Trans Taupo
Next event - Saturday 19th March 2011
Description: The Trans Taupo is a 44km paddle across the pure crystal mountain fed waters of New Zealand’s (and Australasia's) largest freshwater lake. Open to all single, double, tri/quad and 6 person - Surf Ski's, Sea kayaks, Ocean Rowers and Waka Ama; with both a full distance and a team relay challenge; this event is the pinnacle of open fresh water paddling in NZ.
The event now also includes a 6km fun race across the main Taupo bay.
Start Time & Date: 8:00am Saturday 20th March 2010.
Location: From Tokaanu to Taupo (via Mission Bay Reserve, Hatepe Point and Wharewaka Point) or reverse depending upon the wind direction.
2010 RESULTS
2010 RESULTS FOR ALL CLASSES
2010 6KM FUN RACE RESULT
SUB FOUR HOUR CLUB AFTER 2010 RACE
2010 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
2010 RACE REPORT
Video of 2010 Dash for Cash - click here
Photos from 2010 race - click here
Trans Taupo 2010 full event report.
Media 6 - 23 March
from Nick Reader – Event Organiser
There were a mixture of feelings I had standing at the finish of the 3rd Trans Taupo yesterday, but mainly Concern, Jealousy and Respect.
A small amount of Concern because the wind was climbing up to 20 knots plus which was creating 1.5 metre waves and blowing some paddlers slightly off course, Jealousy because I wished I could have paddled the lake, got the blisters, stumbled out of my kayak and ran to the finish, (not driven the lake shore in my van doing radio reports) and respect for all the people who took on the race and extra respect for those who made it to the finish line over a long 44km course in rough conditions.
The 3rd annual Trans Taupo was held in 15-20 knot westerly winds on Saturday 20 March. There were a total of 110 paddlers who took on the 44km across Lake Taupo from Tokaanu to Taupo. Conditions were close to the limit of running the planned course which meant wind, waves, surfing and concentration. Lucky the lake was 19 degrees because there were a few people who went for an unplanned swim!!! The Mighty River Power Coast guard boat was kept busy all day making sure all paddlers were in their craft, on course and OK.
Top Olympic paddler Mike Walker triumphed over defending champion Simon Mclaren by a couple of minutes with Tim Grammar in 3rd. (All 3 on surf skis). With a time of 3:30:41, Walker narrowly missed out on the course record by just 97 seconds. That honour still belongs to McLaren with his blistering performance in 2009 of 3:29:04. With waves up to 1.5 metres there would have been lots of surfing opportunities for the surf skis, but the final 15km was challenging in the strong Westerly cross wind that swept across the main Taupo Bay.
The Waka ama 6 man crew called team GOODYEAR followed up the trio of surf ski paddlers in 4th place and was just 14 minutes behind the overall winner. A fantastic effort from 6 guys in a big waka!
In 5th overall, competing in the double sea kayak mixed class, were Glen Muirhead and Marianne Archer in 3:50:13. Double sea kayaks were one of the most popular craft this year and we think the social factor might have something to do with that.
Placing first female and a great top 10 overall Dene Simpson piloted her surf ski home in 4:07:57, not far off the Sub 4 hour mark.
2010 was the year the big Waka became a part of the Trans Taupo. In total 4 Waka entered including a Waka 12 (Two 6 man Waka lashed together).
The 2 Whanganui Waka ama crews discovered just how important a skirt is when one of their Waka filled with water just 500 metres from home. Their Waka then became a submarine, but they still managed to claw their way slowly to the shore and cheers of fellow competitors.
The W12 entered by the local Taupo nui-a-tia College paddled well on leg one (18km), but decided to pull out at that stage. 18km is still a respectable distance and the crew is determined to complete the full 44km in 2011.
Jim Noble put in a fantastic effort in the 0ver 50’s category rowing a special wooden skiff. Jim’s race was made even harder when his rudder stopped functioning just before Hatepe meaning he had no steering for the final 19km with blustering cross winds. Jim first attempted the Trans Taupo crossing in 2008 in a wooden row boat, but had to pull out, so now it is mission accomplished.
