Team Tiger powers to win in outrigger marathon

by Ian Grant on 3 Jun 2007 Team Tiger a crew of good Cronulla Lifesaving club mates expressed a tenacious attitude to win the International Powerade Hamilton Island Cup 42 km Outrigger canoe marathon in extreme conditions yesterday.

Before the Marathon, Team Tiger were ranked as an outside chance behind the 2006 champions Team Hawaii but they quietly retained confidence in both their skill and technique.

Normally the warm Whitsunday Islands are basked in sunshine but that was not the case when the 82 outrigger fleet lined up for the race start in Dent Passage.

The fresh south east breeze and the corrugated sea state made conditions difficult enough for the 738 paddlers representing eight nations, but persistent showers added to a complex steering test and bailing practice when the rain pelted down limiting visibility to 500 metres.

However Team Tiger soon gave notice to their rivals that they were the combination to beat and while they shared the lead at various points during the circumnavigation of Dent Island, powered away to control the lead on the grueling stretch from Dent Passage to Pentecost Island.

Their rivals Northcliffe, Team Hawaii and Grant Kenny’s Mooloolaba crew including multiple Australian title winning Ironman Darren Mercer, tried to hang on but the combined 79 strokes per minute relentlessly applied on the toughest part of the course by Team Tiger proved the winning tactic.

They held a decisive 55 second lead after rounding Pentecost Island and maintained the high energy paddling rate to set a new record when they completed the course in 3 hours 2 minutes 17 seconds.

Team Hawaii finished strongly another 44 seconds aster while Northcliffe held on to win the bronze medal over Mooloolaba.

However while Grant Kenny failed to win an open marathon medal his wife Lisa Curry-Kenny and her crew of super fit Mooloolaba paddlers won their sixth consecutive Hamilton Island marathon.

'We had an enjoyable race with only one small crew change error' Lisa Curry-Kenny said.

That minor error proved critical when the Mooloolaba crew cleverly steered by Katrina Sullivan missed breaking their 3-34-15 2006 race record by 36 seconds when they glided to a 6 minute 24 second win over Northcliffe while Southport Yacht Club Outriggers headed by champion marathon paddler Cassandra Sedgeman completed a strong race to claim third place.

RESULTS.
2007 Powerade Hamilton Island Cup 42km Marathon

Open Men: Team Tiger (NSW) 3-02-17 1, Team Hawaii (Honolulu) 3-03-01 2, Northcliffe (Qld) 3-04-29 3, Mooloolaba (Qld) 3-06-33 4, Northern Beaches (NSW) 3-07-17 5, New Caledonia (Fra) 3-09-03 6.

Master Men: Mooloolaba (Qld) 3-11-31 1, Team Phoenix (NZL) 3-19-58 2, Sunset Bay (Qld) 3-20-57.Snr Master Men: Mooloolaba 3-19-49 1, Taniwha Grizzlies (NZL) 3-23-31 2, Northern Beaches (NSW) 3-23-40 3.

Golden Master Men: Team Anuenue (Hawaii) 3-38-47 1, Noosa (Qld) 3-41-50. Only finishers. Open Mixed: Northern Beaches (NSW) 3-36-55 1, Mission Beach (Qld) 3-39-08 2, River City (Qld) 3-42-56.

Open Women: Mooloolaba (Qld) 3-34-51 1, Northcliffe (Qld) 3-41-15 2, SYC Outriggers (Qld) 3-44-07 3.

Master Women: Outrigger Whitsunday (Qld) 3-40-15 1, Hamilton Island (Qld) 4-01-19 2, SYC Outriggers (Qld) 4-03-44 3. Snr Master Women: Kai Puna (Qld) 4-02-46 1, Coffs Coast (NSW) 4-05-19 2, Capricorn Coast (Qld) 3.