Congratulations to all the schools and paddlers that competed this year.

It’s been a difficult year, with COVID forcing us to postpone the event until 22 May. While the number of schools and teams competing was down significantly on last year, Henley Lake in Masterton presented fantastic racing conditions.

Race results are available for download at https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/21/hoe-tonga-secondary-school-regional-sprint-championships-2022/. Event photos are available for free at our Flickr site at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzQYne.

A big thank you to College Sport Wellington and David Fa’atafa for collaborating with us to deliver this event and all the volunteers that helped make this event happen. A special thanks goes to our head officials at the various stations:

• Marinna Millanta-Lowrey and Petra Melville (finish line)
• Chris Fox and Maaika van Alst (start line)
• Matt Ammunson (flags)
• Karmen Wallace and Thomas Tawhiri (loading bay and announcer)
• Trini Ropata-Tawhiri (registration desk)
• Terry Harkin (photography)
• Jörn Scherzer (race director)

Also a big thank you to Paddy Rimene and Wairarapa Waka Ama Canoe Club for helping us host the event and preparing the race course, and Toa Waka Ama and Hawaikinui for providing canoes.

Two school trophies were up for grabs:

Our School Excellence Award recognises the school that accumulates the most points across all races, with 4 points for each first place in Championship Finals, 3 points for a second place, 2 points for a third place, and 1 point for a fourth place. The winner this year was Manukura (from Palmerston North) with a record 40 points, followed by Te Kura Maori o Porirua with 30 points, and in third place was Mana College with 15 points.

Our School Spirit Award is given to the school that contributes the most towards the atmosphere and event delivery, and for going the extra mile. This year’s winner of this award was Te Kura o Kokohuia.

Finally, the steerer of Aotea College’s U16 “Aotea Pink” team was the lucky winner of a brand-new Tai Broadbill paddle.

See you next year!

.

Get ready for this week’s Secondary School Regionals 2022 in Masterton.

Please go to the race notice at https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/21/hoe-tonga-secondary-school-regional-sprint-championships-2022/ to view the finalised schedule and lane draw for this coming Sunday.

Live results will also be available on the day, at https://liveresults.co.nz/competition/435.

We invite all teams to arrive at the venue no later than 8am. A race briefing is scheduled for 8.45am, and racing is scheduled to commence at 9am.

The forecast is for 14 degrees, and becoming fine.

And finally, we will have a brandnew Tai Paddle Broadbill to give away, valued at about $500. This will drawn at the prize giving after racing has finished (all paddlers are eligible, based on the names provided as part of the entry), but the winner must be there in person to receive it, otherwise it will be redrawn.

Get ready for next week’s Secondary School Regionals 2022 in Masterton. After our COVID-inducted postponement, we are looking forward to a good event. We have 14 schools entered this year, competing for placings.

Please go to the race notice at https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/21/hoe-tonga-secondary-school-regional-sprint-championships-2022/ to view the draft schedule and draw for next Sunday.

Note that both documents are in draft, and there may be changes in case of withdrawals, additions or corrections. If a team or school spots any errors, please contact hoetonga@gmail.com or David Fa’atafa at College Sport Wellington.

At the event we will also have a couple of junior teams in attendance that will attend the upcoming World Sprint Champs in London. They will be competing as exhibition teams.

A final schedule and draw will be released on Thursday 19 May.

have been added at our Flickr photo site

Results:

Photos:

Click on the photo below to get a full range of photos from yesterday’s event, download is free.

Race report:

After a hiatus, this was the first time the Mana Super 6 was run since 2015.

In the lead up to this year’s event, weather forecasts made it difficult for the organisers to make a call on which way to run it. We settled on Northerly conditions, and while hoping for stronger wind then forecast, we ended up with just a light 5-10knot Northerly, with some gentle swells. Quite a change, after a Southerly had rolled through just the night before.

Eleven teams were on the line this year, including Team Pineula, winners of M2M at the Mount in March 2022, and Bhutty Boys, who placed second at the M2M.

This year’s course took teams from Paraparaumu Beach to Kapiti Island, and then a straight run to Pa Point, and the final dash to Ngati Toa Channel in Porirua. The total race distance was 34.5km if taking the most direct line.

The race got under way at 11.30am, with the initial dash across to a turn marker just off Kapiti Island. Both Team Pineula (orange shirts, yellow canoe) and Bhutty Boys (pink/purple shirts, white and yellow canoe) immediately started battling for the lead, both pulling slightly ahead of the field. (You can replay the race at https://flotilla.safetrxapp.com/events/wakaama/manasuper6.)

At the turn marker at Kapiti Island, Bhutty Boys and Team Pineula turned first, followed closely by Black Broncos (pink shirts, white canoe).

Following the turn, we immediately saw a split of the field, with both Pineula, Bhutty Boys and most others heading straight toward Pa Point, whereas Black Broncos and Ie Ko Ko! hugged the shore line to avoid the tidal currents.

By facing less of the current, Black Broncos again caught up to Bhutty Boys and Pineula. Now clearing the smaller islands at the southern end of Kapiti Island, teams now headed for Pa Point, albeit with the field spreading relatively wide, with Black Broncos on the outside, Pineula in the middle, and Bhutty Boys taking the most inside line.

About 15km into the race (approximately in line with the Paekakariki township), these three teams continued to battle for the lead: Black Broncos on the outside, separated about 400m from Pineula in the middle, and Bhutty Boys a further 500m on the inside.