One of the most interesting features of the Trans Taupo is the variety of craft and people involved. Craft include surf ski, Waka ama, ocean rower and sea kayak. There are sit ins, sit ons, plastic, composite, wood, fiberglass, sit forward, sit back, 1 man, 2 man, 3 man, 6 man and 12 man. This makes a really colourful event mix and good conversations at the start and finish line.
For the results please go to the Trans Taupo page at www.epicevents.co.nz . Included are overall, class, 6km, club championship and the updated Sub 4 hour club. Please niter that the times have been adjusted since they were first posted due to a timing error.
The Trans Taupo has established itself as a classic open water paddling race. Most competitors across the finish line mentioned the ‘toughness’ of the race, but the looks of satisfaction on their faces showed that the reward of the crossing was worth the effort.
Photos are available at http://ipaddle.ning..com/photo/albums/trans-taupo-paddle-1
Video link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WylIubeAZs
ENTER
Online entries for the Trans Taupo are now closed. If you have a late entry please call Nick Reader on 021 983 766 or Neil Gellatly on 027 648 7546. View the PDF Entry Form below for the information that will be required from you.
Click here to view PDF entry form for postal entry
Any probems entering, please email Jodie admin "at" epicevents.co.nz
EVENT DOCUMENTS TO VIEW AS PDFS
Trans Taupo 2010 Full Event Information (All participants must read this)
Trans Taupo 2010 summary of information for participants
Trans Taupo 2010 Participation Agreement
PRIZES
The Trans Taupo event has some fantastic prizes including $1500 of cash for the pointy end of the field and $9000 worth of spot prizes and discount vouchers as spot prizes. One of the coolest spot prizes has to be a new Sea Kayak from our friends at Q-Kayaks - The Skua.
Here is what Q-Kayaks have to say about the Skua: New for 2010, our best selling Kevlar/carbon Southern Skua sea kayak is now to be produced in polyethylene. (plastic). At 5.2metres long & .60cm, the new "SKUA" polyethlene sea kayak is a well overdue addition to the great range of Q-Kayaks sea kayaks. This kayak has all the features of the kevlar/carbon kayak plus several new features including new adjustable thigh grips, new paddle rescue feature, plus recent kayak upgrades. Check out these pictures and the Q-Kayaks website or check out the real thing at the event.
2010 Trans Taupo General Information Summary
Time & Date – 8:00am; Saturday 20th March 2010
Challenge - There are two options by which to participate in the event:
- Full distance
- Team Relay (Leg 1 is 25km. Leg 2 is 19km).
Class of Craft – The event is open to the following craft:
- Single Surf Ski’s – both NZ Life Saving Association regulation and Long Distance ocean racing Ski’s [Wave ski’s or sit-on-top pleasure craft are not permitted].
- Single plastic, single composite fibre, and double Sea Kayaks [Closed cockpit craft with minimum of two bulkheads (air/water tight sealed holds or compartments), one front (ihu) and one rear (kei). No open deck leisure craft. Please note that for safety reasons K1 or K2 and multi-sport kayaks without bulkheads are NOT acceptable].
- Single (W1), double (W2), and 6 person (W6) Waka Ama [compliant with NZ outrigger long distance race rules].
- Single, Double and Triple or Quad Ocean Rowers – purpose built open water racing craft only. No dingy or recreational row boat vessels.
Category – The entrants can compete in the following categories:
Full distance:
- Male
- Female
- Mixed (even gender combination)
Team relay:
- Combination (any gender combination)
Age Groups – There are two age groups for individual paddlers (kaihoe) age or crafts average combined paddler’s (kaihoe) age on the date of the event:
- Under 50 years
- 50 years of age and over
Age Restriction – The event is open to anyone 18 years and over on the date of the event. Entrants under 18 years of age require parental consent.
Entrant Fees
|
|
Full course (per craft) |
Full course (per person) |
Relay (per craft for 1 leg) |
Relay (per person for 1 leg) |
|
Single |
$125 |
$125 |
$75 |
$75 |
|
Double |
$200 |
$100 |
$120 |
$60 |
|
Tri |
$225 |
$75 |
$135 |
$45 |
|
Quad |
$250 |
$62.5 |
$150 |
$37.5 |
|
6 |
$300 |
$50 |
$180 |
$30 |
A late entry fee of $20.00 per person will apply after Monday 15th March 2010 - no exceptions. [Note - no new entries will be accepted on the morning of race day].
