Rubba dub tub! - Coromandel Life
Transcription
Rubba dub tub! - Coromandel Life
THEY’RE OFF! . . . BROPHY’S BEACH, WHITIANGA Bathtub Races Labour Weekend by Carol Wright Sunday 26th October • 10.30am - 2pm This ‘duckie’ buoy is displayed atop Kevin Shaw’s Whitianga Plumbing shop sign. Here duckie dons a winter scarf, but soon will change to more suitable attire for the Labour Weekend race. Kevin, a keen racer himself, organised the first Whitianga races in 2010. Rubba dub tub! W hy would anyone ever race bathtubs? Lest you think this is something like a madcap rubber ducky paddlefest (and there are such races), think again. These small craft, built around the bulk of a real bathtub have supportive hulls similar to a jetski, with hefty outboard motors that can send a bathtub flying. However, one cannot get over the innate silliness of it all, with costumes likely to be encouraged as they were for September’s ‘poker fun run’ to Coroglen as racers dressed in Western outfits. And not to leave out the rubber ducky; kingsize versions of the noble bird have been drafted as racing buoys, but it is a serious business and seriously good fun. Many Whitianga businesses have gotten involved as this becomes quite the latest craze round town!! New Zealand Bath Tub Racing could well become a future competitive sport! TUBS, AHOY! IN WHITIANGA How did this come to be on the Coromandel? Kevin Shaw, organised the original Whitianga bathtub race in 2010, after going to a racing event in Waihi. Kevin is owner of Whitianga Plumbing & Drainage, so sponsorship was a no brainer. The first local bathtub race was held over Labour Weekend 2010 at Whitianga Waterways. “We had at least 12 men entered and 6 women,” says Kevin. “Now we expect 20-30 entries from the regions – Bay of Islands, Auckland, Whitianga, Hamilton, Waihi and Tauranga.” Races were held Anniversary Weekend 2011 at Waihi Beach; Easter 2011 at Brophy’s Beach, then in June 2011 a Winter Poker Run was held. Each of those dates have become annual events, along with the Whitianga Labour weekend races. And now... new bathtub vessels are being built in workshops all around town as others improve upon theirs, preparing to join in on the fun. “Our race is now a NZ National Series”, explains Kevin, “with the final championship held in the Bay of Islands. The winner goes on to Canada See on FB: All boats are built around a real bathtub. Bathtub Racing NZ A SOGGY COROGLEN POKER RUN The official bathtub race is not the only event for tubbers. There are some events just for fun. The Coroglen Poker Run took place on a rainy September 14th – “45 km of Bathtub Fun” – from the Robinson Road Boat Ramp, over the estuary, and up the Waiwawa River to Coroglen. Costume theme was Cowboys and Indians, and soggy racers combined cowboy outfits and war bonnets with foul weather gear. With a few capsizes along the way, especially in the rapids near Gumtown Hall in Coroglen, wet racers made their way to checkpoints along the river where they collected cards for their poker hand. The cash prize went to Kevin Shaw who finished with the best hand – a straight! Time to •maintain check 29 Bryce St • Whitianga 07 866 0551 [email protected] • www.pcmarine.co.nz BLUE W BLUE W 29 Bryce St • Whitianga • 07 866 0881 Time to check your boat? W your• boat? [email protected] www.pcmarine.co.nz BLUE WATER MARINE SERVICES LTD W Boat builder-Spray paint-Valet Boatyard Whitianga 3510 PhWATER 027 29 620Bryce 8388 St BLUE SERVICES LTD Boatyard 29MARINE Bryce St Whitianga 3510 [email protected] Whitianga Marina Boat builder-Spray paint-Valet and Whitianga Marina mob 027 620 8388 ph 07 866 4606 www.bluewatermarineservices.co.nz mob 027 620 8388 ph 07 866 4606 [email protected] Ph 027 620 8388 [email protected] www.bluewatermarineservices.co.nz [email protected] www.bluewatermarineservices.co.nz 40 COROMANDEL LIFE LATE SPRING/HOLIDAY www.bluewatermarineservices.co.nz
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