breeze 7 kph to 13 kph with some drizzle possibly.

On Wednesday I'll place an update on the weather for this Sundays Welly Paddlers Series Race 5 which is from Petone and heads around Matiu (Somes) Island and back (start time 10 am) from the Esplanade, near Cuba Street.
Forecast for Sunday Northerly 20 kph to 35 kph and some rain

Twilight Series 7/12/10

2010-12-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

This is the same course we used on 23/11/10.......... scroll down to "older posts" at the bottom of the page to compare your previous times.

Southerly Course.
Hataitai Beach - Cobham Drive (5.9 km)
High tide 7.10pm

28:11 Rob Nichol - Advantage
28:14 Dave Rudge /Jerry Sheppard - Quasar double
29:44 James Coubrough - Sharp 6
30:10 Chester Burt - Molokai Ski
31:22 James Flannery - Mako 6
31:47 Martin Leighton - U2
32:46 Ben Sutherland -Opus
33:03 Jeff Booth - Swallow
33:14 Jonathon Alsop -Evolution
33:16 Sandy Winterton - Maximus SK
33:28 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
34:25 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
34:49 Iain Gillies - XT ski
35:03 Ron Lock - Excalibur
35:37 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse
35:46 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
36:15 Kevin O'Connor - Evo ski
36:25 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2
36:27 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
36:32 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7
37:49 Pete Notman - XT ski
39:28 Jacinta Gould - Rebel
40:23 Diane Morgan - Eclipse 5.2
41:08 Ronnie Hose - Foveaux Express SK
42:15 Mark Hearfield - Tasman Express SK
Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse
AJ Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2
and a few others had a training paddle around the course

Thanks to Laurelle O'Reilly for taking the photos (your board is free this week) and helping Sharlene this week...........so I could paddle.
Photos should be loaded within the next 24 hours

Twilight Series December 7

2010-12-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

The Weather forecast for Tuesday Twilight Series race at Greta Point is:
Southerly 30 kph which means a fairly good breeze will be blowing through from Lyall Bay.

There will be another update on conditions by 10 am on Tuesday as well.

Please register before you start......... $5 to enter
Start 6.30 pm sharp
Read all race info at bottom of page.

The course will more than likely be:
Start at Hataitai Beach turn around yellow buoy Near Coastguard building
turn around pole at the end of the breakwater
turn around yellow buoy east of the coloured spinning blocks on Cobham drive
head to towards airport turn clockwise around yellow buoy by the first round about
follow back the way you came
turn clockwise around the yellow buoy at Hataitai Beach
do 1 more lap
Finish at Hataitai Beach between the beach and the yellow buoy
The end.

Twilight Series 30/11/10

2010-11-29T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well the Northerly hung around for longer than expected this afternoon, and it finally started to drop off just before 6 pm, so we shifted what was looking like a Northerly course at Greta Point, back to the Oriental Parade Course.

Yep it's not fair having to head out into a Northerly and coming back into a Southerly but that's Wellington for you. I heard it got a bit hot when the wind dropped off and I mentioned about placing a drink station at the half way point.............probably won't happen though.

So far we've used 3 of the 4 course options on offer...............remember we're not cancelling any of the races................... we'll just set the best possible course in the most sheltered bays in Evans Bay and yes we'll use tonights course as much as we can as it's been one of the iconic twilight courses that's been well paddled over the years.

If you'd like to know what the weather (wind), is doing for next Tuesday I'll give you the wind finder forecast on Monday here.............. then update it again by 10 am on Tuesday.

Hataitai - Carter Fountain - Hataitai Course (7 km)
33:18 Glenn Muirhead -Talon K1
34:05 Rob Nichol - Millenium
34:26 James Coubrough - Sharp 6
35:47 Ben Candy - Opus
35:49 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
36:05 Craig Anderson - Mako 6
36:05 James Flannery - Mako 6
36:08 Dave Rudge - Sharp 6.5
36:09 Jerry Sheppard - Evo Classic
37:34 Martin Leighton - U2
38:41 Ben Sutherland - Opus
38:45 Sandy Winterton - XT
39:09 Jeff Booth - Swallow
39:20 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6
39:51 Iain Gillies - XT
39:55 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7
40:14 Mark Hearfield - Meteor
41:17 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
41:33 Heather Kirkham - Sprinter
41:40 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
41:44 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse
42:32 Pete Notman - Apteryx
42:41 Katherine Allan - U2
42:47 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7
42:53 Kris Jarvis - Eclipse 5.2
43:17 Darren Courtnage - Opus
43:46 Margot Neas - Firebolt
44:59 Jacinta Gould - Rebel
46:13 Diane Morgan - Eclipse 5.2
46:15 AJ Millward - Eclipse 5.2

Photos will be loaded on in the next 24 hours.
thanks, Sharlene and Chester

Twilight Series on Tuesday 6.30pm start

2010-11-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Yes returning to starts.................at 6.30 pm sharp.
Every week all starts at Greta Point
Tuesday Nov 30
Wind predication as at 9.30am Nov 30..............SSW 19kph - 22 kph
Low Tide 6.45pm
Likely course Hataitai Beach around the Carter Fountain (clockwise) and back (distance approx 7 km)

If the wind forecast changes again and strengthens then...................
2 lap course, distance 5.5 km approx
Start by buoy at Hataitai beach
Around buoy by Te Kotuku (near Coastguard)
Around pole at end of Marina break water.
Around buoy east of spinning coloured blocks on Cobham Drive
Clockwise around buoy by first roundabout on the way to the airport
back the same way you came
Clockwise around buoy at Hataitai beach
do that lap again
finish between beach and buoy.

We won't be using the boat to turn around anymore as people are getting squeezed out on the first turn, maybe due to tidal movements around these craft.
I'll update the wind forecast again at 10 am on Tuesday
Any problems phone Chester 022 6455 820

Greta Twilight race 2

2010-11-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

Course this week
Hataitai Beach head south/around the boat Te Kotuku nearest to the Coastguard building, along the breakwater around the pole, head to Cobham Drive turn around the buoy east of the spinning coloured blocks (Meridian Wind Sculpture) along Cobham Drive towards the Airport, clockwise around the buoy by the Troy Street (first roundabout) back the same way to Hataitai Beach clockwise around the buoy there (2 laps total)................. lastly you finish between the beach and the buoy
Southerly Course.
Hataitai Beach Cobham Drive Course (5.9 km)
High Tide 7.15 pm

Results
28:28 Andrew Carey - Legend SS
28:29 Chester Burt - Evo SS
28:45 Dave Rudge - Sharp 6.5 MK
28:49 James Flannery - Mako 6 SS
28:53 Les Morris -Sharp 6.5 MK
29:01 Matt Flannery - Mako 6 SS
29:51 Liam Drew - Millenium SS
29:58 Jerry Sheppard - Evo Classic MK
30:16 Martin Leighton - U2 MK
30:20 Sandy Winterton - XT SS
31:20 Jonathon Alsop - Evo Classic MK
31:21 Jeff Booth - Swallow MK
31:26 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor MK
31:28 Jude Ellis - Eclipse 5.7 MK
31:30 Nigel Parry - Sharp 6 MK
32:50 Iain Gillies -XT SS
32:51 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse MK
33:14 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse MK
33:17 Ron Lock - Excalibur MK
33:22 Annabelle Ramsay - Eclipse 5.2 MK
33:29 Pete Notman - Apteryx MK
35:01 Jacinta Gould - Rebel MK
35:14 Martin Crundwell - Eclipse 5.7 MK
38:42 Diane Morgan 38:42 Elicpse 5.2 MK

SS surf ski MK multisport kayak

First of all sorry for the phopar in regard to briefing you to go.......... anti-clockwise................I really meant clockwise................sorry for the slip of the tongue.
In regard to the start time............. it's obvious that we need to shift the start time back to 6 .30pm...........as much as we'd like to give you more time to go off and do other things after your paddle..................quite frankly (from the feedback) the traffic getting to the start is a nightmare especially on brillaintly fine days, like tonight.

So we'll be on the water for a start at 6.30pm sharp..............all good, sorry for those who are able to get away from work early................on the flipside a good warm up paddle is good for everybody.

Greta Point Tuesday Twlight Race

2010-11-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

The forecast for the 6 pm start tonight and beyond is.............. for a SE breeze 9 knots dropping off as the evening slips by.
All starts are now at Hataitai Beach.
The likely course at this stage................ be Hataitai Beach around the Carter Fountain and back..........approx 7.5 kms.
If the breeze whips up then..................it'll be Hataitai Beach along Cobham drive and back 3 laps (7 .5 km)
I'll get all the buoys positioned better tonight.

Foxton Craft Race results

2010-11-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

There should be an article on www.sportzhub.com today or tonight.
The photos this week were taken by Chris Winiata.
The timekeeping and results were done by Sharlene with the good company of Debbie Barber and Margaret Grant.

