Northland sailing duo Spencer Loxton and Travis Dow's skills and stamina were put to the test at the weekend while competing in the OK1 24 Hour Race at Lake Pupuke in Auckland.
Onerahi Sailing Club's Loxton, 16, and Dow, 17, who sail for Tutukaka's South Pacific Yacht Club, proved they were
more than up to the task, securing the youth class title by completing the most laps of the lake circuit in 24 hours.
The boys, who regularly train together, teamed up to win their division as well as claiming an impressive fifth place overall from 40 top-notch crews who toughed it out on the water overnight on Saturday, in calm conditions.
It was Dow's first time competing in the annual event, and Loxton's second attempt - last year's youth division race was cut down to six hours due to bad conditions, so the 24-hour stint was a bit of a shock to the boys who usually race in fleets for around two hours.
"It was pretty hard," Loxton said. "Night-time was the hardest part - we were really tired and very cold due to missing out on so much sleep."
Both Loxton and Dow took turns at skippering their laser boat for one- or two-hour shifts at a time, resting while the other team member took charge. Despite the sleep deprivation and chill factor, Loxton said he was not put off - and would definitely compete in the event again.
The event was staged by Murrays Bay Sailing Club and rear commodore Sean McDonald said while the race was meant to be a serious and competitive endurance event, well-recognised in the yachting community, it was also a great spectacle for both competitors and supporters.
Along with the youth class, masters and women's division titles were also up for grabs, while the inaugural OK1 6 Hour Race, an optimist dinghy race for children aged 9-13 years, was also contested.