Course Description – The full Trans Taupo Course is 44km and consists of four legs as set out below.
- Leg 1 is 18km from Tokaanu Bay to Mission Bay Reserve
- Leg 2 is 7km from Mission bay to Hatepe Point
- Leg 3 is 14km from Hatepe Point to Wharewaka Point
- Leg 4 is 5km from Wharewaka Point to the finish in front of the Taupo Yacht Club in Taupo
The course will be reversed for a favorable tailwind paddle/row if prevailing weather conditions on the day are forecast to come from the North/East
Course Conditions - Conditions that can be encountered when paddling Lake Taupo include (but are not limited to) anything from flat-water, a gentle breeze and small chop on most good summer days, up to gusty winds/squalls of up to 20-40 knots and white caps rising up to 1meter plus tall on the odd bad day. The prevailing wind and whether in late summer is 0-15 knots from a South-West direction (equivalent to a tail wind), however on occasion can come from the North-East, East, South-East and West.
Competency in this type of open water is essential. You must be confident of your ability to paddle open water in all conditions in the craft of your choice.
Any decision to insure the safety of entrants in respect to the nature of conditions forecast will be made in conjunction with the local Coast Guard.
Expected Times - The fastest paddlers (kaihoe) are expected to take sub 4hrs to complete the journey from Tokaanu Bay to Taupo Yacht Club (i.e., predicted finishing time in favorable conditions is around 11:30am). The slowest paddlers (kaihoe) are expected to take twice this time – around 7hrs 30 min to 8hrs (i.e., predicted finishing time in favorable conditions is around 3:30pm).
ORGANISERS RECCOMMENDATIONS
- The Trans Taupo Paddle is a race of 4hr + duration for most paddlers. The course direction is set to so there is a predominantly light tailwind assisting paddler/rowers dependant on the prevailing conditions of the day.
- Paddlers (Kaihoe) are encouraged to practice paddling in a range of open water conditions, becoming familiar with head, tail and crosswinds, and particularly choppy water. Ideally if the opportunity arises, one should paddle specific sections of the course in training in the company of others.
- Learn to navigate using a compass or GPS, you may need it.
- Always take to the water prepared/equipped. Carry a PFD and wear bright coloured paddling top (vest); dress accordingly to the conditions; take liquid and solid sustenance on longer paddles; consider carrying a mobile phone and handheld flare in a dry bag.
- Do not paddle alone on unfamiliar water or beyond your comfort zone. Remember, to inform others of your whereabouts and paddling intentions so they can raise the alarm if necessary.
- If you are unsure of the conditions, do the wise thing and stay close to shore. Consider using a leash if you have any doubt about your ability to safely paddle in windy/rough conditions.
- Check the current Marine Forecast and Weather for the lake on the MetService webpage before venturing out training at http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?alias=lake_taupolake
- Be mindful of other activities scheduled to take place on the water before setting off.
- Remind your support crew to bring an old pair of shoes that they do not mind getting wet assisting you. An umbrella could also be useful to have available on the off chance of rain.
- Remember to always practice good water hygiene.
- Slip, slop, slap. Sunglasses will be essential to combat glare when paddling into the rising sun on a good morning. Wearing a hat and applying ample sunscreen is recommended as protection from midday suns rays. Remember to always be mindful of harsh reflecting rays of the water so apply sunscreen under ears, chin, arms, legs etc.
- Don’t forget to rinse your hands after disinfecting your gear or applying sunscreen, so you can grip your paddle.
- Above all have fun and enjoy yourselves.
Mighty River Power 6km fun race
New for 2010 is a 6km fun race from Wharewaka Point to the Yacht Club.
The course follows the shoreline beside the 200 metre marker buoys
Entry is free
Register 9am on the day at Wharewaka Point
Race starts at 10am
Lifejackets compulsory
$500 of spot prizes
Hire kayaks available from Taupo Canoe and Kayak at half price. Call 3781003 to book
Full details nick "at" epicevents.co.nz or call Nick 021983766