Foxton Town to Foxton Beach 9.4 km

52:08 Chester Burt - Molokai SS
52:09 Mike Tate - Milennium SS
54:27 Eric Barber - Phantom MK
58:02 John Taylor - Think Evo SS
58:21 Sandy Winterton - Maximus SK
59:49Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse MK
60:35 Andrew Parkin - Stinga SS
64:06 Matthew Duff - Scorpion SS
64:52 Max Grant - Maximus SK
64:59 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse MK
65:45 Pete Notman - Cedar strip SK
69:37 Brian Forth - Stinga SS
71:53 Tim Cranshaw - XU1 SS
72:22 Levi Tate - Scorpion SS
85:17 Stuart Pescini - Hurricane MK
85:54 Hannah Staples/Kegal Sorensen/Blosom Forth/Jo Richards - Surf Canoe
87:21 Donna Aitchison - Spirit SS
WD Glen Butcher - SUP
SS surf ski SK sea kayak MK multisport Kayak SUP Stand Up Paddle Board

Photos will be loaded on here once we get back to Wellington, they should be on within the next 24 hours.................view on right hand of page

Foxton Craft Race this Sunday 21/11/10

2010-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Registration from 10 am
Start time 11 am
Distance 10 km
Just scroll to the bottom of the page to view all the details about the race.
Updated 20/11/10 Sundays wind forecast out at the Foxton River mouth area is for Southerly winds 20 kph.
Rain at times.
High Tide at the river mouth is 10.48 am

Twilight Kayak Results 16/11/10

2010-11-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight's course was the rough weather Northerly / North Westerly course, it tucks into the left hand side of Soi restaurant heads down to turn around the two boats side by side (Blue hull white deck boat and Sea scouts dingy) north of the Evans Bay Yacht Club slipway Jettys then the next turn is close to the shore at the start / finish line it's a 5 lap course and is just under 5 km in distance.
Next week the high tide is at 7 .15pm...................all anchor lines will be clear of any buoys..............sorry for the error with the Northern buoy this week.

Don't forget................. we don't cancel these races............ we'll find the best sheltered course available every Tuesday............those who turned up tonight had a taste of how the courses can be worked with any gusty type wind conditions each week.

Keep the faith and see you next week........... thanks Sharlene and Chester.

23:28 Dave Rudge / Jerry Sheppard - Quasar
23:32 Craig Jones - Sharp 6
23:48 Glenn Muirhead - U.F.O
26:00 Craig Anderson - Mako 6 SS
26:01 Trent Luka - Stinga SS
26:13 Les Morris - Sharp 6.5
26:32 Teina Stace - Bullet SS
26:33 Matt Flannery - Mako 6 SS
27:14 James Flannery - Mako 6 SS
27:56 Sandy Winterton - XT SS
28:29 Jeff Booth - Swallow
28:33 Sam Short - Scorpion SS
28:37 Andrew Cowley - Eclipse
28:56 Dave Dellabarca - Raptor
30:23 Dave Fisher - Total Eclipse
30:43 Brent Harrison - Total Eclipse
32:59 Jacinta Gould - Rebel
33:04 Annabelle Ramsey - Eclipse
33:13 Brooke Watt - Bullet SS
37:29 Dianne Morgan - Southern Skua SK
WD Hamish Groves - Total Eclipse

Greta Point Tuesday Twilight Kayak Series tonight

2010-11-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight the forecast is for Gusty Northerlies, so we'll be going for a course that keeps you out of the worst of the Gusty Northerly.
Low Tide is at 7.51 pm
I'm out paddling at 3.30 pm so I'll have a course well worked out by 5 pm that is manageable for everyone.
We don't do cancellations so be prepared and get out on the water and have a practice run around the course if you're there early enough.

Race Info for the next 2 weeks

2010-11-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

For Information on the Foxton Craft Race.............. and The Greta Point Tuesday Twilight Kayak Series....................scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Final Times for Handicap series

2010-11-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a guide of who you may like to measure yourself up against for the start of next weeks Twilight Series..........these are the actual times from the final race of Mana Kayak Racing Clubs Handicap Series...............they are a rough guide................ as you'll see a notable front runner fell out that night............and with a log jamb around many of the buoys a few people got held up a little in places.
Never mind back to the tried and true scratch format............... you can now relax and enjoy paddling along with a mate or continue to race furiously and push yourself to catch up to someone quicker..........if you wish.

William Wilkins 32:10
Craig Jones 32:49
James Coubrough 33:52
Ben Candy 33:53
Trent Luka 34:30
Jack Manners 34:39
Chester Burt 34:40
Dean Ford 35:18
Dave Rudge 35:22
AndrewCarey 35:25
Marianne Archer 35:28
Jerry Sheppard 35:36
Matt Archer 35:48
Hamish Groves 35:56
Craig Anderson 36:06
Matt Flannery 36:44
Liam Drew 37:03
Glenn Muirhead 37:06
Martin Leighton 37:07
Kayla Imrie 37:35
Ben Sutherland 38:14
Sandy Winterton 38:18
Teina Stacey 38:48
Nigel Parry 39:01
Jude Ellis 39:05
Heather Kirkham 39:49
Mark Hearfeild 39:53
Jonathon Alsop 39:58
Dave Fisher 40:01
Katherine Allen 40:38
Pete Notman 40:53
Jeff Booth 40:54
Andrew Cowley 41:23
Kristin Jarvis 41:42
Brent Harrison 41:42
Keiran Coburn 41:59
Martin Crundwell 42:00
Brogan Coburn 42:12
Daren Courtenage 42:27
Emily Nota 42:28
Alice Ashford 42:35
Sam Short 42:36
Jacinta Gould 44:47
Adelaide Cox 45:42
Brooke Watt 46:51
Owen Rodder 47:42
Dianne Morgan 48:02
Gracen Luka 54:33
A.J. Millward DNF

4 Bridges Race Whanganui

2010-11-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

Hey big day out on the upside down river today.

A number of Wellingtonians and Welly Paddlers race supporters turned out to Support the 4 bridges event. I think I tallied up paddlers from Aniuwaru, Nga Waka, Kokiri and Tai Tonga 41 Waka Ama Clubs the guys from Levin Mike, John and Andrew from http://www.genoese.co.nz/ who donated some chilly bags of pesto which I was lucky enough to win as a spot prize (which put a smile on Sharlenes' dial) Terry and Doug were there on the w1 singles as well, also "Kayak Les" and Sandy Winterton who's supported so many races in Wellington over the last year or so and is usually travelling further a feild to so many other events.
It was a pretty good day out nice and sunny with a light southerly sneaking in as the race went on, heaps of spot prizes, an eventthat many should continue to support as the years go on.

When Aaron Cox sends me the results I'll e-mail them out on the Welly Paddlers e-mail list and I'm also waiting for Matt Warren to send the results from the Aeroplane Island race last weekend..............hopefully I'll get them on the same e-mail out early next week.

Kaiteriteri has the Waka Ama Race on this weekend then the week later a week of Vaka Eiva in Rarotonga so best wishes to the crews travelling to race over in the Islands.

Sunday November 21 is the Foxton to Foxton Beach race (10 km) for those not lucky enough to be over in Raro. It's a test run to rejuvvenate the old Foxton Craft Race previously run by the Foxton Surf Life Saving Club. Next year we'll be able to better schedule this event back into the S.L.S. calendar and their pre Season LD race schedule.

It starts at 11 am from behind the shops in Foxton and finishes in the estuary by the boatramp at the Manawatu Boating Club..................we'll be at the start, in Foxton, from 10 am to take registrations, the briefing will be at 10.40 am...................and there may be multiple start times if there are a large number of entries and especially if there are multiple crew boats.

For further info:
chester.burt at gmail dot com or
04 976 1795 or
022 6455 820

Race 3 Ngatitoa Domain

2010-10-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

A big weekend of paddling and so much on at once everyone was spoilt choice. I apologise again for the clash with the Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals, this was not part of the plan when I checked the dates off on everyone's calendars in June. I hope all the Wellington paddlers put in good efforts out on the water in Whakatane.

Yesterday a bunch of us did the Paekakariki S.L.S. Clubs Aeroplane Island race on a 16.7 km course (multi lap alternate course) along the Coastline between the Fishermans Table and McKays Crossing. It was tough going in the shallow waters with the SE wind gusting across out off the shoreline, and very character building for some.
Tuhiwai Jnr and Awhina in the W2, Mike Tait, John Taylor, Chester, Howie (on SUP) and all the Lyall Bay Surf Squad on boards and skis ....... I think at a rough guess about 50 Paddlers and Rowers out on the water.

Today Sunday was Welly Paddlers race 3 with the botch up with the dates we were fortunate enough to have 41 paddlers out on the water and this always comes down to a whole bunch of people who rally around and Organise boats and crews to get to the start line every 3 weeks that we run these races.
With the SE bashing everyone around yesterday I choose to alter our course slightly to a bit more of a head or tail wind situation, so the course we ran ended up being 7.25km, from Ngatitoa to the southern most yacht mooring pole at Te Onepoto Bay back past Ngatitoa then along Plimmerton Beach to the 5 knot buoy just before the Plimmerton Shops back past Ngatitoa under one of the Mana SH1 roadbridge piles then back to the finish.

We are going to have to create a special trophy for our Series to add names of people who have tried unsuccessfully to take on the big W6's, today it was Brent Harrisons turn he tipped out (he was probably getting too hot anyhow) it was noted that he didn't grab any paua or pippies during this exercise, but did however manage to get back in and post a pretty good time in the catch up process.
If you are near a W6 in the future ........ stay clear ........ They will run over you................I stay out of there way if I can .......... they are bigger than I am.

Our races are an adventure and a journey ........... any action is good action :0)

Chester Burt 37:42 SS
Nohorua 39:02 W6
Craig Anderson 39:15 SS
Don't Touch My Food 1 42:06 W6
Sandy Winterton 43:31 SK
Warren Granger 44:47 SS
James Sadler 44:49 W1
Rick Kopa 45:39 W1
Bjorn Agnew 46:03 W1
Don't Touch My Food 2 46:15 W6
Brent Harrison 46:41 MK
Dont' Touch My Food 3 46:58 W6
Terry Gardiner 49:24 W1
Go Girls 52:31 W6
Tuhiwai (Jnr) Hauiti-Parapara 52:34 W1
Doug Omeri 54:42 W1
SS surf ski W6 Waka Ama OC6 SK Sea kayak W1 Waka Ama OC1 MK Multisport kayak

Check out the photos on the right hand side of this page.

This coming weekend there's a lot of racing going on in Whanganui as it's 4 Bridges Race weekend...........Saturday racing is mainly for Team Boats over 5km course and Sunday is for singles doubles and also team boats.................. main race 12 km with a 4km short course also on offer.
For more info just click on"older posts" and view the article from October 19 for more information.

