Waimea Weekly
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Wednesday 4 March 2015
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Bayden Sprozen flips upside down during the Power Boat Champs at Lake Rotoiti on Saturday. Photo: Evan Barnes/Shuttersport.
Spectacular crash ‘a freak accident’ As Bayden Sprozen did a somersault in his power boat at Lake Rotoiti on Saturday he had one thought: “I can save this”. He couldn’t. But it at least explains his hand stretched out and ready to meet the water in the photo of his spectacular crash with club mate Christine Hanning. Bayden was racing behind Christine at the Power Boat Champs over the weekend when her boat suddenly stopped when going around a corner. He tried to turn
left, but only managed to hit the front of her boat and was sent into an aerial somersault. “I used to ride motorbikes professionally,” says Bayden. “And one of the phases as you’re about to crash is ‘don’t worry, I can save this’. And that’s what it looks like, I put my hand out to try and flip it back over.” He says he has some sore hips and knees but the damage was minimal. “The boat is made of carbon fibre and is only 2mm thick, and all that happened was a small
crease in the carbon on one corner. We managed to keep racing in the regatta by duct taping it up after each race just to keep the water out.” Christine, who, like Bayden, races out of the Manawatu Club, was sent to hospital but only suffered muscular damage. She says the crash was a shock. “It’s a freak accident, we’ve never had an accident like that before. For more on the Power Boat Champs at Lake Rotoiti, turn to page 27.
Spooner’s cycle tunnel all go
The next section of the Tasman Great Taste Trail from Wakefield through the Spooner’s Tunnel to Kohatu looks likely to be completed this financial year with the Nelson-Tasman Cycle Trails Trust expected to announce a new funding deal next week. The Tasman District Council has already included $300,000 in its 2014-2015 budget to construct the next section of the popular cycling trail but that will only be available
if matching funds are secured from either Government or a third party. Last Thursday, the prospect of completing the section from Wakefield to Kohatu improved significantly when council agreed to accept “cash and in-kind” payments from the trust as matching funds. Although trust chairwoman Gillian Wratt would not reveal details of the matching funds and in-kind payments, she did say
Simon Bloomberg
Senior reporter Reporter
simon@waimeaweekly.co.nz that “we are optimistic we will secure the equivalent of $300,000 to complete the stage”. Gillian expects the funding would come through in time to complete the stage in
this financial year. “We still have to finalise some details but we anticipate that, by the end of next week, we will be in a position to make an announcement on the funding,” Gillian says. Gillian says she is delighted council agreed to the funding proposal which would not be possible without “great support from
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