The Molokai Challenge (or to give it its full name, The 38^th Annual Maui Jim Molokai Challenge and Surfski World Championship) runs on Sunday with perhaps the most competitive field and biggest prize purse ($10K) in years – all they needed was the weather to hang in there for another couple of days.

Athlete Roundup

Still, it’s going to be an intriguing tussle at the front of the field as defending champion Clint Robinson (Aus) attempts to take his fourth title. 

Up against Robinson will be:

• Hank McGregor (South Africa): McGregor, 34, won the race (in hot, flat conditions) in 2009.  He and Robinson, 44, were together at the front of the field when Robinson pulled up, wracked by cramps.
• Lewis Laughlin (Tahiti): Laughlin is an old campaigner at Molokai, with two titles, won in 2007 and 2008 (both of which were hot, flat years). 

Also up at the pointy end of the field will be:

• Jasper Mocke (South Africa): Mocke leads this year’s rankings, having won the Mandurrah Duel, the Perth Doctor, and the Defis Kayak in Guadeloupe so far.  Whether the 28 year old has done enough mileage to take on 52km in the heat is open to question.
• Jeremy Cotter (Aus): Jezza recently moved to the Epic Kayaks team and is on the podium more often than not.
• Cory Hill (Aus): Rounding out the Epic team, the young (25) Australian is also an elite contender.

Oscar Chalupsky, winning his 12th

The more “senior” elite paddlers are well represented too:

• Oscar Chalupsky (South Africa): the 51 year old won the race for the 12^th time two years ago in good surfing conditions, and is particularly disappointed with the forecast.
• Grant Kenny (Aus): Grant (50) has 5 Molokai titles.
• Martin Kenny (Aus): Marty (45) has been runner up at Molokai.

Marty Kenny catches a run at China Wall 1.5km from the finish

Dark Horses

• Hiromana Flores (Tahiti): The 21 year old youngster, also well conditioned by the hot conditions in Tahiti, regularly challenges Lewis Laughlin in their local races.  This is his first Molokai.
• Zsolt Szadovski: The Oahu resident is on top form, winning all the KIRA races so far this season.  He’s regular top ten finisher at Molokai and is favored to be the first local home.

Women

There are 3 wahines this year: 

• Junior from Hawaii: Ale Hedlund who will be crossing the channel for the first time,
• Rachel Clarke from New Zealand
• Lisa Wadling from Australia

Latest Forecast

The forecast has actually improved slightly in the last day, with the NOAA saying:

SUNDAY
Southeast winds 15 kt in the morning becoming variable less than 10 kt. Wind waves 4 ft in the morning then 2 ft or less. South swell 3 ft. Haze.

Click here for the latest weather update.

Prize Money 

Surfski Elite Solo is the only eligible category for prize money. 

Additional prizes:

1. 1^st – 3^rd Surfski Elite Solo – Male and Female will also win a pair of MAUI JIM Sunglasses, Scott Hawaii Slippers and a case of Cerveza Pacifico.
2. 1^st relay team in each discipline will win a pair of MAUI JIM Sunglasses and Scott Hawaii Slippers for each team member, plus a case of Cerveza Pacifico.
3. 1^st overall relay team of any discipline (after handicap time adjustments) will win $300.00 in gift certificates from Mac 24/7 Restaurant and Bar in the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel on Kuhio, plus $300.00 in Gas from Aloha Petroleum!

First finishers expected at approximately 2:15 pm.  

Tropical Island

First of all, Mauritius is a tropical island, with everything that tropical islands normally have:

• Sunshine (duh!)
• Spotless, white, sandy beaches complete with palm trees
• Crystal clear, warm water, complete with brightly colored corals and tropical fish
• Friendly locals (hmm... the surfers?  Maybe not so much!)

Ok, that’s the basics covered.