Welly Paddlers Race 4 is on November 21................. and is a re-incarnation of the old Foxton Craft race that used to be run by the Foxton Surf Life Saving Club for many years. The new event is 10 km and is from the Foxton Township to Foxton Beach (Manawatu Boating Club)
The old race used to run from the Whorokino Boatramp to the Manawatu Boating Club and was 7 km.
The race starts at 11 am.............. to better work in with the tides..............but be there early to get set up.

Races this weekend

2010-10-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Welly Paddlers race 3
Sunday October 31

Ngatitoa Domain
6.25 km course and 3 km for SUP's

Registration from 9 am
Race briefing 9 .40 am
Race start 10 am

Open to all Surf skis, Waka Ama Sea and Multsiport kayaks, SUP's, All Surf Life Saving Craft and Ocean Rowing craft.

$5 singles
$8 doubles
$10 fours
$12 sixes

All entry money goes into the Spot prize Pool and results and photos on the website that night.
We're in the Business of promoting our Sport so you'll see pre and post race articles on http://www.sportzhub.com/ also.

Aeroplane (Tokomapua) Island race
Saturday October 30
2 pm start
16 km and 6 km option
http://www.pslg.co.nz/ if the link is broken matt.warren@surflifesaving.org.nz or matt.warren@clear.net.nz
refer also to posting on September 10.

Saturday group paddle

2010-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

This Saturday............... back in for a group paddle if anyone wants to join us, will be out on the water for 75 to 90 mins.

I'll be on the water at 10 am by the Kupe Canoe / Watersports Complex at Greta Point.
Route will be dependant on the weather.

Check the event calendar out on the left for events coming up over the next 3 weeks.

For further info on:

Pie cock race http://www.pslg.co.nz/ if the website keeps on bonking as it does............ matt.warren@clear.net.nz or matt.warren@surflifesaving.org.nz

Whanganui with an 'h' 4 bridges race www.wanganuiweb.com/womat/Welcome.html

Welly Paddlers race 3 at Ngatitoa ....... just contact us on the e-mail address below events calendar

Ruamahanga Marathon Relay

2010-10-15T23:17:00.001-07:00

What an awesome day in the Wairarapa............. great weather and the river flowing at 95 cumecs.............so there were some really quick times by everyone in the field.
The wind didn't come into play too much and 22 degrees was on the button temperature wise, it was surely great to get some sun on the back today.

I think today is the biggest feild of Female Kayakers we've had at a kayak event in our region in a long time......................Go the Girls!!!!.................keep up the good work out on the water.

Big thanks to Debbie and Eric Barber for all there stirling work with the split times and printed results and the use of the Wairarapa Multisports Clubs timing equipment, computer and mobile printer. They all made our job so much easier.

I'm still piecing together an article.............o.k. an Essay on the event.................so will be sending that and some photos to Sportzhub tomorrow night..............so it should be on there on Monday or Tuesday.

I was picking that we'd get around 10 teams and 6 individuals along today but was surprised to see 10 individuals and 6 teams..................this is a reversal of past trends for this event.................the shorter Marathon distance is an option that we'd hoped would appeal, and we still see much potential in growing the teams event as well, it's a great opportunity to get people into kayaking and it's great to be in a team with your mates.

Thanks to all for supporting this years event, whether you were out on the water doing the hard yards or supporting your partners.

Also to big thank you to Bryan Tucker for access through his property to Morisons Bush and also to Ed Handyside for access through his property at Tuhitarata

Glenn Muirhead gave us his GPS distances from yesterday he stayed mainly on the outside of the river, in the faster flows and cut just two corners for these readings below.

We enjoyed putting this event on for you.

Chester, Sharlene, Debbie and Eric.

An article should appear on http://www.sportzhub.com/ in the next day or so.

Individuals:
---------------------11km - 16km - 17 km = 44 km

Glenn Muirhead -- 40:37 - 52:45 - 1:04:45 = 2:38:07

James Coubrough - 42:14 - 55:15 - 1:07:45 = 2:45:14

Dean Ford --------- 42:10 - 55:17 - 1:10:44 = 2:48:11

Dave Rudge---------45:01 - 56:51 - 1:11:29 = 2:53:21

Hamish Groves-----45:44 - 56:59 - 1:13:25 = 2:56:08

Menno van der Laan - 46:57 - 58:44 - 1:13:52= 2:59:33

Martin Leighton -----46:33 - 1:00:02 - 1:13:32 = 3:02:44

Brian Astridge -------49:01 - 1:04:12 - 1:20:42 = 3:13:55

Martin Crundwell----49:32 - 1:06:16 - 1:22:04 = 3:17:52

Ben Candy-----------42:20 - 1:06:45 - DNS

Teams 2 and 3 person

John Allen 45:59 Eric Barber 57:19 Doug Aplin 1:09:24 = 2:52:42

Sandy Winterton 45:34 Sandy Winterton 56:15 Pete Notman 1:14:58 = 2:56:47

Katherine Allen 47:23 Katherine Allen 1:01:29 Ben Sutherland 1:13:23 =3:02:15

A.J. Millward 50:53 A.J. Millward 1:05:04 Annabelle Ramsey 1:18:57 = 3:14:54

Leigh Finlayson 50:56 Jazz Stevens 1:04:47 Leigh Finlayson 1:27:22 =3:23:05

Terry Blackburn 45:57 Brian Sanders 57:46 Lance Hayes DNS

Ruamahanga River Kayak Marathon/Relay

2010-10-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Race information scroll down the page to copy or download.

Weather forecast for Saturday as at Friday Oct 15 at 7.10pm. ...........below have noted the previous days forecast/readings.

General weather:
13/10 Fine with Cloud increasing Northerlies strengthening
14/10 Fine North Westerlies pick up
15/10 Fine North Westerlies pick up looking at a high of 22 degrees.

Wind forecast Northerly:
13/10 Sat 9 am North,NorthWest 44 kph with 69 kph gusts
13/10 Sat 3pm North,NorthWest 61 kph with 81 kph gusts
14/10 Sat 9 am North,North West 37 kph with 50 kph gusts
14/10 Sat 3 pm North,North West 57 kph with 78 kph gusts
15/10 Sat 9 am North, North West 39 kph with 56 kph gusts
15/10 Sat 3 pm North, North West 57 kph with 78 kph gusts

Ruamahanga Flow at Martinborough Bridge:
12/10 was at 150 cumecs
13/10 was at 85 cumecs
14/10 flow varying between 70 and 110 cumecs
15/10 flow peaked at 160 cumecs last night currently at 110 cumecs and dropping further. Current prediction around 80 cumecs by race start tomorrow.

The flow at the Ruamahanga River Race on 6/9/10 was 108 cumecs.

This is the final update see you tomorrow.

Phone 04 976 1795 or 022 6455 820 or 027 4581 005 if you'd like more information or
e-mail chester dot burt at gmail dot com

Welly Paddlers Series, Race 2 results

2010-10-09T18:49:00.001-07:00

Todays race was transferred from Shelley Bay to Hataitai Beach after a scan over the course at 8.30 am and discovering we had a North Westerly that also had a bunch of un favourable gusts occuring every 20 minutes or so.

Those who were there to witness some of the power gusts smoking through after the finish will understand why I make these calls, it's to look after the majority of the field so that we are able to maintain a good Series.

I'm looking to make sure people are going to come back consistantly rather than feeling it's too rough and therefore opt to stay at home.

Good racing is about numbers and making sure we are able to actually grow larger feilds, you will then see a series of races within a race, which means everyone has the opportunity to battle it out with someone of their own fitness or ability, as fundamentally this is what grows all our paddling Sports.

Big thanks to the efforts of the Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Squad lead by Craig Jones and Walter Maxwell it's good to have you guys involved with racing in the 3 various race Series around the Wellington paddling Scene over the last 5 months.

Also thanks again to all the "rough weather paddlers" for making out again today.........it's sometimes far from inviting out on the water some days.......... and this was obviously one of those days.

First time ever.............. the Surf skis outnumbered Waka Ama!!!! This may not happen again for some time as I'm sure the Waka Ama Community will be back en masse at Ngatitoa Domain for the next event on October 31.

Thanks to Neal "Movie Guy" Luka from Lyall Bay for giving Sharlene a hand to take the photos today.......hopefully we don't get 40 plus photos of son Trent in the photo slideshow (-:

Race 2 Hataitai Beach
4.8 km (3 x 1.6km laps)

Rob Nichol 25:29 SS
Craig Jones 25:50 MK
Tyler Maxwell 26:40 SS
Chester Burt 26:54 SS
Trent Luka 27:48 SS
Jack Manners 27:55 SS
Les Morris 28:39 SS
Jade South 28:45 SS
Katrina Madill 29:17 SS
Sandy Winterton 29:35 SK
Iain Gillies 31:00 SS
Donny Butters 31:46 SS
Dave Ryde 31:51 W1
Brent Harrison 32:27 MK
Piki Emery 33:12 W1
Kevin O'Connor 33:52 SS
Sam Short 34:20 SS
Rick Kopa 34:20 W1
Pete Notman 34:36 SK
Adelaide Cox 34:45 SS
Terry Gardiner W1

SS Surf ski MK Multisport Kayak SK Sea Kayak W1 Waka Ama

Forecast for tomorrows Race

2010-10-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Well the forecast has slowly been improving over the last few days.

Tomorrow we are looking at a Northerly which should be around 25 kph which is fairly light for us.

Shelley Bay should be perfect, though if it does change we will go to plan b and head over to Hataitai Beach across the other side of Evans Bay.

2 Races within in 2 weeks

2010-10-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well we are going to be quite busy over the next two weekends with 2 very different races.

