Port Macquarie-Maroro Outrigger Canoe Club’s paddlers are at their peak, taking out the National Mixed Title short course (10km) in record time on Saturday.
The crew at the Australian National OC6 Marathon Titles in Mooloolaba, Queensland, crossed the line more than five minutes ahead of previous record times in 47 minutes and 37 seconds. On Sunday, the long course (16km) mixed team took out bronze, securing Port’s dominance in the water sport. Port Macquarie’s women’s team put in the hard yards in the 20km course, but did not secure a place.
The small club has done well not to be overwhelmed in the last few weeks.
While the Port Iron Man swept across town, the intrepid canoeists slipped out of town and took out the richest outrigger canoe race in NSW at Stephens. The twenty-strong contingent from Port Macquarie came home with nearly a thousand dollars for the Club.
The top Mixed Team from Port Macquarie diced with the State’s best Men’s teams and eventually came 5th across the line after 3hrs 45mins, more than 10 minutes ahead of the next mixed team.
Teams of ten shared paddling duties in the six-person canoe for 42km and were allowed to make as many or as few changes as they wanted. Port Macquarie’s strategy was to go hard, then make slick, tactical changes every twelve or so minutes.
For each change, three paddlers would jump out of the support boat and tread water, then catch the canoe as it passed and haul themselves in while the paddlers being replaced simultaneously rolled out the other side. The fresh paddlers lifted the overall speed and pace of the canoe, and their team-mates were picked up by the support boat to take in water and food and freshen up for the next change in 10-12 minutes. Over 42km they performed 17 of these tactical changes.
“The timing and execution of our changes was critical to our outstanding performance,” explained Coach, Mick Wilson.
“The whole Club is abuzz. Both of our teams performed above expectations. Our second team was made up of mostly first time changes racers.
“It’s no walk in the park to catch a 700kg canoe doing 12km/hr while treading water, hauling yourself in smoothly, then paddling your guts out for 5km only to jump out again into shark-infested waters,” Wilson added.
Port Macquarie-Maroro Outrigger Canoe Club’s paddlers are at their peak, taking out the National Mixed Title short course (10km) in record time on Saturday.
The crew at the Australian National OC6 Marathon Titles in Mooloolaba, Queensland, crossed the line more than five minutes ahead of previous record times in 47 minutes and 37 seconds. On Sunday, the long course (16km) mixed team took out bronze, securing Port’s dominance in the water sport. Port Macquarie’s women’s team put in the hard yards in the 20km course, but did not secure a place.
The small club has done well not to be overwhelmed in the last few weeks.
While the Port Iron Man swept across town, the intrepid canoeists slipped out of town and took out the richest outrigger canoe race in NSW at Stephens. The twenty-strong contingent from Port Macquarie came home with nearly a thousand dollars for the Club.
The top Mixed Team from Port Macquarie diced with the State’s best Men’s teams and eventually came 5th across the line after 3hrs 45mins, more than 10 minutes ahead of the next mixed team.
Teams of ten shared paddling duties in the six-person canoe for 42km and were allowed to make as many or as few changes as they wanted. Port Macquarie’s strategy was to go hard, then make slick, tactical changes every twelve or so minutes.
For each change, three paddlers would jump out of the support boat and tread water, then catch the canoe as it passed and haul themselves in while the paddlers being replaced simultaneously rolled out the other side. The fresh paddlers lifted the overall speed and pace of the canoe, and their team-mates were picked up by the support boat to take in water and food and freshen up for the next change in 10-12 minutes. Over 42km they performed 17 of these tactical changes.
“The timing and execution of our changes was critical to our outstanding performance,” explained Coach, Mick Wilson.
“The whole Club is abuzz. Both of our teams performed above expectations. Our second team was made up of mostly first time changes racers.
“It’s no walk in the park to catch a 700kg canoe doing 12km/hr while treading water, hauling yourself in smoothly, then paddling your guts out for 5km only to jump out again into shark-infested waters,” Wilson added.
