Drysdale and Tufte to race in New Zealand

Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte of Norway will race World Champion, New Zealand’s Mahe Drysdale.

The race is being planned around the 100-year anniversary of the single sculling World Championship title which took place on the Whanganui River and was won by New Zealander Billy Webb. Tufte vs Drysdale will be the premier event of the Billy Webb Centennial Challenge and 7 December 2008 is the date.

To match the historic World Championship race, the Billy Webb Centennial Challenge will take place over a 3 ½ mile (5km) distance. There will also be a chance for a third “wild card” single sculler to be part of the race. On 5 December seven of New Zealand’s top single scullers will be part of a race-off over a 2km distance. This will pick the sculler that will line up against Tufte and Drysdale.

The Challenge will be part of a weekend of events including local regular regatta, the Jury Cup.