Paddlers overcome rough weather

Hutt Valley colleges again displayed their team effort and ability at the recent Dragon Boat Festival.

While the action on the Wellington waterfront was tough going with storm-like conditions making things harder and keeping the normally big crowd numbers down, the competition had its usual inter-college edge.

The mixed Grand Final is always where the main focus is and there was a possible surprise result with Hutt Valley High School emerging winners.

HVHS was too strong for the always well-rated teams from Heretaunga and Upper Hutt colleges which had to settle for second and third respectively.

The HVHS team powered home from lane one with a time of 1m 20:50s, 5 seconds clear of the Heretaunga Phonenix who were good enough to just head off Upper Hutt Force.

St Patrick’s Silverstream, the defending boys’ champions, emerged triumphant again. They were too good for their Scots and Rongotai opposition. St Pat’s came home in 1m:16:73 to win.

Heretaunga College carved out their own bit of dragon boating history with their entering a girls’ team for the first time.

The Hyrda team did well, winning a heat in the early racing but they were bettered in the final by Wellington Girls who consigned the the defending champions, St Orans’s, to runners-up.