PORT Stephens Outrigger Canoe Club’s successful running of the sport’s state titles this year has not only earned it praise but the opportunity to hold the event for two more years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dean McGuinness, vice president of the Port’s outrigger canoe club, said he was still receiving positive feedback about the April 2-3 Australian Outrigger Canoe Association’s state titles event.
“A lot of people have been saying it was a great regatta and one of the best they’ve been to in years,” he said. “We had perfect weather, the event was well organised and ran smoothly and the paddlers really enjoyed the landscape. We use the natural landform as course markers, which you really don’t get anywhere else.”
The event attracted close to 300 paddlers from clubs including Pittwater, who performed strongly across the weekend, Northern Beaches, Port Macquarie, Newcastle and Ulladulla.
In addition to hosting the successful event, the Port Stephens club was a dominant force on the water. The club’s senior masters paddlers came second and the masters team fourth in the long course.
The 18-kilometre long course saw competitors paddle around the three islands off Shoal Bay. They went out through the heads, around Cabbage Tree and Boondelbah islands, including Little Rock, and back.
In the men’s long course, which the Port did not have a canoe entered in to, teams were to first paddle to the Fingal spit then around the islands.
The Port’s open mixed team placed second in the short course. The 12km short course was around Boondelbah island and back to Shoal Bay.
Port Stephens Outrigger Canoe Club will now host the state titles until 2018.
The club has received sponsorship from Port Stephens Council amongst a number of other businesses and organisations.
“This will make us very stable on the financial side of things,” McGuinness said. “We will possibly be able to buy new equipment. As well stability, holding the state titles will increase awareness about the sport. We’ve already had a few inquiries from people wanting to come and try it [paddling] out. These are the rewards of hosting a popular regatta.”
Next for the club is the national titles in Mooloolaba.
McGuinness said the Port club will enter two teams into the May 21-22 competition.