Tropical Paradise: the view 1km from the race finish

Good Company

90% of the paddlers stay at the 4-star Tamassa Resort; so you’re surrounded by like-minded paddling people and you’re likely to have breakfast at the same table as the greats of the sport.  Folks like: 

• Dawid Mocke (3-time MOC winner and 4-time World Series champ)
• Jasper Mocke (current leader of the Surfski World Series)
• Sean Rice (2013 ICF Ocean Racing World Champion)
• Oscar Chalupsky (12-time Molokai champ and arguably the best downwind paddler of all time)
• Dean Gardiner (9-time Molokai champ and, if you’re an Aussie, arguably the best downwind paddler of all time!)

Hank McGregor, two-time MOC winner and winner of the Molokai Challenge for the second time a few weeks ago, won’t be racing…   He’ll be at home with his wife Pippa as they await the first of the next generation of McGregor paddling champs.

The tropical sunsets have the power to change lives...

Resort sports

For the families, and those bored of paddling, there’s plenty to do on the premises: snorkeling, sailing, wind-surfing, water skiing.  (We won’t mention the pedal boats: last year Dawid and Nikki Mocke set off with their two youngsters and, unable to pedal back against the wind and current had to be rescued!  The rescue boat ran out of fuel and a sorry procession of rescue boat towing rescue boat towing pedal boat arrived back at the beach; young Sam Mocke was delighted.)

2013 MOC Champs hard at work!

Getting out of the resort is easy: take a complementary mountain bike…  and even there, you have a choice of an easy ride east or west on the flat or a hectic uphill into the mountains.

Paddling

But, clearly, most of us come for the paddling. 

Now in its sixth year, the MOC has always been an easy-to-use event for the paddlers: 

• Coaching with Dawid Mocke, Dean Gardiner, Oscar Chalupsky and Barry Lewin in the morning
• A downwind run from Tamassa to Le Morne in the afternoon – a bus is laid on to take better-halves to the finish, with a trailer to pick your ski up.  (Your ski lives on the lawn in front of the hotel when it’s not being used.)
• The window period opens on Thursday and the main race could be run any time from Thursday to Saturday.  The main race takes precedence of course, but there’s a fun team relay race scheduled also that runs from Tamassa to Baie du Cap and back.

Le Morne Mountain, which marks the infamous channel through the reef

The Racing

In the five year history of the race so far it’s been a two-man affair:  Hank McGregor won the first two races in 2009 and 2010.  Since then though, it’s been Dawid Mocke all the way – he won in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

This year Mocke will have his hands full – his brother Jasper has been consistently faster than him in international races this year, and current ICF champ Sean Rice would love to take his first MOC title.  Then of course the Durban v Cape Town rivalry will be driving Durbanites Matt Bouman, Grant vd Walt, the Chalupskys as well as the Bartho brothers…

Brendan Rice and Will Bird will be flying the Aussie flag.

An equally tight Durban v Cape Town game will be on between the women as Capetonian and defending champion Nikki Mocke takes on Nicole Russell…  French champion Angie Mouden will also be in the mix.

Top Seeds

Men 

Women 

How Tough is the Race, Really?

It’s all about Le Morne: the reef pass under the Le Morne mountain has a reputation for eating inexperienced paddlers and spitting them out sans-skis on the inside – but really, although it is an adrenalin rush, you’re in no real danger:

• The gap is huge – and they lay a marker (buoy or boat) to show you exactly where to go.
• And if the conditions are outrageous to the point of being unsafe, the backup plan is to go around the corner to another gap called Ambulant, which is smaller and easier (and further!)
• In some years, the inexperienced paddlers have been allowed to paddle inside the reef.

Listen to the experienced paddlers, listen to the race briefing, don’t take chances – and you’re be fine.

Riding the wave at the Le Morne gap

And Other Things To Do

It’s been my privilege and good fortune to cover all but one of the MOC races – and I always enjoy my visits to the island.  Highlights have been:

• Hiked the Black River Gorges National Park
• Swum with wild dolphins in Tamarin Bay
• Viewed the bizarre seven-sands near Chamarel
• Snorkelled the pristine coral gardens of Blue Bay, near Mahebourg – the clarity of the water and condition of the coral is unbelievable
• Visited the tiny island park on the Ile aux Aigrettes.  Here the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation have restored the flora and fauna to what would have been found on the island 400 years ago.  The famous Mauritian Pink Pigeon (dragged back from the brink of extinction) makes its home and can be seen here.

