Auckland's Hauraki Gulf was supposed to be churning last Saturday. The forecast had King and Queen of the Harbour race director Garth Spencer excited with the organising body frantically preparing to move racing to Sunday to take advantage of an approaching weather system.
But expected wind speeds did not materialise and an Auckland-to-Waiheke course with Saturday racing was settled upon.
Sleek carbon racing craft lined the water's edge at Okahu Bay: 10m back surf ski, stand-up paddleboard and waka-ama paddlers waited anxiously for the start of the 2016 Surf Ski World Series. Among the jostling athletes were some of the world's best watermen and women, including men's and women's World Champions Cory Hill and Teneale Hatton and medallists Michael Booth and Rachel Clarke.
Tahiti's Niuhiti Buillard smashed home ahead of NZ Olympian JP Tobin and Sam Thom to win the men's SUP division, while local Piha girl Annabel Anderson snatched the women's win and 4th SUP place overall. It was a Kiwi trifecta in the women's SUP with Penelope Strickland and Ange McKee picking up 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Kiwi Tupuria King stormed to victory in waka-ama.
As expected, the battle for Queen of the Harbour was fought between Kiwi girls Hatton and Clarke despite a late start from the latter, as Clarke recalls.
