[Results]

The Tauranga Harbour Challenge is the best long distance race in New Zealand and attracts some 500 paddlers every year.
[Video Clip (16 MB Quicktime)
[Story & Results]
[Photos] at Picture NZ

[Medal Counts & Results] at worldsprints.wakaama.co.nz
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[Photos] at Picture NZ

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[Photos] courtesy Lex Raas
Race 4 and 5 were completed with competition getting tighter than ever.

These are some words from Danny Ching, via Josh Crayton. Danny is traveling with an emerging paddler named Tyson Poppler (Dana Outrigger). Got stories to add? feel free to email me (keizo@ocpaddler.com) for posting.

Brief updates of day 1 from Danny Ching

Had the 1st day of racing. Today started out foggy, then got sunny and hot, then windy, then thunder stormed. Luckily Tyson and I got to race in the windy conditions right as a thunder storm passed over and dumped on us.

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Got more stories? Please add in the comments or let me know: keizo@ocpaddler.com

[Photos] by Marjie Santos

[Mauiwow Photos] by Vytas Katilius
[More Photos] courtesy Ikaika Hauanio
Results of today's 11 mile race from Keokea to the old Coast Guard Station south of Upolu Point. Since this is an invitational race, several folks were disappointed when they were told for safety reasons, they couldn't race. Launching at Keokea saw two canoes damaged before the race even started, (replaced by other "loaner" canoes) and all 62 racers finished, with the last paddler coming ashore only half an hour after the first canoe finished the great downwind run.

Submitted by Laurie Denton
On Sunday, March 5, the paddlers of YMCA Kauai Hoe Wa’a association were hungry to face the chocolate waters and refreshingly blue skies of the west side for the 6th race of our season-generously sponsored by Waimea Brew Pub and ResortQuest Waimea Plantation Cottages. The long course paddlers took off from Port Allen Harbor and headed up wind for a mile and a quarter to round a buoy at Wahiawa Bay, then shot down the coast for another seven and half miles to the finish at Waimea Plantation Cottages. The short course also started at Port Allen and headed straight down to the Cottages as well.