This weekend Sunday October 10 is an Open Harbour race, though it will be close to the shoreline and with a bit of good weather we will be able to have some good clean downwind and up wind legs on the course we set for that day. Even though I have mentioned the range of craft this event is open to..........don't forget that if you are a capable paddler in a multisport kayak or adventure racing double just roll on up and take part......... All the event information is on the previous posting.
Currently the long range weather forecast for Sunday looks like we could be getting 30kph Notherlies, though it may be a South Westerly if that weather pattern speeds up

Next Weekend Saturday October 16 we are heading over to the Wairarapa for the Ruamahanga River Kayak Marathon/Relay race. This is an event that we picked up from Shane and Jill Ross as they have passed on a few of their events to free up some time for other Family activities........just scroll down the page to see all the event information for that one.

Also from Shane and Jill we picked up the Greta Point Tuesday Twilight Kayak Series this starts on Nov 16 to Dec 21 then Runs From Jan 11 to March 29 at the end of each block the event has the traditional feed and drinkies.

With all the Welly Paddlers Events you can expect to get "the best bang for your buck" with all entry fee money going into the Spot prize pool for that race.............You'll get race results that night and also one or two photos of yourself and your paddling mates out on the water and you can download them for free!

Also if you'd like to get into some Waka Ama Paddling the Hawaiki Nui Club are re starting a Sunday Paddle Series that they used to run back in the day.

Check out this link it may be a good opportunity for those who would like to give Waka Ama paddling a go. www.hoetonga.co.nz and click on the link "fun paddle"

Welly Paddlers Series, Race 2 Shelley Bay

2010-09-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Shelley Bay will be the Venue for race 2 of the Welly Paddlers Series on Sunday October 10.

We'll be set up there from 9 am with the Welly Paddlers Gazebo and the ute full of Spot prizes.

Register with Sharlene as soon as you get there. The race briefing will be at 9.50 am with the race starting at 10 am.

With the balls up from last weekend still fresh in my mind, there will be a steely determination to hold this race whatever the Weather Gods throw at us.

Our course will be an upwind, downwind, upwind course and will head north to an anticlockwise buoy turn close to the shore just before Point Halswell then a good downwind run to the Burnhmam Wharf (Northern most of the two wharves) where you'll turn clockwise around a buoy close to the shore and then head back to the finish at Shelley Bay...........that's an easy 6km.

There will also be a shortened course for SUP's, so we'll set that once we see what will work for those who turn up.

If the weather is blowing like the proverbial 40 bastards we'll move our venue over to the Hataitai Beach, Cog Park Area and make the most of some good downwind legs at Greta Point and some sheltered upwind legs which are on offer on that side of the Evans Bay.

The course for the day will be posted on a white board, which you'll see when you register and I'll explain this to everyone at the briefing as well. After the briefing you'll get the usual 10 minute warm up period then well gather up behind the start buoy then head off when everyone's ready.

Normal Service will resume with race results and photos on the website by 9 pm Sunday night.
I'll post a forecast for race day on the website by 9 pm Saturday October 9

World Marathon Kayak Champs Results

2010-09-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

Results from the World Marathon Kayak Champs in Banyoles Spain Sept 23 -27, 2010

Masters Men 40 - 40 years 21.5 km

Stuart West GB 1:41:33 1st
Glenn Muirhead NZ 1:45:56 9th

Masters Men 35 - 39 years 21.5 km

Michael Leverett Aust. 1:41:44 1st
Paul Bourgeois NZ 1:52:10 12th

Open Woman 25.6 km

Renata Csay Hun 2:07:14 1st
Marianne Archer NZ 2:24:29 15th

Glenn and Marianne are both from Wellington and Paul is from Blenheim.

Big trip and big efforts from those paddlers so here's some publicity for their efforts.

What a disaster

2010-09-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Well we made a damned good effort to get over the Rimutaka's this morning for race 1 in the Wairarapa..........We took the car over with the ski on top and had the big battle with the wind, (we came second) we bent our cradles out of shape and this ended up skewering the hull of the ski like a shishkebab.

We tried to resecure the ski 4 more times but just ended up sustaining more damage each time.

Yep it was pretty windy, though we did make it over for a race on September 5 (in the ute) in similar conditions, but this time not so lucky.

It's sort of o.k. when you can't make it to a race because of the above, but when you are the Race Organisers you let down a bigger group of people.

We are really sorry but we will be back again with re-inforced transport for our next journey over at a later date.

Welly Paddlers Series Race 1 this Sunday

2010-09-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yep it's that time of the year again when paddlers get out and support the Welly Paddlers Series Races again...............either that or it's the............... get my butt off the couch.............go clean the cobwebs out of the boat scenario............... and lets go get into some paddle action on the water.

Race 1 is on the Ruamahunga River, the venue is approx 4km SE of the Southern end of Lake Wairarapa.

To get to the start take SH 53 from Featherston (Martinborough Road) after approx 6 km turn right onto Kahutara Road, travel approx 18 km along this road then turn right onto the east West Access Road where it will take you approx 7 km to get to a turn off that heads left down to the Waterski Club.

If you go to maps.goggle.co.nz and zoom into the Southern end of Lake Wairarapa and then click on the satelite map you'll see the buildings and boat ramp that you are aiming for.

Registration is from 9.15 am
Briefing is at 10.10 am
Race start is 10.30 am

There will be a:
12 km long course up to the Road bridge at Tuhitarata and back
7 km short course (2 laps)
3.5km course (1 lap) for Stand Up Paddle boards

entry fee:
$5 singles
$8 doubles
$10 fours
$12 W6's

Nothing has changed from the previous Seasons...........Buoyancy vests are compulsory................either worn or carried.

Open to all water craft who want to get out and flex the muscles either cruising, training or racing.

All entry fee money goes into Spot prizes, results and photos by 9 pm night of race here on the website.

May see you over there?

At the races

2010-09-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well our planned road trip to Twin Rivers in the weekend was foiled by our household coming down with a big bout of cold, flu and hayfever etc so Les Morris ended up travelling to the Twin Rivers with out us.
Les said the conditions were quite windy over there and it sounds like it was quite challenging weather wise over that whole weekend.
Les completed the 21.5 km course in 1 hr 51min 50 secs and placed 5th in the Vet mens, which was won by Andrew Martin who also recorded the fastest overall time of the day. http://www.marlboroughmultisports.wordpress.com/ for full results and photos.

This weekend Welly Paddlers has it's first event for the 2010/2011 Season. It's been held over in the Wairarapa and we've choosen to do this to support both the Waka Ama, Multisport and hopefully Surf Life saving scene over there.

My logic is you just can't expect everyone to travel to Wellington all the time we have to travel to other areas and help grow the sport there as well. Paddlers from the Wairarapa and Horowhenua Area have been great supporters of our events over the 2009/ 2010 Season so this is to say thanks............and we hope paddlers will travel to your area as well.

The NZ 10 km Kayak Champs is on this Saturday out at Onepoto www.manakayakracing.wordpress.com for all the info.

Glenn Muirhead (Masters) and Marianne Archer (Open Woman) are racing at the World Flatwater Marathon Champs in Banyoles Spain from September 23 - 26 we wish them well with their campaign over there. As results comes to hand you'll see them live here!

Other info to hand the "King of the Harbour" has shifted to April 1st & 2nd 2011.

Welly Paddlers 16 to 20km Harbour race which was scheduled for January 30, 2011 is being moved forward to March, we'll have a confirmed date for that by December 7.

Cambridge to Hamilton Race

2010-09-12T03:45:00.000-07:00

Some of the Welly Paddlers crew travelled to NZ's largest Kayak race over the weekend "The Cambridge to Hamilton River Race" on the mighty Waikato River.

Sea Kayaks Composite:
Sandy Winterton 1:43:57 Wgtn 1st
John Taylor 1:46:56 Levin 3rd
Adventure Racing Double Womans
Susan Cade/Iona Bailey 2:09:01 Wgtn 1st
Surf ski Vets:
Mike Tate 1:35:26 Levin 3rd
Chester Burt 1:36:22 Wgtn 4th
Full Race Results: www.theboatshed.net.nz/pagefiles/results.html

There were over 340 watercraft/Paddlers participating this year an increase of 20 from last year.
The Waikato was flowing at a good 450 cumecs this year about (200 cumecs last year?) causing part of the carpark to flood at the finish, this extra flow improved most peoples time over last year and previous years.

The fastest Man was Mike Walker 1:26:33 Akld ,with the fastest Woman being Rachel Cashin in 1:38:05, Taumaranui.

It was a huge trip up there for all of us. The Ute had it's first long distance voyage to a kayak race and sucked up a massive $270 worth of Juice (ouch should have taken the Peugeot) and travelled 1064km on the round trip, which took 6.5 hours one way.

I haven't checked with John Taylor yet, but his Hyundai i 30 diesel with John and Mike and two boats on board would have used considerably less...........I'm envious as.
A bit of YHA accommodation and a $60 entry fee, a good injection into the Waikato Economy and a few peoples bank accounts.

Anyhow a great trip well worth doing especially being amongst a huge feild and back in the old stomping ground "The Tron"

Next week we're heading overseas!!!!!!!!!!! Yes across the strait to "Beavertown" (Blenheim) for the Twin Rivers race..............for more info on the race http://www.marlboroughmultisport.wordpress.com/

New Race in Welllington

2010-09-10T00:42:00.000-07:00

The Paekakariki Surf Life Saving Club have just announced a new race for Wellington. It's called the Aeroplane Island race if you can't find it on your maps goggle it! .............. you'll find it's called Tokomapua Island. Anyhow the island is about 4 km off the beach at Paraparaumu, it's the northern of the 3 small Islands off Kapiti Island and is just under 2km from Kapiti Island.

The race is of course open to NZ Surf Life Saving Craft, Waka Ama, Surf skis and Sea Kayaks.

