Mana Moana’s Masters Women 40+ crew finished first among the women and fourth overall in the 22km CICA National Iron Championship, clocking 2:08:49.41. Pictured from left are Tina Vogel, Tai Cummings, Noovai Aspris, Serena Hunter, Tamsyn Dearlove and Joyce Fortes. SUPPLIED/26101315
The V6 vaka crews battled challenging ocean conditions on Saturday as the Cook Islands Canoeing Association (CICA) held its National Iron Championship races over 11-kilometre and 22km courses.
Ngakau Toa Vaka (NTV) open men and Te Tupu O Te Manava (TT) master women claimed the national iron titles after a demanding 22km race that required crews to complete two loops of the course.
Strong south-easterly winds tested the paddlers, who started at Trader Jacks and battled upwind towards Club Raro before turning for a welcome downwind leg to Vaiana’s.
From there, crews faced another upwind stretch back to Trader Jacks, where the shorter 11km course finished. Those competing in the 22km event headed back out to complete a second loop, facing another gruelling round of upwind paddling while making the most of the favourable downwind sections.
In the open men’s race, Ngakau Toa Vaka, steered by captain Tupuna Amo, held a lead of less than a minute over Te Tupu after the first lap.
Te Tupu, steered by Reuben Dearlove, raced with five paddlers but was unable to match the pace of the Ngakau Toa crew, with the boys in blue crossing the finish line first in 1:48:06 hours. Te Tupu followed in 1:51:27, while Team Loyal’s master 50-plus men, steered by Paul Pearson, finished third overall in 2:03:27.
Four women’s crews took on the 22km challenge, with Te Tupu’s master women and Ngakau Toa’s open women continuing their season-long rivalry.
The women in red showed their form by taking an early lead and maintaining their pace through the demanding course to finish in 2:08:49.
Ngakau Toa’s open women, in blue, put in a gutsy paddle to finish second in 2:18:44, while Te Tupu’s open women produced a strong effort to cross the line in 2:21:31.
The 22km race also saw Mana Moana, Maine Mura and 6 On The Beach take on the challenging conditions.
In the shorter 11km event, five crews competed, with the combined NTV/TT men’s crew taking line honours in 57:53 minutes. The combined Livefree/Te Tupu women’s crew followed in 1:07:47, while Te Tupu’s master 50-plus crew finished third overall in 1:08:05.
The championships capped a demanding season, with paddlers having faced challenging ocean conditions in recent races.
Organisers congratulated all crews who competed throughout the season and at the national championships.
The next event is the National Round Raro Changes Race on Saturday, October 31, before paddlers turn their attention to the 20th anniversary of Vaka Eiva.
- Melina Etches
Results
CICA V6 Series Nationals – V6 Long Distance (11km/22km), Saturday, October 10
11km results
1st – Open Men, NTV 2 – Rouru, Tain, TK, Sani, Tama, Fletcher (s), 57:53.16
2nd – Open Women, Fruit Salad – Silveria, Annie, Michelle, Allison, Hanalei and Tara (s), 1:07:47.72
3rd – MM50+ Marianne, Jamie, Rob D, Nathan, Steve and Maki (s), 1:08:05.13
4th – Open Women, NTV/TT – Grace, Tuaine, Matia, Menz, Jess and Vaea (s), 1:08:58.74
5th – MMx40+ NTV – Sandi, Tim, Pascal, Bain, Papa Ta and Toru (s), 1:10:00.66
22km results
1st – NTV1 – Johnny, Ritchie, Pomare, Joe, Ben and Puna (s), 1:48:06.45
2nd – TT – Andre, Teava, Johnboi, Rani and Reuben (s), 1:51:27.85
3rd – Team Loyal – Hori, Allen, Arno, Rob, Pete and Paul (s), 2:03:27.27
4th – Masters Women 40+ Mana Moana – Joyce Fortes, Tai Cumings, Noovai Aspris, Tamsyn Dearlove, Serena Hunter and Tina Vogel (s), 2:08:49.41
5th – Open women Maine Mura – Pip Hansen, Tahiti Isaaka, Leilani Sadaraka Gardiner, Lavinia Tama, Sheeny Teariki and Talissa Koteka (s), 2:18:44.15
6th – Open Women 6 On The Beach – Nicole, Moana, Emi, Sami, Lotu and Raukura (s), 2:21:31.80.