Sand Island on the eastern side of the island.  The snorkling in the crystal clear water is outstanding

And I haven’t even explored the north of the island yet (mostly resorts and shopping!)

SUPs

Gary van Rooyen of Coreban SUP has thrown his weight behind the event and there will be an official SUP race included in the MOC – they expect over 30 SUPS to be there.

This year the Mauritius Ocean Classic will play host to a Stand Up Paddle division for the first time. Coreban SUP International have put up $2,000 in cash plus some other spectacular prizes for the 25km event which promises to attract some of the world’s best stand up paddlers. Ivan van Vuuren who currently holds the record for the fastest recorded average speed on a downwinder looks to be one of the favorites, but well traveled Greg Bertish, a regular podium finisher will not allow Ivan to have it all his own way.

Veteran sea-dogs Gary van Rooyen and Pete Petersen should be in with a shout, or at worst fight it out for the masters prize.

Tarryn Kyte, SA's No.1 lady wave rider is looking to fit the event into her busy international circuit and will not flinch at passing the men on her way to Le Morne. At this stage, both Junior World champions, Dylan Frick and Ethan Koopmans are shuffling sponsorships to get to the event and, if they make it, will pose a serious threat to the front-runners.

Aside from the main race there will be daily downwinders, board demos and talks on paddling technique – and for the ladies and kids, a fun time in the sun, sea and sand. 

Dubbed the "Coastal Challenge", the "race" started on May 17th when Black left Cape Point, while Barendse had to sit out the first three days while the Cape was being battered by gale force winds.

Fund-raising

"This is a vehicle for raising much needed funds for Lettie Heyns to overcome something far greater that any of our efforts," said Black.

Steve Black

Black, the veteran ultra-endurance runner from Underberg, has been following trails and dirt roads, only resorting to tar near cities and when it simply is unavoidable. His aim is to run the over 1900km in 28 days, which works out as roughly 66km per day.

Average Bloke... with some leave

Barendse, or "Skinny Cappuccino" as he is known, is an experienced paddler from Durban, describes himself as "just an average bloke with some accumulated leave". While he has less distance to cover on the ocean, he is more exposed to treacherous weather and ocean conditions. Conditions will dictate distances each day, but ultimately, Barendse has Black’s schedule to contend with.

Clyde Barendse

Mamu Loman 

Both men are members of the Mamu Loman Federation, an underground adventure group whose fundamentals are health, vitality and mobility.

Black, who had to break his run to fly to Johannesburg for his mother's funeral in Johannesburg, is currently leading Barendse, who has had to deal with several days of massive seas, thanks to the succession of cold fronts that have swept over the country in recent weeks.

Black started the race carrying a niggling injury and came close to quitting in the first week.

"Leaving Cape Point I started doubting that I will make Port Elizabeth let alone Port Edward, but (photographer and athlete) Andrew King got me though the first days encouraging me to manage my injuries," said Black.

Black was joined by Keith Clark who ran with him from the Gouritz River mouth to Storms River, before completing the next 450km on his own, supported by his wife Lulu along the way.

Andrew Mackay then joined Black 20 km south of East London and ran with him to Port Edward in eight days.

ETA Friday Afternoon

"All this time Skinny was paddling through massive surf and steadily gaining on me and overtaking and then falling back when the wind was wrong," says Black.

"The madness continues with hopefully a 60 km day taking me to Hibberdene and then onto Durban for Friday afternoon," he added.

"For Clyde there is a big westerly on its way so I'm sure the race is going to be close at the end," he said.

Black and Barendse at expected to reach their ultimate destination Addington Beach in Durban some time on Friday afternoon.

More information can be found at www.coastalchallenge.co.za where donations to the cause can be made online.