The 16km course heads around Tokomapua Island then heads South to finish at the Paekakariki Surf Life Guard Club House. There is also a 6km course as well. I'm still trying to find out if there is an alternate course if the weather turns to muck on the day or whether they'll transfer the race to the following day or following week.
The info on the race is on http://www.pslg.co.nz/ or you can contact Karen Simpson at kjsimpson@clear.net.nz or Matt Warren from matt.warren@clear.net.nz

As more information comes to hand you'll see it updated here.

At the races

2010-09-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

The W1 Harbour Series wrapped up on Saturday with 20 paddlers racing in better conditions than they would have had if they had raced yesterday. The weather was brilliant. Great effort from all you paddlers who have supported Joerns and Tanias Events over the Winter to Spring months.
results are now up on http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

On Sunday the kayakers who headed over to the Wairarapa for the Ruamahanga Kayak Race managed to escape most of the forecast Gale North Westerlies and were rewarded with the highest flow ever for the race down this stretch with 125 cumecs, a really quick trip and the good flow evened the feild out as usual with everyone finishing within 30 mintues of each other pretty much. Final..........and revised head count for this race 25.
for results of the race http://www.wmsc.org.nz/ or look for the race article on http://www.sportzhub.com/

This weekend, Sept 12 some of us are heading up to do New Zealands largest Canoe/kayak race.
The Cambridge to Hamilton is an iconic event has has been running now for about 30 years I guess. Last year it attracted 320 paddlers in craft from Touring, Sea and Multisport and Olympic class K1 Sprint kayaks to Surf skis and Waka Ama's. The event has the main 24 km option and also a short course option of 11km from the Narrows to Hamilton
For entry details http://www.theboatshed.net.nz/

The weekend after next, Sept 19 we're heading down to do the Twin Rivers kayak race (21km) in Blenheim http://www.marlboughmultsport.wordpress.com/ This race is a goody............. a relaxing trip over on the Ferry................an overnight stop in "Beavertown" and the finishing point is in one of the most impressive finishing arenas I have seen at any kayak race. Well worth the trip and well sponsored by the local wineries.

Sunday Sept 26 sees the first event of the Welly Paddlers Series for the 2010/2011 Season, this one will kick off over in the Wairarapa, on the Ruamahanga River based at the Waterski Club.
The day before some of us will also be doing the NZ 10 km Kayak Champs out at Mana http://www.manakayakracing.wordpress.com/ for details on that event.

W1 Harbour Series date change...............

2010-09-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

With the weather turning to custard on Sunday in Wellington the final race of the W1 Harbour Series has been bought forward one day to......................tomorrow Saturday. For details again go to www.hoetonga.co.nz

The Ruamahanga Kayak race is still on Sunday, though it could be a hairy trip over the Rimutukas and back on Sunday.

What a great opportunity to do two races back to back this weekend.................. any tuff guys or girls up for the challenge?................... Not me I'm afraid, the Company will be getting their pound of flesh out of me at work tomorrow.

Events coming and going

2010-08-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Mana Island Challenge
Well Paddlers toughed it out in fairly mean conditions in the weekends Mana Island Challenge.
I wasn't there myself........... someone in the household had to work (-: Shaz represented us and took a whole bunch of photos, which she's sending through to race Organisers Porirua Canoe and Kayak Club.
The race didn't go ahead out and around Mana Island because it was fairly cold and mean out there, so they raced the length of the Porirua Harbour and out to Hongoeka Bay, north of Plimmerton and back.
A good day out, enjoyed by all the Paddlers and some hearty kai served up by Mrs Hodges & Family.

This weekend............
Sunday the final race of the W 1 Harbour Series hosted by Joern Scherzer and partner Tania.
If it's Southerly it'll be out at Mana............... a Northerly it should be at Petone.
For details of the venue, which will be posted on Friday http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

Sunday also sees the 8th running of the Ruamahanga Kayak race.
There are two distances 31km and 19 km.
Event registration at Morrisons Bush
http://www.wmsc.org.nz/

Mana Island Challenge & Tour de Tasman

2010-08-25T14:29:00.001-07:00

The Mana Island Challenge is on this Saturday August 28. It's a fundraiser run by the Porirua Canoe and Kayak Club to assist the Hodges team over to Vaka Eiva in Rarotonga in November.
There's a 20 km course for O.C.6's and a 10km course for O.C. 1's and Surf skis and Sea kayaks.
For all the entry information go to www.hoetonga.co.nz and scroll down to Mana Island Challenge.

The Tour de Tasman is on this Saturday and Sunday as well. The event is a stage race, over two days and has been running for the last 3 years, and has attracted a cult following. They will be pretty much getting the cream of the Surf ski paddlers from around the Country at this event.
For all the info on this event www.tenevents.co.nz or go to www.sportzhub.com click on discussion group then click on kayaking to read the locals kicking up a big storm about the event.
This year should prove to be another hit for all the paddlers involved.

Foxton Loop Race

2010-08-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well just found out in the weekend that Foxton the "Foxtown" is also called "Fockie"

The Foxton Loop race had a huge turnout yesterday with 79 paddlers hitting the water. With the short course and long course starts 5 minutes a part the Long course attracted the majority of paddlers and it was still chocka block on the start line.

The start was fairly messy with quite a few people getting spewed all over the confused washes on the narrow waterway and even the starter missed the fact that one or two paddlers were still paddling up to the start line and even at right angles to the start line in one case (the paddlers concerned were just plain late or disorganised as it started bang on 10.30am)

The mass start is a great idea it's easier to time and paddlers just have to be realistic where they start and to be patient as there is heaps of time to make up ground after everyone settles down after the first 500 metres.

I don't have all the results to hand at this stage but the World Marathon Kayaking Champs bound (Spain) Mana KRC paddlers Glenn Muirhead was second in the Mens feild, just piped by club mate William Wilkins by one second and Marianne Archer dragged a bunch of the Male paddlers around the course behind her on the way to winning the Womens Open.

Competitors travelled from Auckland, Taranaki, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay and Wellington for this one and through extensive advertising of the event by a team of people there were 18 more paddlers than last years record feild................onward and upwards Foxton Loop Race.

Big Congrats to all the paddlers who supported this Years event and also the Ruahine White Water Club for hosting the Event.

Photo's of the Foxton Loop Race are found on the right hand side of this page below the Series Race Calendar.

To Download Photos off the right hand side of website

Click on the photo you'd like to view

Hoover on the left top of the slideshow and click on Shazza Winiata photos race.......

click on the photo from the selection

click all sizes

click the size of photo you'd like

click download

then save onto a file on your computer

Foxton Loop Race this Sunday

2010-08-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Foxton Loop race has come around yet again.................. Foxton............... "The Foxtown" as indicated on the local signage...........it's also the Home of the World Famous "Foxton Fizz"

The Foxton Loop is a pretty special waterway and in the good old days it was used by the Traders to bring their wares from the Ocean and up in land via the Manawatu River to various Trading Posts.

Foxton being slightly inland, most of the course is out of the wind, and also out of the cold pretty much especially at the start and finish when you're getting in and out of your boats.

I highly recommend doing this race you get to meet up with a good bunch of people from the Manawatu, Horowhenua, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington Areas, it's also gained a reputation as being one of the most popular events with between 30 to 60 paddlers now supporting this event each year. You will also see a huge range of craft participating which includes sit on top, slalom, touring, sea, multisport and K1 kayaks and doubles to Surf skis and Waka Ama (Outrigger Canoes)

The Annual Foxton Loop race is on Sunday August 22, 2010.......... Start is at 10.30am
and is run by the Ruahine White Water Club..............contact details for the race via the links section right hand of page or e-mail chester dot burt at gmail dot com and I'll send you the e-mail documents.

Results W1 Harbour Series Aug 15

2010-08-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

32 Paddlers took to the water today for race 5 of Joern Scherzers W1 Harbour Series.............while Joern is away we offered to run this race for him..............So you can thank Sharlene and Tuhiwai for all the onshore work today.

The start was on the Pauatahanui side of the Mana Bridge, where it was out of the cool Southerly breeze pushing its way up through the Porirua Harbour.

The course headed around one of the moored boats just off Ivy bay, then headed under the Mana Bridge, down alongside the yachts near Te Onepoto Bay, then around a buoy by the jetty at Whitireia Polytechnic then back under the bridge to the finish.

Sorry about the first stretch to Ivy Bay it was a bit of a squeeze coming to the first turn and lead to a few gaps forming immediately after the log jam of boats all trying to turn at once

The distance was 8 km today, we had a low tide (a bit shallow and slow in places) a good upwind run, a downwind run and finally with the tide behind us coming down the finishing straight.

Big thanks to the support from Nigel, Frank and Mike, all of Rotorua, who were down for a Training Camp, Jack Wormald from Christchurch back again for another race, and also Kayak Coach Craig Jones and also Neal Luka from Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club for bringing some more of the Junior Squad through today.

Also big thanks to all the regulars (and the odd World Champion) who were out there amongst us all again on the water today.

The last W1 race of the Series is on Sept 5 and the first Welly Paddlers race for 2010/2011 Season Starts again on Sept 26th.

