Summary

• Venue: Onepoto Domain, Porirua Harbour
• Host: Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association
• Date: 14 March 2015
• Reserve days: 21 March 2015
• Distance: W1 250m; W6 250m/500m
• Divisions: U16 and U19

Note!

• First race at 9am (please be on site at least 1.5 hours before)
• Weather forecast as at 9pm Thursday: Southerly rising to 20knots, morning showers then fine. Please be prepared for changes to the schedule (eg if wind is too strong, some W1 races may be postponed until later in the day).

Key documents

• NEW! Race Schedule (updated 12 March)
• NEW! Lane Draw
• Information booklet: 2015 Wellington Secondary Schools – Waka ama

Questions? contact hoetonga@gmail.com or call Gaylene on 021 620 408

Waka Ama NZ in partnership with the Ultimate Waterman are pleased to present the ‘Ultimate Waka Day’ as a sub-event of the Ultimate Waterman.

TUW_Waka Ama Flyer

The Ultimate Waterman is a new and unique international surfing event that will be hosted in Auckland, New Zealand from 14-21 March.

The world’s finest watermen will come together in New Zealand to compete in six different surfing disciplines (including Waka Ama) over eight days.

Te Wananga o Aotearoa is offering a Cerificate in Waka Ama

Information available on

http://www.twoa.ac.nz/Nga-Akoranga-Our-Programmes/Hauora-Health/Certificate-in-Waka-Ama.aspx

Please share with all who would benefit and enjoy this course. Poster for Level 4 Certificate in Waka Ama

The Motorway Classic celebrates it’s 25th year of the event on March 15.

It started with kayaks years ago….but the event really started to gain some much traction after the inclusion of waka ama in 2006 and stand up’s in 2011.

Last year the event peaked with 80 paddlers and this year the organisers are aiming for more…..but this will only occur with strong support.

This involves encouraging new people to get along and paddle the shorter distances to start off then they can aspire to do the longer distances in future years.

While the event will have paddlers that will dart off quickly over the course it’s just as much about participating watching, learning and of course blending all the paddle disciplines together.

Download the flyer below:

MWC 2015 Final

This was the 2015 Mana Super 6! Seven men’s teams entered this year, up from five last year (but unfortunately no women’s teams).

The weather forecasts gave organisers a hard time this year, not because of too much, but because of too little wind, rather unusual for Wellington.

The full course distance this year was about 38km, and this year the race presented the teams with key challenges in terms of endurance, mental strength and tactics. Teams started at Mana (Ngati Toa domain), then went around the southern tip of Mana Island, and then pushed North with the finish at Paraparaumu Beach.

Conditions were very varied, with a 10knot southeasterly pushing the teams north for about 10km or so from the northern tip of Mana, the wind then dying down with almost glassy conditions, and a southwesterly kicking in at the tail end of the race. All the while there was a light Southwesterly swell. Because of the southerly conditions, teams had to paddle into the tide for most of the way, this meant that the line taken from Mana Island to Paraparaumu could be decisive.

On the way to Mana Island, Team MitMasters chasing Makaira.

At the front of the field, it proved to be a tight battle between Bhutty Boys, le-ko-ko, the Avengers, and Makaira for the first 10km. But at Mana Island the field started to spread.

North of Mana Island, Makaira opted for an inside line to minimise the effect of the tide (but with more distance to cover), and Bhutty Boys staying out wider, with other teams following the lines of those two teams. The inside line was clearly working though, with Bhutty Boys turning closer to shore in the Pukerua Bay area to cover Makaira. During the last 15km, Bhutty Boys maintained their lead, but with Makaira not letting them rest up until the finish. A well-earned win for Bhutty Boys. MitiMasters took the third place ahead of le-ko-ko, with the placings only decided in the run up to the beach finish.

Replay the race at http://www.yacht-bot.com/races/6337. Tracking was done with special trackers supplied by www.yacht-bot.com. Those choosing to cut in close to the shore rather than straight-lining it had to paddle an extra 800m, but it could pay big dividends.

Check out the photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoetonga/sets/72157650558995031/ or click on the picture above (all can be downloaded in full size, more photos to be added in the next few days from our second camera).

A big thank you to our boaties, the Mana Coast Guard, our land officials, all the other numerous helpers and shuttle drivers, and our sponsors.

• www.oceanoutfitters.co.nz
• www.horleys.co.nz
• www.strongarmgear.co.nz
• www.taipaddles.co.nz
• www.whittakers.co.nz
• www.supplyroom.co.nz

If you have any feedback on the event, please let us know at mana.ocean.challenge@gmail.com. We hope to see you all back here next year.

Detailed results

Check out last year’s results: click here.