Kiwi Rachel Clarke has won the pinnacle of ocean ski kayaking, the Molokai World Championships in Hawaii. The race is a 51km down wind paddle riding the huge swells from Molokai, across the Kaiwi channel to Hawaii Kai.
Clarke who won New Zealand’s prestigious King of the harbour race this year, started with surf life saving when she was 5 and got into long distance paddling four years ago.
Photo Molokai World Championships
Clarke a police officer has focused on her Molokai goal for over a year, with the pay-off coming today with the world championship title.
Former national K1 sprint and surf ski champion Katie Pocock won the Molokai World Championships in 2009.
New Zealander Andrew Mowlem was 16th in the mens race.
Women
| | 4:33:02 | 12 | Rachel Clarke | | | NEW ZEALAND | FEMALE-19-29 Solo SS-1 |
| | 4:43:21 | 29 | Lisa Wadling | | | AUSTRALIA | FEMALE-30-39 Solo SS-1 |
| | 5:16:47 | 16 | Kerry Davenport | Ng | | AUSTRALIA | FEMALE-Open Relay SS-2 up |
| | 5:24:31 | 32 | Ale Hedlund | | | UNITED STATES | FEMALE-Jr 18 & Under Solo |
Mens
1 | 3:35:17 | 4 | Hank McGregor | | | SOUTH AFRICA | MALE-30-39 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 2 | 3:35:40 | 1 | Clint Robinson | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 3 | 3:41:49 | 9 | Cory Hill | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-19-29 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 4 | 3:44:24 | 8 | Jeremy Cotter | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-30-39 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 5 | 3:48:34 | 7 | Jasper Mocke | | | SOUTH AFRICA | MALE-19-29 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 6 | 3:48:50 | 6 | Martin Kenny | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 7 | 3:52:58 | 3 | Lewis Laughlin | | | FRENCH POLYNESIA | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 8 | 3:57:46 | 53 | Dorian Wolter | | | UNITED STATES | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 9 | 3:59:13 | 10 | Hiromana Flores | | | FRENCH POLYNESIA | MALE-19-29 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 10 | 3:59:13 | 27 | Timothy Altman | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 11 | 4:02:15 | 2 | Oscar Chalupsky | | | SOUTH AFRICA | MALE-SR.MASTER 50-54 Elite |
| 12 | 4:02:32 | 22 | Bruce Poacher | Poacher | | CHINA | MENS-Open Relay SS-2 up to |
| 13 | 4:06:06 | 5 | Grant Kenny | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-SR.MASTER 50-54 Elite |
| 14 | 4:08:40 | 54 | Greg Barton | | | UNITED STATES | MALE-SR.MASTER 50-54 Elite |
| 15 | 4:08:57 | 23 | Danny Topfer | | | AUSTRALIA | MALE-MASTER 40-49 Elite So |
| 16 | 4:09:11 | 50 | Andrew Mowlem | | | NEW ZEALAND | MALE-19-29 Elite Solo SS-1 |
| 17 | 4:12:31 | 40 | Gilles Guedikian | Torregrossa | | FRENCH POLYNESIA | MENS-Open Relay SS-2 up to |