Hawke’s Bay Sports Fishing Club manager Neil Price confirmed the boat was one of more than 100 in the club’s annual Megafish tournament, which started on Wednesday and ends on Saturday.
The incident happened about 3.30pm on Friday as boats were returning from the sea to the inner harbour club where daily prizegiving was being held in the early evening.
Numerous boats, including Port of Napier pilot and tug boats, which were understood to have been involved in a shipping movement, were on the scene quickly and the men were taken aboard with rescuers.
“It all happened very fast,” Price said.
Coastguard Hawke’s Bay skipper Henry van Tuel said one fisherman was rescued by port vessel the Pania and three by recreational fishers and they were taken to the coastguard headquarters.
Coastguard rescue craft the Celia Knowles attached a line to the submerged boat, which was to have been towed by port vessels.
About 8pm the boat was still at sea, with divers understood to be using an inflatable apparatus to keep it afloat.
A port spokesperson said there was “extreme wind” in the afternoon, and all three of the Port tugs were operational as five vessels were in port, including cruise ships Ovation of the Seas and Carnival Splendor, which had a combined complement of about 7000 passengers.
There were also two log ships and a container ship in port.
Hawke’s Bay Today understands the boat is the Trident, a wooden-hulled vessel that has been associated with the club for about 40 years.
More than 500 rods were registered in the fishing event.
Dozens of catches, including blue marlin, striped marlin, and the colossus of a 104.8kg big-eye tuna have been made during the four-day Hawke’s Bay Sports Fishing Club’s Megafish 2024.