 The first news on the event's facebook page was all positive - Dawid Mocke won the race, beating Hank McGregor and Matt Bouman.  Nikki Mocke won the women's race, saying afterwards that the conditions were fantastic.  The course was a 23km route from Orient Beach to Yellow Sands and Nikki said that the surfing conditions were so good that she couldn't believe how fast it was and how quickly she'd reached the finish.  (Dawid Mocke achieved a course record in 1:18:11; Nikki's time was 1:30:14.)

Missing Paddlers

It was only later that I heard that several paddlers had gone missing.  Some had aborted, coming into the beach; two had missed the finish and had paddled on to Haga Haga, some 14km further up the coast.

But one, 43-year-old Mark Feather is still missing.  Numerous aircraft joined the search yesterday afternoon - but conditions deteriorated and Mark has not been found.  Contacts on the scene reported this morning that the nose of his surfski was found on the rocks near Morgan Bay, 8-10km beyond Haga Haga.  No sign of the paddler has yet been found.

Conditions

The NSRI press release speaks of 6m swells and 47kt winds, but it is important to remember that these conditions occured later, after the race.  At the time the race was run, the paddlers who were there speak of 25kt winds, and long, flat swell of 2m or so.  

Click here for the NSRI Press Release

Safety and Surfski Racing

Personally I am certain that the race organisers had safety top of mind.  The event photos have evidence of this: there are shots of the escort boats, and shots of folks at the start holding up placards with safety information including emergency phone numbers.

But here's the thing.

Surfski paddling is all about going downwind in big waves and big winds and there are risks - that's part and parcel of being on the ocean. 

I had a conversation with a commentator who said words to the effect that the organisers were to blame, he's from a sailing background, he said, and he knows how conditions change.  I pointed out that sailing is also a risky sport, and he was correct, conditions do change, but sailors still go to sea.  They mitigate the risks by taking safety precautions, but they still lose people.  Should we ban sailing to make sailors safe?  No!

It's up to us to ensure that we do have the safety gear and that we do take sensible precautions.  But we'll never reduce the risks to zero unless we ban dangerous sports altogether.  

But my heart goes out to Mark's family, to the organisers of the race, to the NSRI and to everyone else involved.

Humdinger of a Race...

This year we have visiting legends like Oscar Chalupsky (12 X World Champion) and Sean Rice (winner of the 2013 ICF Ocean Racing World Championship) providing training clinics for paddlers. Add into the mix NZD $6500 of prize money, former NZ Olympian Mike Walker (3 x King of the Harbour winner), Rachel Clarke (Molokia 2014 winner, and 2014 Queen of the Harbour), Teneale Hatton (2014 San Francisco Bay winner, and World Champion Gold in K1 5000m 2013, K1 1000m 2014) and you have a humdinger of a race!

How fit is Surfski paddling in NZ? 

Following a sharp growth of the sport of surfski paddling in New Zealand in the early 2000’s, numbers are again growing quite significantly. The low-impact nature of the sport appears to have a serious appeal for crossover triathletes, iron-man/woman, multisporters, adventure racers and surf lifesavers. Unlike for example road cycling or running, competitors do not have to juggle cars, fumes and traffic, and even through the toughest of early morning speedwork sessions on the harbour, it is almost unheard of for surfski paddlers to develop significant injuries from paddling.

 Above: The lead group pass through Auckland’s Inner Harbour on route to Waiheke Island in last year’s event.

“There’s a whole community behind this amazing sport, and behind this race! The support has been incredible!” says Pacific Ocean Paddlers Race Director Garth Spencer.

“In order to have the event included in the World Series, multiple course options are a must, to take advantage of downwind conditions on the day. Explore Group have come on board as an enthusiastic sponsor, and will be using their shiny new big yellow-and-black ferry to transport Stand Up Paddle Boarders, Surfski Paddlers and Waka-Ama Paddlers out or back over the various 24-26KM course options on the day.”