Results:
Tyler Maxwell 45:44 Ski
Chester Burt 45:57 Ski
Matt Archer 45:58 Multisport
Craig Jones 47:16 Multisport
Jack Manners 48:39 Ski
Trent Luka 49:41 Ski
Sandy Winterton 50:03 Ski
Dave Ryde 51:17 Ski
Grant Barriball 51:25 W1
Jack Wormald 51:32 W1
Iain Gillies 52:26 Ski
Tawhana Chadwick 53:18 W1
Paddy Rimene 54:22 W1
Brent Harrison 55:24 Multisport
Piki Emery 55:44 W1
Ricky Kopa 55:54 W1
George Faalogo 56:43 W1
Willie Kappely 57:12 W1
Thomas Tawhiri 57:29 W1
Chris Fox 58:20 W1
Nigel Baker 58:52 W1
Frank Timoti 60:59 W1
Mike Colenso-Mita 61:12 W1
Ray Kearns 61:26 W1
Terry Gardiner 61:54 W1
Pete Notman 61:58 Sea Kayak
Mereama Hodges 63:36 W1
Rota Taiatini 66:05 W1
Royce Gray 66:08 W1
Sarah Snow 66:36 W1
Selena Katene W1 short course
Joe Nuku W1 short course

Joern will post the full results and updated points on

http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/ in the next day or two.
Photos from today are found on the right hand side of the page.

W1 race update for Aug 15

2010-08-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

We've got a Southerly tomorrow............. so the strength of it and how cool it is, will dictate where we'll go tomorrow.
Also we may look at starting the race just by the Mana SH 1 Road Bridge on the eastern side, parking area where the toilet block is.............it's out of the wind and a little warmer on that side in the Southerly...................so keep an eye out for both starting spots they're not that far from each other.

Low Tide is 7.40 am
High Tide is at 1.25pm

Two course options
1. Same as previous races Ngatitoa out to Te Rewarewa Point and around the closest rock of the two big rocks offshore and back (9.7 km)

2. Ngatitoa around one of the SH 1 Mana Road bridge piles head south down Porirua Harbour and between the yacht moorings near Te Onepoto Bay continue through and turn at the buoy by the jetty at Whitireia Polytechnic head back the same way to the finish (9.5 km)

2 bucks entry fee for all paddlers...........the dosh goes into the prize pool for the last race, of the 6 in Series which is on Sept 5...............Joern will be back to run that one, and also to brag about his tan. Don't worry he won't be walking around in a tee shirt and shorts that day because he'll be freezing his butt off again, just like the rest of us!

We'll be out there by 9.15 am so keep an eye out for the Ute.

W1 Harbour Series and Legend Paddles demo

2010-08-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Aug 15 (10 am start) is Race 5 (of 6) of the W1 Harbour Series. http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

The distance is 10 km

Joern (who normally runs this Series) is back in the old homeland (just outside of Berlin) sunning it up currently and he's entrusted us to run race 5 in his absence.

So here's how it works. While the boss is away............... and with the help of some magnificent help from the weather Gods we hope to get a spectacularly fine Wellington day............... and what that means is, even though it's really the tail end of winter, all of you fine weather paddlers out there are hopefully going to head down and be part of Sundays big turnout.

If it's a Southerly it will be based out at Ngatitoa Domain, Mana

If it's a Northerly it will be based at the Wellington Waterski Club by the Motorway at Petone.

It costs 2 bucks to enter (cheap as chips) All the entry money goes into the final race prize pool (Sept 5) The results are out that evening and Shaz will be there to take the times for us and take some holiday snaps of the days outing.

So we hope to see a crowd of you, all out there on Sunday, dust the cobwebs off your boats.............. no one cares if you haven't been training that much it will just be good to see as many of you out on the water as we can get. The long range forecast looks like light winds will be the flavour of the day from which direction we are unsure. I'll post the venue on http://www.wellypaddlers.blogspot.com/ by lunchtime Saturday or you can call or text us to check

04 976 1795

022 6455 820

Next Legend Paddles Wellington Demo Session:

Len is coming through again with all the demo paddles and will be at:

Kupe Canoe Club, Evans Bay Parade, Saturday August 21 from 9 am - 11 am. Len has a round trip planned to pick up a bunch of Wild about boats from New Plymouth.

The Legend Paddles Team thanks all those who have supported the last two demo sessions held in Wellington last weekend.

Legend Paddles Demos Mana KRC Stage race

2010-08-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

Len and Kate from Legend paddles in Christchurch breezed into Wellington for two demo sessions on Sunday the first one at Mana KRC 8am till 11.30am and the second at Kupe Canoe Club in Wellington after lunch.
When you've got great NZ made paddles, and they road show them with demo sessions and get out amongst the Paddlers it makes sense to take a good look at them, and buy them like a good portion of Wellingtonians do...............buying NZ made is great for Our Economy.

Mana KRC had their stage race which consisted of a nice cool wintery southerly for starters, but the 18 paddlers were not deterred by the weather, it's all about wearing good clothing and getting out there and stirring the water up.
(Photo: Sandy Winterton)

Stage 1 was a 1 km handicapped leg parallel to the railway lines from the Whitirea end of the harbour.
Stage 2 From Mana Bridge a 4 km leg around to Browns Bay and return.
Stage 3 Half way down Porirua harbour a 2 km leg back to the Stage 1 start
Stage 4 From the Whitirea Jetty a 1 km leg back to the Mana Club
There were 15 to 20 min breaks between each leg.

There were a variety of boats in attendance.................. some sporting bungies around them which is very unusual for a race................ usually a good training methodology though..................some Paddlers also backing up from a 30 km race the day before in Blenheim "The Beavertown Bad Boy"................... and also good to see people travelling to races like Mike Tate does from Levin.

Most of all good it's very important to get a good variety of people particpating in events................... from those racing for the Town clock to those who are prepared to get out there and give it a crack.
The key to growing the Canoeing/Kayaking type Sports revolves around participation at all levels from Novice through to the Ultra Competitive.
(Photo: Mike Tate)
Communication and Publicising Events through a wide range of media are areas we must all continually work hard at also.

Results from todays effort http://www.manakayakracing.wordpress.com/
and yes it was Shaz out there taking some photos of all the paddlers today.

Coming Up.................
Aug 15 Race 5 W1 Harbour Series (10 km)
Aug 22 Foxton Loop Race (13 & 17 km)

Further info just e-mail me on: chester dot burt at gmail dot com
Chester

Legend Paddles Demo day this Sunday

2010-08-03T02:44:00.000-07:00

From AJ Millward
Legend paddles (Len and Kate) will be having two demo sessions in Wellington, with their full range of demo paddles available to use this Sunday August 8.
They will be out at Mana from 8.o0 am.............so there for the Mana KRC race............... and also be at the Kupe Canoe Club in Evans Bay around midday to do a demo session there as well.
You can try out various paddles and ask questions on anything you're unsure of in regards to blade sizes, offsets and lengths etc.

Foxton Loop Paddle

2010-07-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Big visit to Levin in the weekend to See Mum in law Bev, and as you do..........go for a paddle in Foxton............... "The Foxtown" as indicated on the local signage.
The Foxton Loop is a pretty special waterway and in the good old days it was used by the Traders to bring their wares from the Ocean and up in land via the Manawatu River to various Trading Posts.
There is a main section of the Loop that clearly runs nice and wide from the Manawatu River and there is the narrower section of the loop (east of the wide loop section) which is hard to find, and it's narrowness making it difficult to navigate (blocks up) at lower tides and times of the year.............until a big flood comes through and smokes all the weed and silt through to open things up again.
The floods also bring trees and branches which also clog it up as well, making it unpassable..............always work to be done.
The "Save the River Trust" stuffed it up a bit, a few years ago (though they are well meaning) when they put in an illegal tidal gate in by a farmers access bridge. It is now well and truly clogged up, though not helped by nature, as a good flood usually clears all the pathways again, having none in the last two years has not helped anyone.
It will however clear again with a flood and future proofing, in the form of proposed new channel work that will appear.............like everything.................. in time I guess.

Anyhow did 17 km out the main section of the Foxton loop (behind the Foxton shops) to the Whirokino (State highway 1) bridge with Mike Tate and John Taylor on a couple of Think Evo, and a Fenn Mako 6 surf skis. High tide warm paddling conditions, great company, good hour and 3/4 of paddling.

The Annual Foxton Loop race is on Sunday August 22, 2010 and is run by the Ruahine White Water Club, the race info is on the links section on the right of the page.

Other Events coming up:

Aug 8 MKRC stage race
Aug 15 Race 4 W1 Harbour Series

I'll be at both of these races because I'm still as unfit as anything and need a few races to wake me out of my post holiday slumber...........getting there.........

W1 Harbour Series

2010-07-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well back into it again on Sunday July 18, I did race 3 of the Mana Kayak Racing Clubs Kayak Duathlon Series in the Pautahanui inlet, I think there were about 12 entries, the results are still to be posted www.manakayakracing.wordpress.com I didn't finish the final run though..........get out of here 8km run............ not 6km run............. man I only just got off the plane on Friday, I didn't quite have the ownership of my legs back yet!!!!................... doesn't matter, for me it is really important just to get out and support our local race scene.

Sunday July 25 saw 20 paddlers take to the water for Race 4 of the Joern Scherzer Organised, W1 Harbour Series. Joern paddled it, while partner Tanya did the timing.
The start venue was from Ngatitoa Domain, Mana with the 10 km course taking the paddlers North to the turn point around one of the rocks at Te Rewarewa Point, (western end of Hongoeka Bay) then back to Ngatitoa. The course conditions were flat and the water was chrystal clear over much of the course, a fine day that warmed up well as the day went on, what more can you ask for in the winter.
I'd say there would have been representation from about 8 Clubs at this event which shows that the more we partipate together the more we should all take back to our respective groups to relay the message of what we're all involved in and encourage more particpation from our club members and mates.
As an example, one of the guys on the double surf ski bought his Boss out, put him on the back and they came home second overall. I'm sure this is just one small example of what is required to grow our Sports.
The next race in Joerns series is on Sunday August 15, Sharlene and Chester will be running this for Joern, as he will be away. Just watch out for the race start location on www.hoetonga.co.nz
and also view Sundays results on there as well.

Keep an eye out on both the www.wakaama.co.nz website and Welly Paddlers, and others events, on the right hand of this page.

