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Day 1 of AusChamps would always prove to be a big adventure for the Club Jervis Bay sponsored Mako Paddle Club as they arrived to battle it out with Australia’s biggest and best clubs. And rise to the challenge they did.
Hobo Park
With the crew arriving bright eyed and ready to take up residence in the athletes village, there appeared to be a piece missing from the puzzle – a space for Mako. Undaunted and with the help of our awesome hosts, the crew managed to hustle up a loaner tent, Hobo Glasso’s spare and our very own Mako Hono Village was established. Truth be told, we had actually snagged the best spot on site and had a mountain of space to lounge about – Mako style.
Senior A Mixed 20 Make History
In a complete boil over and in Mako’s first tilt in the category, Mako battled hard in the heats and progressed to the semi via the repercharge. Extra racing, no problems and after a hard fought semi, Mako progressed to its first ever Senior A Mixed 20’s final. In a battle royale out in lane 6, Mako stood valiantly and ran a ripper race. Result – a very tidy 6th place and perhaps more importantly, the only regional club in Australia to make the final.
10’s Racing Runs to Plan
Park the 20’s bus on the shore and it was time to split the crews and runs the 10’s. Both Women’s and Open’s held their heads high and fought a Heat > Rep > Semi appearance pathway. Did we make the final, hell no. Did we improve our times with each trip out to the line, hell yes. Happy coach, happy crews banking the experience and loving the journey. That’s our mission and its delivering in spades.
2k Sunset Specials
2k racing proved once again to be a spectacle it always promised to be. Our Women’s 10 headed out first in a field of 15 boats held. While the prospect of close racing was always there, what unfoled was truly spectacular as Chicki held the tightest race lines ever seen, make the boat 10 metres long and 10 wide and made every boat that wanted to make a move have to earn it. Mako will never give up a racing line without a fight.
Enter the Open’s crew into an 18 boat race and on turn 3, the promised chaos unfolded as boats exchanged paint and pleasantries. Of note was Kiwi and our Te Waka mates holding a hui on the way down course to discuss the latest news from home and get the Brisbane lads through the melee.
With the sun sinking over the course the team headed home and Hobo Glasso headed off to hunt a possum for dinner. Day 2 beckons with 500m racing