Course options include the ‘Waihetian Windrunner’ between Waiheke and Birkenhead, a well as ‘The Nihilistic Northerner’ between Gulf Harbour and Royal Akarana Yacht Club, the official Race Headquarters for this year event. Competitors will be hoping for a nice fresh 20 knot wind, with strategic choices of craft an important aspect of the sport across all three disciplines. International interest is high and the entries are flowing in – click on the below link to register now!

How Do I Enter? 

“With $10,000 worth of cash and prize up for grabs, the international and NZ paddling industry is really rallying behind the event, with support from Canoe Racing New Zealand for the National Ocean Racing Championships, manufacturers/suppliers Fergs Kayaks, FLOW Kayaks, Star Kayaks, Art In Surf, Exponential Performance Coaching, iPaddle, FENN Kayaks and Paddling Addiction on board with some fantastic prizes. Sharkskin, Vaikobi &Strongarm, purveyors of the worlds best paddle-wear, R-Line and Balance Sports Nutrition are providing race nutrition to keep paddlers performance-fuelled, and Good Health Choices magazine are behind the event to spread the word and further-promote NZ paddle-sports!” 

In what were epic conditions the men’s race was a tightly contested affair all the way to Marine however it was the young Australian who managed to hold his nerve and just pip Bouman with Western Cape surfski hero Dawid Mocké finishing in third.

The paddlers had to negotiate thumping surf at the start

"...great to beat the Saffas..."

“It was great to beat the ‘Saffas’ on their home turf,” Booth chuckled. “Getting a win here is a great step forward to me as it was my first international win so I am really happy.

“The race was really good and it was a straight dice up the beach which was exciting,” he added.

Booth has been a serious follower of the World Surfski Series and so getting those all important points was the main goal when coming to South Africa however the young Australian got more than he bargained for and thoroughly enjoyed his race.

Dawid Mocke - "Panic cost me today"!

Matt Bouman - pipped by the diminutive Aussie in the sprint up the beach

Fantastic conditions

“The conditions were fantastic out there, exactly what you want from a downwind actually.

“Some good swells and some favourable winds meant that we could really have a good go and it was anyones race right up to the beach but I heard Matt injured his calf a few months back so that gave me an advantage.

“Who knows what would have happened if he was fit!” Booth concluded.

Women's Champion Michelle Burn

With some World Surfski Series points on the line Fenn Kayak’s Michelle Burn once again proved that she is in the form of her life as she pulled off her second masterclass race in two weeks to back up her win in Mauritius last weekend however she was quick to say that the conditions were in her favour.

“The conditions in the past two weeks have definitely given me a bit of an advantage considering that I enjoy a bit of a bump and I am sure that if it had been flatter we could have seen different results.

Michelle Burn - "really happy with the win"

“I haven’t had as much time in the boat as a lot of the other girls so being able to use my wave riding skills was something that I could rely on and not just pure fitness so that was good for me,” she explained.

Although she was well clear of Nikki Russell, who finished second, Burn did not see the race as that straight forward and spent quite a bit of the race having to battle to pick up some runs as well as getting in a good enough position for the run in to Marine.

“It was not as simple as it could have been,” she chuckled. “It was some hard work out there but it seemed like it was hard for a lot of paddlers.

“I had a little swim at the beginning but it wasn’t a problem and I’m just really happy with the win!” she said.

More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za

SUMMARY OF RESULTS – FNB DURBAN DOWNWIND SURFSKI RACE

RACE FIVE OF THE FNB DURBAN DOWNWIND SURFSKI SERIES

Men

1. Michael Booth (AUS) 1:28.47
2. Matthew Bouman 1:28.50
3. Dawid Mocké 1:29.38
4. Jasper Mocké 1:30.36
5. Tom Schilperoot 1:30.49
6. Mark Anderson (AUS) 1:31.24
7. Herman Chalupsky 1:34.05
8. Wade Krieger 1:34.31
9. Gene Prato 1:36.17
10. Mark Keeling 1.:38.57