Event planning meeting with MKRC

2010-07-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

From Welly Paddlers.
Sharlene and myself met with the Mana Kayak Racing Club Committee on Monday July 19.
The main idea was to discuss the scheduling of events in the Wellington and surrounding areas.

Welly Paddlers, being the new Custodians of the Greta Point Twilight Series, (which was previously run by both Shane and also Jill Ross,) we had to also address date clashes and overlaps when both entities wished to run each of their Series.

After much discussion at the meeting, and it's fair to say some of us, do have different opinions and ideas, and this is fact very healthy.

We agreed that the date we had previously scheduled the Greta Point Twlight Series be pushed forward to allow Mana seven weeks to run their Rubber Duck Series http://manakayakracing.wordpress.com/ from September 28 through to November 9, 2010.

The Greta Point Twilight Series will run from November 16 - December 21, 2010 then from January 11 - March 29, 2011.

The Greta Point Twilight Series will stay pretty much the same, carrying on the same spirit of this very successful Series which Shane had added his magic touch to over the last 10 years.
All entry fee money goes straight back into the event to pay for a BBQ and drinks gathering immediately after the last races at the end of December and the end of March.................
Entry fee: $5 for everyone...............except for Shane and Jill Ross they get free entry for the duration of this years Series..............10 years dedication to running this event, it's the least we can do.

Mana Kayak Racing Club will continue to run their Rubber Duck handicap Series with the winner on handicap each night carrying the rubber duck through each race and who ever holds it at the end of the last race is declared the winner of the Series.
All proceeds from the Rubber Duck Series go directly back into the MKRC club to fund Sport development/membership activities.
Entry fee: Mana members free, non members $5

We did have a clash of dates with Mana's calendar but have worked through these dates and they now work well with both parties.

Next year we will do the same again with MKRC and work through our schedules of events together, before we publish them.

Chester Burt
Sharlene Winiata
www.wellypaddlers.blogspot.com
chester.burt at gmail dot com
976 1795
022 6455 820

The honeymoons over.........

2010-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yep back home to enjoy what's left of our winter shortly, 5 weeks away and now looking forward to getting back into the usual routine again. Most of the trip was doing the holiday thing, but did get to do a bit of paddling in Vancouver on Friday and Saturday last week.

Daryl Remmler from Think Kayaks gave me an intro to Bob Putnam and the good people at Deep Cove Canoe and Outdoor (North Vancouver) and I managed to get out and do 90 minutes on a Think Evo and paddle around five islands in the Indian Arm waterway on Friday. After leaving the hire centre by the water, I went 300 metres up the street to the Canoe and Outdoor shop (retail heaven for me) and made sure I supported the local economy as well.

Bob Putham and also Kim were awesome showing me a range of video and website links of the locals surf ski racing and sea kayaking exploits, some great viewing, from a very active paddling community covering a number activities.

On Saturday I joined Daryl and his mates out at West Vancouver, they were doing a 23 km race as part of their preparation for next years US Surf ski Champs................since I was in holiday mode and everything, I took the fat mans track and just did a 17 km out and back, instead of completing the triangular course. The tide was running out and with a breeze they were getting a 2 metre rolling swell between West Vancouver and Stanley Park. The tide differential is a massive 5 metres between high and low, so a lot of water moves around here plus the shipping lanes add to the equation as well.

Just kicking back by the canal in Waikiki at the moment, great view of some K1's training in the morning and afternoon, and a truckload of Outrigger Canoe's training in the evenings.

When we get back we will be meeting with the Mana Kayak Racing Club to discuss event scheduling. I feel this is very important to enhance participation with all the various Paddle Sports groups not only locally, but inclusive of surrounding areas and also Nationally.

(Photo slide show right hand side below Race Series Calendar)

Chester

Race 3 Winter W1 Series

2010-07-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

The W1 Series that Joern Scherzer is running is going really well by all accounts, with paddlers supporting the races with numbers steadily increasing, every 3 weeks, pretty good considering it's winter !

The results and brief of the July 4 race are on http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/

The next races of the series are July 25, Aug 15 and Sept 5 with the final race seeing all the rewards dished out.

I'm sure all the paddlers are enyoying some good winter racing and it helps pass the winter by.............. and in no time the weather will be on the improve again.

Mana Kayak Racing are also running some races as well, http://www.manakayakracing.co.nz/

The Welly Paddlers schedule of races is on the right of the page along with the W1 Winter Series and other establised events Chester has enoying doing over the last 10 plus years

Vote for Grant Barriball

2010-06-26T00:46:00.000-07:00

Your vote is needed for Grant Barriball Waka Ama Champ

Kia ora korua Chester and Sharlene,

My name is Sierra and I’m Grant’s eldest daughter. I was wondering if you could put a post on your blog about a competition Dad has entered for an AMP scholarship to help with his training. It is a people’s vote so the more that know about it the better. The links for Dad’s page is http://www.doyourthing.co.nz/2010-01130/grant-barriball Your help is much appreciated and thanks for the blog. It’s great to follow the waka ama scene from here in Rotorua.
Cheers,
Sierra

W1 Winter Series

2010-06-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

For the results from race Race 2 of the W1 winter Series http://www.hoetonga.co.nz/?p=1379 the weather sounds like it was er..................typically wintery out at Mana..............(I'm feeling for you all back home, We're at Lake Como at the mo and off to the mecca of paddling, Budapest Hungary, in two days time).

You will also see the next race 3 of the W1 Series is on July 4.

The Mana Kayak Club also has a winter/spring schedule of kayak races out as well, just click onto the link down the right hand side of the page to see their events etc.

I'm looking forward to getting back on the water when we get back and doing some of the W1 races...............just be kind to me out on the water................o.k. just kick my butt..............that will be cool.

Check out the 2010/2011 Welly Paddlers Series races schedule (pre Christmas) on the right of page.

We finalised this thanks to Paddy Rimene on June 5, and have based all the Series races around the Wairarapa race. Race 2 recognises the support that Paddy and guys like Eric Barber and the Wairarapa Multisporters have given to the Welly Paddlers Series.

Race 4, well this one's for Mike Tate and the Paddlers in his community, it takes us to Foxton where will will pick up from a race that the Surf Life Saving Clubs ran 10 years ago.
It used to run on the Manawatu River, from the Whirokino boat ramp to the Manawatu Boating Club............... but we will run a "Town to Beach"............... running out the wide part of the Loop and travelling 10 km to finish at the Boating Club, in the estuary at the Beach.

The Welly Paddlers series races alternate between downwind and sheltered waterway, we mix it up so we don't get too lazy.

We will carry on with the long, short and Stand Up Paddle board course options.

The races post Christmas will be posted in the first week of December, by that time other Sports will have their schedules organised, then we will post out events around those popular races (especially one's that have been around for 20 years).

We are very respectful when it comes to scheduling, as the aim is to get all paddlers prepared for the maintsream races around the Country................of course we're all about the grass roots too.................... so everyone counts at our races.

Chester

Summer Twilight Paddle Series

2010-06-08T03:04:00.000-07:00

Shane Ross who has run the Tuesday Greta Point Twilight kayak Series in Wellington for the last 10 years has asked us if we'd like to be the new Guardians of the series from this Year.

This Series has been running in Wellington since the late 80's with Organisers being Mark Watson, Keryn and Dave (DJ) Jerram, John Cussins, then Jill and Shane Ross.

Shane will continue to run some of his other events http://www.betterthantv.co.nz/ but will now be able to free up some time for everyone in the family to participate a range of events that they'd all like to do.

We've said yes, as I'd previously made the offer to him a few months back as I could see he had been flat out over the past year with this, his other Events and Family committments.

So from Tuesday October 5 2010 through to December 21 we'll be running pretty much the same format as Shane had, having a short break for Christmas then carrying on with the second half of the Series from Jan 11 through to March 29, 2011.

The Series will revert back to the old start times......... of registration at 5.30pm.............. race start at 6pm.

The reasoning for this is start early, finish early..............and so that your dinner is not sitting in the letterbox when you get home.............. Family time and everything!

All races will start at Greta Point due to better parking facilties and shelter in a Northerly, and in a Southerly the course will head across to the sheltered shoreline of Cobham Drive via the Evans Bay Marina breakwater. Of course when conditions permit we'll be going around the fountain on Oriental Parade and back.

Sharlene & Chester

Va'a World Sprints......... New Caledonia

2010-06-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

The latest Photos and results from the World Va'a Champs in New Caledonia
www.wakaama.co.nz

NZ Marathon Kayak Champs May 29/30

2010-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well just come back from the Price Waterhouse Coopers NZ Marathon Champs, which was organised by Bianca Teague and ably assisted by Club mates from the Arawa Canoe Club in Christchurch, and local Paul Bourgeois. The event was run from the well laid out Wairau Rowing Club which was newly built in 2006.

Paddlers came from Hawkes Bay, Wanganui, Wellington (10) Marlborough, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Auckland has completely fallen off the radar and one would hope that the National Kayaking Body doesn't decide to self centre itself up to Auckland in the near future when the support for the majority of good kayaking races around the Country appears to lie everywhere but Auckland.

The river was in great nick, with a bit of flow meaning that cutting corners and switching back from one side of the river to the other and keeping out of the main flow heading upstream, was part of a good strategy for surviving this course and not bonking short of the finish line.

The portages were tricky on exit and re entry, and it was fair to say that it was as slippery as a Politician under foot producing heaps of spills both on land and the boat remounts on the water.

A big thanks again to Paul and Lisa Bourgeois for shuttling me from the Ferry and accommodation and an awesome meal and wines from Spy Valley Winery, where Paul is the winemaker.

Paul helped out in a big way assisting the Arawa Club with logistics around the venue and paid the price when his sterling work rate pre race produced a spill and he landed on his tailbone just before the race, on the water he battled away to get to 3rd in the Open Mens but faded with the discomfort of this injury on the 3rd lap of 5, and faded back to 4th place.

