River dishes up challenges of its own

THE WINNERS: The Star Boating Club team of Connor Burns, Tristan Gregory-Hunt, Thomas Cummack, Kyle Malone on the Whanganui River on Sunday.PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

A very strong field of 36 boat crews contested the first race of the Wanganui Rowing Association's Winter Series on an overcast but fine Sunday morning, where the Whanganui River threw a couple of obstacles into the equation.

Races are held once a month through the winter and early spring and involve row boats, kayaks and waka ama of all different crew sizes, with the overall placings decided by "prognostic time" - getting the highest percentage of the world record time for each specific class.

Spokeswoman Jacs Rush said while the weather was fine and water flat, there was an "abundance" of logs to negotiate past which, combined with strong incoming tide, caused some issues.

Two crews retired while another was disqualified for going outside the buoyed course.

The prognostic winners were the Under 23 men's crew from Wellington's Star Boating Club, whose 19m 2s finishing time was 80.26 per cent of their class record.

Close second was Whanganui Kayaking Club's husband-and-wife mixed masters team of Robyn and Brian Scott, with 79.25 per cent prognostic (26m 11s), while third was their clubmate Amie Simpson in women's masters K1, finishing with 77.34 per cent (33m 38s).

Union Boat Club's Philippa Baker-Hogan was fourth with 76.71 per cent, and the Horowhenua RC's men's club double scull team was fifth with 75.11. "The large number of varied boats made for an exciting spectacle on the river," said Rush.

"Overseen by the giant rubber duck and including a unique wooden elder open water rowing skiff, rowed by Pat Carroll of the UBC."

The next event will be the 6km race, held on Sunday, June 12 at 9am.