Women

1. Michelle Burn 1:46.26
2. Nikki Russell 1:49.50
3. Danica Bartho 1:54.12
4. Sharon Armstrong 1:58.00

First Double: Ross Fountain and Brett Hadiaris

Doubles

1. Ross Fountain/Brett Hadiaris 1:34.38
2. Bryce Hatton/Marc Stanton 1:35.34
3. Matthew Collins/Carl Folscher 1:38.51

4:20 pace

Top competitors held under 4:20 pace the whole way sharing leads down the course from Swanbourne to Sorrento. It was a tight battle up front, with a pack of twenty belting out from the start. This was quickly dwindled to eight after three kilometers: Cory Hill, Jasper Mocke, Dawid Mocke, Michael Booth, Mark Anderson, Daniel Humble, Michael Baker and Reece Baker. 

Inside v Outside Line

At 5 kilometers, Dawid broke off the group to head closer to shore with the other 5 choosing to stay out wide, approximately 200 meters from the beach. Near Scarborough Michael Baker dropped off the pack after leading the train early on.

Down to 4

Cory Hill and Jasper Mocke looked the most comfortable and really pushed the pace the whole way. Michael Booth fell off the group with about 2.5 kilometers to go after forcing his way back on the train multiple times.  Soon after, Reece Baker also lost the lead group and it was a race of two, with 1.5 kilometers to go.

Jasper Mocke holds off Cory Hill in the hot, flat conditions

Final Tussle

Cory looked to break Jasper 1km out but Jasper fought back to take the win by a nail-biting three seconds. Michael Booth and Dawid Mocke snuck around Reece in the dying stages with the heat and conditions really getting to him. Michael Baker finished in a strong 6^th place, closely followed by Brendan Sarson and Mark Anderson.

First Win of the Year

For Jasper it was his first race win of the calendar year and at the presentation he was excited to get the monkey off the back.

“It was great to win this event,” said Mocke, “Especially with in-form guys like Cory Hill and Michael Booth racing, it makes it that bit more special”.

“I felt really comfortable out there,” said Current Ocean Racing World Champion Cory Hill, “And despite not winning I am feeling good for the doctor next week. Let’s hope the forecast wind comes through! It’s looking awesome!”

Michael Booth, who snuck a third in the dying stages despite Reece and Dawid being hot on his heels commented, “I was happy to hang on for as long as I did. It was super hot and flat out there. I haven't had a great preparation for this event so I’m stoked to steal third from Reece in the dying stages”. 

Over 40s

In the hotly contested over 40s Greg Long took the win, ahead of Michael Dobler and Justin Farrelly.

In the Junior Geriatrics Dean Gardiner scraped over the line in first, ahead of Shaun Rice and Robert Jenkinson. In the super masters (60’s) it was global travel sensation Muz Latham, ahead of Norm Miller and Robert Hodge. 

Women’s Race

In the women's race it was a battle between New Zealand’s Rachel Clarke and South Africa's Michelle Burn. Burn and Clark went off together early on but at the 10km mark Rachel broke away and went on to take the win. “It was great having a win today,” said Clarke. “Michelle is such a great paddler, so I knew it would be a tough battle. This event is a great lead up to next weekend!”

New Zealander Rachel Clarke powers in to take the Women's Race

Natasha Leaversuch was third across the line only three minutes behind the international stars. In the over 40s Aimee Christie had a win and in the over 50s Julie Jenkinson took the honors.

The next two events are the Sunset Surfski Series this Thursday and The Epic Doctor on Saturday. Wind is looking great for both events!

For full results of the West Coast Downwinder click below http://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=57490

For pictures from the event click below https://wanakikamoocow.smugmug.com/Sports/Paddling/Ocean-Paddling/Westcoast-Downwinder-2015/

World's Oldest Surfski Race 

The race, first raced in 1957, had both a long and short course as well as incorporating a number of long standing traditions which include an earlier 7am start as well as all paddlers receiving soup at the conclusion of the race. The older members of the Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club were present at Sunday's shoot-out further entrenching the prestige of the 59 year old race.

