 |
 |
| How it all got started... | |
|
|
|
| How it all got started... | |
|
Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Fax: (682) 21670 Phone: (682) 21671 Email Address: koteka@oyster.net.ck |
March 1997 was a miserable wet and cold New Zealand day, on level 5B of the Auckland downtown parking building, at parking space 32, from the boot of a 1992 Nissan Cefiro....the first three Cook Island owned Electron Class Radio Controlled yachts were purchased by Peter 'Ehou' Heays, Des 'Toots' Eggleton and Thomas 'Count' Koteka......the die had been cast!!!! April 1997 on an unusually very blustery Rarotonga day....(some say the winds averaged 20 knots with gusts to 35)....in the lagoon off the beach at Titikaveka, the first ever race in the Cook Islands between the three proud Electron owners took place.......The results of this race are confused by time and the contradicting sailing rules and 'pulling the wool over your eyes' tactics of 'Ehou' Heays.......but somehow, when the sand had settled, 'Toots' Eggleton, probably because of his seniority, was the self proclaimed winner, announcing 'Ehou' Heays in 2nd place......'Count' Koteka, being the youngest of the 3 and out of respect for his elders, humbly accepted the result and the dignity of 3rd place. About a week later, there was an exhibition of Electron sailing from the deck overlooking the water at Trader Jacks.....a famous South Pacific watering hole and eatery on the old harbour front of downtown Avarua, the capital of Rarotonga.......The local bar populace and sailing fraternity, including the Harbour Master and the local Bank Manager, were informally invited to come and have a 'look see'.......well, the orders rolled in and pretty soon, we had a fleet size of some 12 boats.....'Electron' sailing and racing had come to the Cook Islands. From that time on, our fleet has increased to 19 hulls and we race against each other religiously every Sunday at the Sailing Club and on Fridays at Trader Jacks. Our small club has hosted two 'Oceania Regattas' with competitors from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Tahiti. Every October we have our National Cook Island Championships. We are now planning to host the first Electron 'World Championship' in the very near future. Our top Electron sailors have represented the Cook Islands in New Zealand and Fiji and currently hold positions in the top 10 placings of the world. |
|
| (photo of Electron Sailing race on the Lagoon) (aerial photo of Rarotonga) (map of Rarotonga) |
||