Photos on http://www.marlboroughmultisport.co.nz/ Courtesy of Mark Grammer and Andrea Koorey.

Saturdays results:

Multisport Open 18km (no portages)
Les Morris (Wairarapa Multisports) 1:35:00
Michael Pike (Marlborough Multisports) 1:38:25
Brian Grace (Mana) 1:46:41
K1 Open Men 30km
Ben Keys (Arawa) 2:28:31
Hadyn Lockie (Arawa) 2:32:26
Mike Mead (Christchurch)) 2:32:29
Paul Bourgeois (Marlborough Multisport Club) 2:34:45
K1 Open Women 24km
Marianne Archer (Mana) 2:07:40
Carla Laughton (Arawa) 2:11:54
Bianca Teague (Arawa) 2:18:22
K1 U23 Men 30km
Sam Newlands (Bay of Plenty) 2:30:01
William Wilkins (Hawkes Bay) 2:34:30
Philip Pirie (Otago) 2:43:41
Daniel Peacocke (Otago) DNF
K1 U19 Men 24km
Jason Anderson (Wanganui) 2:03:22
Ryan Quickenden (Arawa) 2:09:33
Isaac Giesen (Arawa) 2:22:30
K1 Masters Men 24km
Glenn Muirhead (Mana) 1:58:50
Chester Burt (Welly Paddlers) 2:09:22
Glenn Menzies (Arawa) 2:14:37
Terry Newlands (Bay of Plenty) 2:24:10
K1 U23 Women 18km
Kayla Imrie (Mana) 1:47:32
Kate Johnston (Arawa) 1:47:33
Sophia Dybdahl (Mana) DNF
K1 U17 Women 15km
Jennyfer Fidow (Arawa) 1:31:06
Hannah Altman (Mana) 1:39:23

Next Years Marathon Kayak Champs will be hosted by the Bay Of Plenty Kayak Club, the venue is likely to be on the Wairoa River in Tauranga? It will be Held in April so Paddlers will look forward to a better flow of events leading up to this and slightly warmer weather.

Well done with the change of month, back to where it used to be, you've got a big tick from me!

Grant Barriball World Masters W1 Champion

2010-05-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Grant Barriball has been steadily piecing together solid results in both Long distance and sprint races, particularly over the last 2 years and he's reaped the benefits of all the hard work he has put in and is now a World Champion.

We're all proud of Grants effort, from his Club mates at Kokiri Waka Ama Club his fellow Hoe Tonga Paddlers and those who have paddled with him in the Welly Paddlers Series as I'm sure Selena is.

The Million dollar question to Selena is, what have you been feeding that boy, we want some of it!

We look forward to seeing Grant and the rest of the team back home and checking out his Gold medal and I'm sure he'll be wearing a huge grin for weeks after this one.

Congratulations it couldn't have happened to a better guy.

Va'a World Sprints......... New Caledonia

2010-05-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Live from Selena Katene

Open Mens 12 (includes Grant Barriball, Rob Taggart, Joe Nuku, Paki Rawiri, Paddy Rimene, Tawhaana Chadwick and Pare Taiapa ).........Bronze in the W12 500m

Master Mens (includes Grant Barriball, Rob Taggart) got silver in the W12 Master mens 500m

Singles - Grant Barriball is in the Semi today… will let you know.
Rob Taggart made the Repecharge, but did not progress.

Women - will need to check.
W12 Master women got Gold, unsure of all the welly paddlers in there............. I think maybe Christina Chase and Mereana Hodges........... and W12 Golden Master men and ladies crews both won gold

here is a link for you also
http://www.vaa2010.nc/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=65

W1 Winter paddle Series and Marathon Champs

2010-05-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody,

I've just been talking to Jörn (pronounced Jern) about the Winter Paddle Series he's running, and thought those of you who don't know him would like to know who he is.................... and where he's come from.

Jörn lives out at Whitby and has been living in NZ for 7 years, has a partner, Tania.
From Berlin originally, Jörn use to paddle C1 sprint in Germany, he took up Outrigger Canoe/Waka Ama/Va'a paddling in New Zealand 5 years ago and this is his second year running the winter Paddle Series.

The Series is there for W1 paddlers.......................... but also includes Paddlers using other craft, such as Surf skis and kayaks, the event distances are around 9 km and the races are run roughly every 3 weeks.

Jörn works for the Ministry of Transport................. and one of his hobbies is that he'd like to see better Governance and communication within our Sports....................so that's why he is not only paddling but has become involved in the administration side.

Jörn is on Hoe Tonga, the Regional body for Waka Ama in Wellington so he advertises the race through the www.hoetonga.co.nz website which is now updated every week.

You will see Jörn out on the water on either his all black (razor sharp) Poe Rava W1 or an Orange and white Polaris W1

The Series races are:

May 23
June 13
July 4
July 25
Aug 15*
Sept 5

*Welly Paddlers will fill in and run this race for Jörn while he is soaking up the sun it up in Germany through August.

As soon as I see any updates from the Hoe Tonga paddlers at the World Champs................. or anyone has info to send through I'll post them on the website www.wellypaddlers.blogspot.com or you can go to www.wakaama.co.nz to see the latest info about all the New Zealand Teams compteing in New Caledonia.

I'm heading down to the Marathon Kayak Champs (flatwater) down in Blenheim this Saturday, along with about 6 to 12 other paddlers from both the Welly Paddlers and Mana Kayak Racing Clubs.

The course is a 6 km circuit course (Wairau River) with a portage every lap.................when you're priviliged (or old like me) you only have to do 4 laps............... the Open and U23 Men do 5 laps................. Open and U23 Women do 4 laps.

Feel free to mock me on Monday if I get beaten by any of the women (-:

I'll get some results and photos up on the website by Monday evening.

Chester

Jörn Scherzer.......... Winter Paddle Series

2010-05-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Attention W1 paddlers and those wanting to lift their game

This year’s W1 Harbour Series will be run roughly every three-four weeks on the following Sundays:

•23 May
•13 June
•4 July
•25 July
•5 September

Time: meet at 9.30am, race start at 10am

Where: Petone Foreshore (at the motorway end) in northerly conditions or Ngati Toa Domain in Mana in calm or southerly conditions (for marine weather forecast go to www.weather.co.nz)

Distance: ~ 10km

Safety: Paddlers are to ensure that they carry all necessary safety gear, i.e. life jacket, bailer, etc.

Cost: $2 and your enthusiasm, money goes towards price for the paddler with the most points (but winning isn’t the only way to gain points)

Purpose: This event is for those looking for some competition and for those wanting to spice up their W1 training sessions.

Paddling craft: The series is intended for W1 but the event is open to all paddling craft. The series runs during the off-season between May and September. Note that the Surfski and Waka Ama Series runs between October and March.

Race notices / change of venue: announced via www.hoetonga.co.nz

If you have any questions, please contact Jörn Scherzer @ 021-1250997.

Portage race 2010

2010-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Portage race is just one of those classic races, it can be described as a journey an adventure or a challenge, it's one of those races that has to go on your bucket list.

We had a great trip across on the Interislander on Friday, meeting Brent Harrison and his mates and their 5 Sea kayaks (On a 3 day trip through the Sounds) as well as about 15 mountain bikers heading across (all walk on passengers like us) so it was a great sight with a bunch of us with our fitness equipment cramming the rail deck on the trip over.

On race day the weather was great, warm and misty, a bit of drizzle here and there, a bit of breeze occassionally, and the occasssional boat wake to break up the sometimes glassy water in some parts, of both Sounds.

This year some of the big guns in New Zealand Multisport and Kayaking took to the start line along with Wellington Paddlers Dean Ford, Les Morris and myself.

In any race the top paddlers get out and do their thing and you're either good enough to match them and you're up there, or you just stick to your race plan, pace yourself and enjoy the journey. I think it was the 4th portage race for Les, Dean's first and my second (last year we raced an alternate course because of bad weather)

Funnily enough, even though it's quite an expansive waterway, every year they always get at least one and sometimes two K1's paddling this course.
There is also the opportunity to run a lightweight outrigger canoe over this course, so who will be the first to take up the challenge, watch out for this in 2011?

For our Accomodation we stayed at the Picton Lodge backpackers, 300 metres from the Interislander Ferry Terminal and with plenty of space to park all our boats. Thanks to Mike who looks after us there every year.

We used the Welly Paddlers Ute for kayak transportation on the Wellington end so it had it's first run with multiple pick ups. It's there for visitors to Wellington for pick ups also, holding 8 canoes/kayaks in total. Thanks to
Sharlene for picking us up off the Ferry late last night as well.

Boats used this year.
Dean: Andrew Martin Sharp 6 metre x 430 wide 4 th in Open men, 7th overall
Les: Think Legend Surf ski 6.4 metre x 430 wide 4th in Masters men, 12th overall
Chester: Think Evo Surf ski 6.250 metres x 480 wide 3rd Masters men, 9th overall

Thanks also to Legend Paddles for supplying my paddles.

Big thanks to Andrea Koorey for sticking with this race, which has probably been running for around 20 years now? Also to all her helpers around 4 to 6 people at the transitions and also everyone on the 3 safety boats out on the water that day including Alan and Sally Martella who I flicked my camera to, all of about 5 minutes before the start of the race.

See you all there next year.

For more information on this race, results, photos and an article http://www.marlboroughmultisport.co.nz (all on there now) also you may see the same on http://www.sportzhub.com in the next few days as well............or click the links on the right hand side of the page to go directly to these websites and others.

Our last, last race for this current racing Season is the NZ Marathon Kayak/Canoe Champs in Blenheim on May 29, 2010. I'm looking forward to retiring the wider ski for the Season and getting onto my narrower and faster Hayden Molokai Surf ski for 18km of paddling with 3 (shorter) portages.