The third annual Deep South Downwind, running this Saturday, already had 36 entries last Friday, which points to a record field.
Of these, one entrant will be on a ruddered single waka, 10 will be on stand-up paddleboard foilers and the balance will be surfskiers.
Organised by Queenstowner Alex Martin and the Southern Lakes Multisport Club (SLMC), the event again features a long weather window — between 7am and 3pm — to try to find optimal downwind conditions of about eight to 30 knots.
That window was introduced last year after the second scheduled event, in December 2023, was cancelled due to forecast gale force winds.
Once again three courses, each about 17km, have been set to allow for all wind directions.
They’re from Glenorchy to 25 Mile Creek, for a northerly or nor’westerly, which was used a year ago, 12 Melta Delta to Frankton Beach, for a westerly or southwesterly, and from the rest area 7km north of Kingston to Homestead Bay, for a southerly.
"With all the nor’westers coming through this year, I would say it’s good odds we’ll do that [first] course again, which is a really popular course," Martin says.
As of last Friday, only five entrants were from Queenstown/Wanaka with all others from out of town including Auckland.
Part of the appeal is the event’s one of eight in the Darcy Price New Zealand Ocean Surfski series, so points obtained in Queenstown count towards it.
With good trophies up for grabs and several sponsors, "we’re really trying to build the buzz around the race," Martin says.
The course and starting time will be posted on SLMC’s Facebook page tomorrow night.
Racing should take one to two hours with the foilers likely to set the pace.
