Marine challenge goes global

The Annual Marine Trades Challenge at Pah Farm, Kawau Island, took a new twist this year going interisland and international.

The field of 14 in action last Saturday included the top team from the South Island, the Dickson Marine quartet from Nelson. The Southerners were well-prepared, proving as efficient on the water as off it.

The Australian Boating Industry Association was represented by the winners of the event held at Darling Harbour as part of the Sydney Boat Show.

The Aussie boat looked the part, but the crew showed they needed lots more training when the time came to paddle and sail it.

Designed as a team-building exercise for industry apprentices, the Marine Trades Challenge was devised by Boating Industry Training Organisation chief Robert Brooke and Mike Hodson, supremo at Electronic Navigation Ltd. They quickly roped in some other industry leaders and the event blossomed.

The challenge involves designing and building a boat in kitset form; building a container to transport the kitset and tools; building the boat in 60 minutes and sailing and paddling it around a course.

For this year, the outboard-powered section of the event was dropped in an effort to emphasise boatbuilding and seamanship skills.

It all makes for an exciting time for supporters as well as contestants. The level of skill and innovation is intense. It could be timely that Hodson no longer owns the venue and a new home will be needed for next year's event.

The obvious place is the Viaduct Harbour, so the nation's biggest apprentice trainer can show off in style.

The main gong for the challenge, the Harken Trophy, was won by Dickson Marine.

Second place went to Southern Spars, with Harkin Boatbuilders third. Bay of Plenty Polytechnic won the prizes for quickest-built boat and most innovative container. Dickson Marine added best on-the-water performance and best team spirit to its prize swag.