Coming up to the Pukerua Bay township and the “tea gardens”, both Pineula and Bhutty Boys had pulled slightly ahead of Black Broncos. Black Broncos had now tucked in behind Pineula, but Bhutty Boys were still a good 400m further on the inside.

Now it was time for the race to get interesting, because the inside line could soon pay dividends, as it meant getting closer to the shore earlier, and getting out of the tidal current slightly earlier.

In the end, there was not that much difference, with Bhutty Boys and Pineula coming back together about 2km out from the turn marker at Pa Point, albeit with Bhutty Boys slightly ahead at this point. Black Broncos were at this point about 250m behind the two leading teams, albeit well clear of the rest of the field.

With only about 7km left to the finish, it was now or never to make a move, with Bhutty Boys pushing hard, and managing to extend their lead to about 150m within the next two kilometres.

Teams now headed for the finish, with Bhutty Boys finishing first, followed by Team Pineula, and Black Broncos taking the third. Congratulations to all teams, and thanks for making your way down. It’s always a good sign if paddlers are still smiling at the end.

See you next time.

We will be starting at Paraparaumu Beach. Our team will be on site from about 8am, and we encourage teams to arrive by 8.30am to rig and get ready.

The race start is now scheduled for 11.30am.

Metservice forecasts the following for Saturday: Easing to variable 5 knots in the morning. Northerly 15 knots developing in the afternoon. Fine.

There appear to be some norwester swells about, and we are hoping the winds will arrive early.

Other sites report the following:

Windguru Paraparaumu:

Windguru Porirua:

Swellmap Paraparaumu:

A further update for this event:

Spot prize:

• At the prize giving at the Supply Room at 5pm on race day, we will have a brandnew Tai Broadbill paddle to give away. But you gotta be at the prize giving to claim this prize, and we will pull a name out of the hat based on your teams’ rosters.

Weather and course:

• The forecast is for Northerly conditions, so pending final confirmation, race course 1 (start at Paraparaumu Beach) is looking more likely at this stage.
• Final confirmation on start location to come on Friday morning!
• Regardless of this, all teams should meet at the relevant venue from about 8am, to give us plenty of time to rig canoes and do the safety checks.

Tracking:

• Supporters (and our support craft) can track competitors on https://flotilla.safetrxapp.com/events/wakaama/manasuper6

• Teams:
  • One of your team’s paddlers, please download the free SafeTRX app from your app store (Apple or GooglePlay)

• When you have downloaded the app, set up your profile (please use your team’s name, rather than your personal name)
• On race day go to “Group Activity”, and then enter the event code “MANA6”
• Don’t forget to activate “continuous” tracking, otherwise we will only see you popping up every 5-10minutes.
• Keep your phone on, and within a waterproof bag, during the race. We will check this at the canoe safety checks, every team will have to demonstrate that they have downloaded and activated the app, in order to pass the check.

More event information is available at https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/28/mana-super-6-ocean-challenge-23-april-2022/.

An updated race information package has been made available, with the following additional information:

• Prize giving will be held at the Supply Room (Mana Esplanade, Porirua) from about 4.45pm. Platters will be available.
• Location maps have been updated, for set up and derigging, at Ngati Toa domain and Paraparaumu Beach.
• Various COVID restrictions no longer apply; however, we still encourage good sanitising practices.

More information is available at https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/28/mana-super-6-ocean-challenge-23-april-2022/.

Note that tracking information will be made available in the next few days.

Get ready for this year’s Hoe Tonga Paddler Series 2022, designed to attract new paddlers to our sport, enable paddlers and teams to race during the winter season, and to help prepare for this year’s Long Distance Nationals in October.

Races consist of a long course (12-18km) for senior teams, and a shorter course (6-9km) for junior and novice (1st year paddling) teams. Some hosts may also offer V1/OC1 races.

The Series is overseen by Hoe Tonga, but each individual race is hosted and organised by member clubs or event organisers. 

Key info:

As in previous years, the series is big on participation and we will have a range of spot prizes, including a brand new paddle.

The race information package will be made available here in May 2022.

Please note that race details are subject to change. Please keep an eye on updates regarding any of the races.

Race 1: Saturday, 16 July, Evans Bay or Freyberg Beach

• Host: Tunui
• Race information (to come)
• Entries by club (to come)
• Entries by event (to come)
• Results (to come)

Race 2: Saturday, 6 August,  Manawatu Boating Club, Foxton Beach

• Host: Hoe Tonga
• Race information (to come)
• Entries by club (to come)
• Entries by event (to come)
• Results (to come)

Race 3: Saturday, 27 August, Ngati Toa Domain, Porirua

• Host: Hawaikinui
• Contact: Mike Oxnam; 021 031 8072; hawaikinui2@gmail.com
• Race information (to come)
• Entries by club (to come)
• Entries by event (to come)
• Results (to come)

Race 4: Saturday, 17 September (TBC), Whanganui River

• Host: Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke
• Race information (to come)
• Entries by club (to come)
• Entries by event (to come)
• Results (to come)

Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association, in association with College Sport Wellington, is pleased to offer secondary school students the opportunity to participate in our region’s Secondary School Sprint Champs. Following a postponement due to COVID-19, the event will now take place on Sunday 22 May 2022, at Henley Lake in Masterton. 

Please click on the link for all information: 2022 Information Pack RSSC. For other event information, please go to https://hoetonga.co.nz/2022/02/21/hoe-tonga-secondary-school-regional-sprint-championships-2022/.

If you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us via email hoetonga@gmail.com