Palmerston man Gavin Cox has a new claim to fame.
His name is to go down in the annals of coracle history as the very first winner of the Southern Hemisphere's inaugural coracle race, held at Oamaru Harbour on December 2, 2006.
Before last Saturday's event he was just the guy who works at Puketapu Timber.
After a ferocious battle against the elements and 16 other determined paddlers of the home-built prehistoric watercraft, Gavin left Oamaru a changed man.
Only four or five entrants managed to finish the course out of a field of 16 spectacular coracular entries of varied shade, hue and fashion.
Only four or five entrants managed to finish the course out of a field of 16 spectacular coracular entries of varied shade, hue and fashion.
Paddlers pictured on the day included Mike Lillian (left), David Kilgour, and Gem (centre, looking at camera).
The unique community event was organised by locals John Baster and Lee-Ann Scotti, whose efforts in the lead-up to the race included giving detailed instructions to people fashioning their own coracles, and whipping up enthusiasm among the townsfolk for a spectator sport the like of which they had never before encountered.
Gavin was the first back to Friendly Bay after negotiating a strong northeasterly wind, tangles of seaweed and two strident jets of cold seawater being sprayed directly onto the race by the Waitaki District Rural Fire Authority.
The unique community event was organised by locals John Baster and Lee-Ann Scotti, whose efforts in the lead-up to the race included giving detailed instructions to people fashioning their own coracles, and whipping up enthusiasm among the townsfolk for a spectator sport the like of which they had never before encountered.
Gavin was the first back to Friendly Bay after negotiating a strong northeasterly wind, tangles of seaweed and two strident jets of cold seawater being sprayed directly onto the race by the Waitaki District Rural Fire Authority.
He said his coracle, Little Ted, took three attempts to build using all the materials he could muster to make it watertight. Deciding on a name for it didn't take long. Ted was Gavin's childhood nickname.
"It is because my uncle built a boat in Britain called Super Ted and it was named after me."
John and Lee-Ann were thrilled with the community response engendered by the coracle race and plan to release a calendar to celebrate the event.
John and Lee-Ann were thrilled with the community response engendered by the coracle race and plan to release a calendar to celebrate the event.
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