Ideal conditions deliver a downwind classic at King and Queen of the Harbour
- danikamowlem
- May 3
- 5 min read
Gene Prato and Danielle Richards claimed the crowns and were named 2025 King and Queen of the Harbour at Takapuna Boating Club on Saturday after the wind and race organisers set up an unforgettable downwind paddle for the over 155 competitors at the 2025 Vaikobi Auckland King and Queen of the Harbour.
Competitors and organisers at this year’s iconic ocean ski race kept a close eye on the forecast as a storm front swept across New Zealand in the days leading up to the event. Fortunately, race day arrived with perfect timing, sunny skies and a robust 15+ knot southerly, setting up nearly 20km of prime downwind racing up Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour.
The course, starting from Takapuna Beach, featured an initial 1km paddle offshore to the turning buoy. From there, paddlers aligned with the trailing southerly winds and building swell for an 18km ride to the finish at Shakespear Bay, Whangaparāoa Peninsula. For competent downwind paddlers it was a dream event with many hailing it the "best downwind conditions in a NZ race ever". For others, it was an important reminder of the unpredictability of weather forecasts and the importance of safety equipment and understanding your own capability.
As New Zealand’s premier surf ski race, the event has a proud tradition of selecting routes that maximise swell and downwind conditions, including past editions around Waiheke, Rangitoto, the Viaduct, and in recent years, a range of course options anchored at the Takapuna Boating Club.
2025 didn’t disappoint, delivering exciting racing and podiums stacked with past champions and fresh faces across multiple divisions.
Queen of the Harbour: Danielle Richards Claims Her Crown Again
For Auckland paddler Danielle Richards (30), the Waitematā Harbour is home turf. Despite limited appearances at the King & Queen of the Harbour, she’s made both starts count, winning not only the women’s title but placing high in the overall rankings, including today’s race, where she finished 4th.
Danielle Richards said:“I started paddling at Mairangi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, so this is a bit of a home race. It’s great to win my second King & Queen of the Harbour, two wins from two starts!”
“Today the wind turned up, and the conditions were fully on, a light start that built into great rolling swell after the turn, 18kms of fun paddling, with some nice surf at the finish.”
Rebecca Cole hit the beach as the 2nd placed female with Danika Mowlem (race director) in 3rd place.
Richards, the 2019 Surf Ski World Champion, used the race as preparation for her next major goal, the Molokai Challenge in Hawaii.
“I actually paddled 20km before the start to simulate the backend of Molokai (Challenge - Hawaii) . During the race, I could see Garth (Spencer) ahead of me, and as the runners picked up, I started chasing back through the field.”
She also praised the next generation of women paddlers. “Rebecca Cole, who’s back racing after a break, and others are stepping up. We’re working to support the women coming through, helping to fill my spot over the next few years.”
2025 Ocean Ski Overall Women’s Results:
Danielle Richards — 1:19:01
Rebecca Cole — 1:28:39
Danika Mowlem — 1:32:49
King of the Harbour: Gene Prato Seizes the Crown
South African-born Gene Prato delivered the day’s fastest time overall across all divisions, finally breaking through for his first King of the Harbour title after finishing second in both his previous two attempts.
Gene Prato said:
“It was a fast start with two groups pushing hard early. We stayed together to the turning can (buoy) at 1km, then I pushed to get some space and managed to hold the lead the whole way.”
“The downwind run was brilliant, nice big runners carrying you along. I was working extra hard to stay ahead of Ben (Keys). I knew he’d be chasing and was worried he might find a better line or slipped down the side.”
Ben, the current NZ Ocean Ski champion, finished just over 2 minutes behind with local legend Garth Spencer just 30seconds behind in 3rd place and first master home.
Prato, who now lives in Auckland, praised New Zealand’s paddling environment.
“I love New Zealand. There’s water everywhere and amazing conditions. I can be paddling within ten minutes of leaving home. There are so many great rivers and seas to paddle.”
2025 Ocean Ski Overall Men’s Results:
Gene Prato — 1:15:37
Ben Keys — 1:17:58
Garth Spencer — 1:18:33.3
Waka Ama: Wolfgram and Women’s Tie Highlight the Day
In the men’s Waka Ama single, Simon Wolfgram led from the front, powering to victory with a margin of nearly five minutes.
Men’s Waka Ama Results:
Simon Wolfgram — 1:26:47
Jean Baptiste Ioaba — 1:31:46
Paul Roozendaal — 1:31:56
Meanwhile, the women’s Waka Ama race delivered the closest contest of the day. Jessica McDuff and Jasmin Stevenson crossed the finish together in a dead heat — a rare and fitting result after nearly two hours of paddling.
Women’s Waka Ama Results:
Jessica McDuff — 1:41:08
Jasmin Stevenson — 1:41:08
Vesna Radonich — 1:47:13
Darcy Price series winners decided
The 2025 Auckland King and Queen of the Harbour was the 8th and final race of the 2024/25 Darcy Price NZ Ocean Ski series. With extra points up for grabs both the mens, womens and double ski titles were up for grabs.
In the overall mens series, Ben Keys and Gene Prato finished up tied on 1080pts with Ben Keys winning on countback courtesy of his win at the National Championships. It was also a tight battle for 3rd place with Will Lloyd just coming out on top over Garth Spencer on the series podium.
In the women's series, Rebecca Cole's 2nd place finish ahead of Danika Mowlem secured her the series title (1080points) with Danika on 1042points and Queentown's Alex Martin in 3rd place (939points). This is Rebecca's first series win after Danika has claimed the NZ Ocean ski series for the previous 4 years.
Final age group series points will be calculated in the coming days.
A Memorable Day and a Community Celebration
After the race, paddlers returned to Takapuna Boating Club for celebrations, refreshments, to watch the short course racing and prizegiving. The day not only delivered thrilling racing but also underscored the strength of the local paddling community and the event’s growing reputation.
Congratulations to all paddlers and a special thanks to the Takapuna Boating Club and race director Danika for keeping the KQOH alive and staging another world-class event on Auckland’s iconic Waitematā Harbour.
Words thanks to Steve Knowles, SportzHub. Minor additions included by CRNZ.
For full official results including short course races, visit: 2025 Vaikobi Auckland King & Queen Of The Harbour | Webscorer
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