KAWHIA REGATTA

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7146, 16 December 1949, Page 6

KAWHIA REGATTA

COMING REVIVAL BRINGS EARLY DAY CONTESTS (By E.H.S.) Everyone who “ goes down to the sea in ships ” will be more than delighted at the prospect of renewed activities on the waterfront in connection with a revival of a regatta carnival in the first week of next month. Curiously enough, these aquatic fixtures have been promoted and carried out in periodic spasms tor over a century in the Kawhia Harbour. Water sports were first initiated during the early shipping <jays in this port, when vessels lay at anchor occasionally for weeks during the negotiations for the sale of their inward and purchase of their outward cargoes. It was only natural that the crews would relieve the monotony of their stay by initiating some form of contests to decide inevitable arguments as to their relative superiority.

Numerous reports have drifted down the years regarding the frequency of such conflicts—for as such they may be described, seeing that disputed decisions were often decided on land. Whaleboat Races However, there is no authentic record of these events as organised regattas until the arrival of the Armed Constabulary in 1883, numbering about 150 in all. This company brought with them three whaleboats of the old-fashioned type fit for active service in their legitimate use for whaling p urposes. They were doubleended boats, nigh forty feet over all, with sufficient beam for stability and safety in practically all weathers. Spaced to accommodate six oarsmen, there was ample room aft for the helmsman to stand and operate a lengthy steer-oar, while for’ard sufficient space was allowed for the harpooren to manipulate his weapon, with ample provision in the bows for some hundred fathoms of line. At this time there were great numbers of canoes plying the harbour, and during the festive season at New Year a well-organised effort was mode to promote and arrange what was probably the first regatta ever held in Kawhia. So successful was the gathering that aquatic fixtures of this nature became an annual event among the sporting fraternity, and excited widespread interest, more especially as regards the whaleboat issue. An Aotea Surprise Now, among the young men engaged in ship-building were two whose family interests lay mainly in the direction of Aotea, and they decided that a boat representing that harbour should «play some part in the following year’s programme. Accordingly, they built a whaleboat in strict accordance with the dimensions of the orthodox craft, and one of the young fellows decided that he would create something akin to a small sensation by bringing the new boat to Kawhia and outstrip the A.C. arrivals. At this period there was considerable industry in transport on the Aotea harbour—tflad to the Pakapa mill and grain to be gristed at Te Maari—-so there was no difficulty in selecting an outstanding crew for the new craft. Now, Aotea harbour has a unique entrance. At low tide the northern spit forms a complete breakwater foi the main channel, and it was the plan of the cox to so manoeuvre his boat that he would take it to sea without consulting his Maori crew. Accordingly, one summer afternoon preceding the proposed regatta, he informed his men that they were to row a measured mile against time, and, placing his watch in a conspicuous place, he issued the order, “Go I ” So intent were the crew in watching the timepiece that they failed to notice that the captain had directed the boat down mid-channel, and it was only when there was a suspicious heave in the bows that they realised that they were sweeping over the long-backed Pacific swell in the direction of Kawhia. Meantime unusual Yuletide festivities on Kawhia foreshore had ended, and were reflected in a leisurely crowd of beachcombers as a sinking sun was dipping over the western sandhills. Scarcely a ripple ruffled the surface of the inflowing tide—it was a still, silent, summer’s afternoon, with little to disturb the serenity of the situation.

Suddenly there was a wild shout from seaward, and a newly-painted whaleboat swept round Matatua Point in which the bow-oar had stowed his sweep, and, standing erect in imitation of the harpooner, was gesticulating with a taiaha and shouting a bat-tle-song of defiance to all comers. In a, few moments the boat shot upstream along the middle bank; then, with a graceful sweep, ran up against the current to the noisy welcome of their friends on the beach.

The record of the Aotea boat’s performances against its Kawhia rivals is somewhat confused, but it is quite definite that, with an equal-quality crew, it was quite up to the standard and probably superior to the Armed Constabulary boats. The First Regattas

With the withdrawal of the Armed Constabulary there was a further interval of inactivity and it was not until the end of the century (about 1897-98) that properly-constituted regattas were revived. The whaleboats had disappeared, but there were a number of rowboats, and, what was more to the point, the advent of several Europeans who were congregating in. increasing numbers as prospective settlers, assisted to enliven the proceedings. The contests were invariably pakeha v. Mjaori | in the large war canoe race, although I in 1899 inter-tribal rivalry helped to | excite considerable speculation reI garding the result of district contests. I Regarding the former, it was interest. ! ing to note that a Maori crew wou’d invariably win a straight-out race, I but in a tug-of-war the pakehas alI ways proved the stronger team— I probably owing to the irregularity of ■ their action. A Surprise Promised Another feature was the announcement that every district had been represented in the final battle for su- ' premacy except Awaroa, and that this ■ favoured locality was about to proi duce a craft which would make the fol’owing New Year regatta the most I notable in the history of the sport; and so it proved, deserving a chapter to itself. (To be continued.)