Aitutaki girls win U19 V6

The island of Aitutaki will be celebrating long into the week after the islands talented under 19 womens crew took out yesterdays V6 12km race ahead of their fancier counterparts from the Sunshine Coast.

It was anyones race from start to end with the three canoes in the race paddling stroke for stroke.

But with island pride on the line the Aitutaki women surged ahead at the end to take the race in 1:23:10 just 11 seconds ahead of the two Sunshine Coast teams who came in at 1:24:21 and 1:24:34.

In the under 19 mens V6 12km race it was a Sunshine Coast show with the clubs number one crew in a league of their own to finish the race in a speedy time of 1:03:04.

The clubs number two under 19 mens crew crossed the line in second place 10 minutes after their elite crew in 1:13:38.

The Aitutaki under 19 team were thrilled with their third place results 3 minutes behind the second Sunshine Coast team (1:16:37) and 5 minutes ahead of their Rarotonga counterpart from the Ngakau Toa Club who crossed the line in 1:21:18.

But the talk of the junior paddling circles is definitely the little known Aitutaki womens crew who will without a doubt be the toast of their home island and paddling families.