Its been run and won in dreary conditions Team Tiger (Greg Long,Andrew Neil ,Woogie Marsh,Peter Scott ......and 5 others...)has finished first ,well clear of the chasers. Hawaii/NZ placing 2nd after overtaking Gold Coast club team Northcliffe in the final kilometers ,Mooloolaba Open 4th after Overtaking New Caledonia and Sydney crew Northern Beaches on the return from Pentecost .
I have heard Moolooolaba masters are running 7th overall and will win that division ,also Lisa Curry-Kenny's Mooloolaba crew are well clear of the pack in Open Women
81 crews started the 24th Hamilton Island Cup ,Still The Worlds Richest Outrigger Canoe race..
Submitted by latman on Sat, 06/02/2007 - 5:15pm
here's a writeup
http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=141696
RECORDS BROKEN AND LOST BY HALF A SECOND
[ Sunday, 3 June 2007 ]
In rainy and less than perfect paddling conditions, Team Tiger Open Men broke the 23-year record of the Powerade Hamilton Island Cup by less than a second while Mooloolaba Open Women won for the sixth year in a row but failed to beat their record of last year by half a second. Seventy-four outrigger OC6 teams competed in the 42km marathon around Hamilton Island and neighbouring Dent, Pentecost and Perseverance Islands.
The race set off at 9:45am with Northcliffe Open Men leading Team Tiger and Hawaii/NZ up past the Great Barrier Reef Airport and around the southern tip of Dent Island. There was a choppy, rolling swell and occasional rain gusts, but no wind chop for the paddlers today. The first change of crew came just past the lighthouse on Dent Island with Team Tiger making a swift change to take the lead. By 10:30am Team Tiger were a couple of boat lengths in front in their brand new “southern spirit†canoe, however Northcliffe managed to take the lead just over one third of the way into the race. The gap widened between the two leading boats and the rest of the pack as they hit out towards a mist-shrouded Pentecost Island. Team Tiger was one minute ahead of Northcliffe coming around Pentecost Island and tradition says the first canoe around Pentecost wins the race. Team Tiger pulled over the finish line half a second ahead of the record set last year by Team Hawaii (3:02:17.14). Northcliffe, having had a bad change-over and down a man, lost their second position to Hawaii/NZ with Mooloolaba Open Men coming in 4th position.
Team Tiger consists of members from all over the country and is named after Harvie Allison’s Tiger canoes. Team members include world title winners in kayaking, and surf skis such as Greg Long, Mike Millsthom and Pete Scott.
“We are a pretty big crew so our whole aim was to lay it down into the wind. We figured if we had the lead by then [when the wind changed] we could possibly manage to hold off the rest of the field,†said Cronulla’s Greg Long on Team Tiger’s tactics.
Mooloolaba’s Lisa Curry-Kenny, competing in her fifteenth year in the event, said, “We were surrounded by men’s crews and it was a bit of a slog but it is amazing to win for the sixth year in a row with three of the same girls that have been paddling together since 1992.â€
For Katrina Sullivan it was her first time in a first crew, winning an Open Women’s event at the age of 48. Virginia Anderson, one of the older members of the crew at 47, said, “We’re not afraid to hammer ourselves.†After over three hours of paddling these competitors were still full of energy and good cheer and looking forward to their next event.
Teams from around Australia and the world, including USA (Hawaii), Hong Kong and New Caledonia, battled the elements in the Whitsundays today, representing the age divisions of Open Men and Women (under 35), Open Mixed, Master Men and Women, Senior Master Men and Women and Golden Master Men (age 55-plus).
#1 Mon, 06/04/2007 - 2:26pm
Sadly the records mean nothing since the course changes every year.
#2 Fri, 06/08/2007 - 12:04pm
The course this year was the traditional one so the record is genuine.
Cheers Rambo
#3 Fri, 06/08/2007 - 12:39pm
Rambo,
correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the finish line for last year's 42 klm race closer to the beach? i.e. you had to turn at the buoy and head towards the beach (crossing the sprint lanes) to finish?
If so, this year's finish line was about 400-500 metres short of last years?So unless Team Tiger were able to paddle that distance in less than half a second (which I would have liked to see - and they probably needed to do it given that Team NZ/H were catching them!), then this year's course was different to last years'.
So does that mean it is still a new record?
#4 Sat, 06/09/2007 - 4:55am
I just wanted to add a few comments regarding this years Hamilton Cup. The comment regarding the finishing line being closer to the beach in 2006 is correct and yes in terms of distance, way past 1 seconds paddle away, which in very simple terms means that the record should remain with Team NZ/Hawaii set in 2006; unless the race organizers have 'again' altered the course, which I doubt.
In truth, the story goes, that the lead canoes were approaching the finish and took the organizers by 'surprise' and so the buoys were hastily dumped out in Catesye Bay, without any thought for 'consistency'.
Regarding 'Rambo's' comment, that the course 'was the traditional one' and that the record is 'genuine' is incorrect on two counts. The 'traditional' course was altered in 2004 and as already stated, on account of the finish line being way from where it should have been, the record cannot be warranted as 'genuine'.
In addition, the race record was not '23' years old, but a mere 12 months over this particular course. If we consider the traditional course for those who remember it; start from adjacent the harbor, finish in the harbor, that record remains with Lanikai CC held in 1996 3:02:08 paddling a Hawaiian Class Racer, as against last years record time in a Mirage over the new course, 3:02:17. I have raised this issue in the June issue of the KC E-Mag and I'm working on the records being revised and reconsidered...
Steve West
http://www.kanuculture.com
http://kanuculture.squarespace.com
#5 Thu, 06/28/2007 - 2:20pm
The start line accuracy also needs to be taken into account if you want compare records and courses, alot of the improved times can be put down to equipment advances too, so just where do you draw the line.
Cheers Rambo
#6 Sat, 06/30/2007 - 9:04pm
Just an update on Hamo 42k record this year as follows from Rowdy....
More late Goss from the Hammo Cup Course Record.
Word on the street is that the Tiger Crew that won in good form were more than happy to say to the officals, that if the course was shorter they wouldn't feel right in taking the Record.
But....
It has been confirmed from Hamiltion Island that the Start Line was further back this year to allow for the Finish line to be out in deep water away from water sports on the beach etc....There fore the distance was the same as last year and Team Tiger had a great Win.
Most of there paddlers have been trying for 10 years to win this race and its great to see there hard work and dedication has payed off in awesome style......
Rowdy
Cheers Rambo
#7 Sat, 07/07/2007 - 12:10am