"It was a good race today with a good following tail wind all the way to Umhlanga," Euro Steel/Epic Kayak's Hank McGregor said after his win. "The wind was against the current so you felt like you were going faster than you actually were and then on the return we were with the current but into the wind which made it a pretty tough day out."

Hank McGregor

Went according to plan

The race had the potential to be another humdinger between McGregor and fellow Durban ace and Epic Kayak's Matt Bouman however the race went according to plan for McGregor who managed to get himself ahead early and boss the race until the finish line.

"I managed to get quite a big lead on Matt Bouman early and then I turned with the doubles so that gave me a good incentive into the final leg.

"Myself and the leading double just sat together until the finish.

"It was a really solid day for me and I am really happy to get another win here even though I am still battling with a bit of jet lag," a satisfied McGregor added following his recent return from the Molokai in Hawaii.

Matt Bouman

Marathon Focus

McGregor's focus now shifts to canoe marathon as he prepares for the South African Marathon Championships in Cape Town next weekend however his immediate calendar is still dominated by surfski races.

"We have the South African Marathon Champs which is also the national trial so I will hopefully be selected to go and defend my world marathon title.

"Despite this my calendar is chock-a-block with surfski races with the Scottburgh to Brighton the following week, then Durban Downwind and the I'm off to Mauritius so my schedule is really busy!" the star mentioned.

Bouman took the second placed position whilst Wade Krieger came home in third with the doubles race spoils going to Steve Woods and Bailey de Fondaumire with Shaun Dias and Matthew Elliot finishing second and Lee Furby and Quinton Rutherford finishing third.

A number of doubles were present with the combination of Shaun Dias and Matt Elliot finishing second in the doubles race.

Ladies Race

The ladies race was won by Fenn Kayak's Nicole Russell with the mixed doubles spoils going to Russell's Fenn Kayak's team mate Jenna Ward and Brett Hadiaris.

Nicole Russell

The Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates fell the day after paddlers from around the world united to raise awareness of the environment and the plight of the world's oceans for a relay event called Paddle for the Planet.
The 59th edition of the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates is the lead in race to the 2016 FNB Durban Downwind on 25-26 June 2016.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS - Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race

LONG COURSE 

Overall

1. Hank McGregor
2. Matt Bouman
3. Wade Krieger

Ladies

1. Nicole Russell

Doubles

1. Steve Woods/Bailey de Fondaumire
2. Shaun Dias/Matthew Elliot
3. Lee Furby/Quinton Rutherford

Mixed

1. Jenna Ward/Brett Hadiaris

SHORT COURSE SUMMARY

1. Brad Pearse

Doubles

1. Mark Backman/Roger McGregor

LONG COURSE - FULL RESULTS

Singles

Doubles

SHORT COURSE - FULL RESULTS

The post continues: "New dates for 2017 will be posted shortly. Our apologies, but we do plan on coming back with an even better event for 2017. Think "big water".........."

The US Surfski Champs has been a highly regarded and popular annual event since 2002...  This will be the first year without the iconic event.

Two-day Window Period

With a two day window period and course flexibility, organisers hope to provide participants with the best possible downwind conditions to enjoy between Marine Surf Lifesaving Club (SLC) at Addington beach and La Mercy, or vice versa depending on the wind direction.

Having had two out-of-town winners – Jasper Mocké (Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks) from Fish Hoek, Western Cape in 2014 and Australia’s Michael Booth last year – since its inception two years ago, the richly talented crop of Durban based paddlers will be eager to see the crown remain in the host city this time around.

Jasper Mocke

With six time Canoe Marathon World Champion, Hank McGregor (Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks), McGregor’s regular local rival, Matt Bouman (Epic Kayaks) and rapidly improving lifesaving convert, Wade Krieger (Epic Kayaks/Falcon World Travel) all from KZN shores, the local challenge is set to be a strong one.

Hank McGregor

Matt Bouman

The event has however also enjoyed a prominent presence of classy, experienced surfski paddlers from the Western Cape in the past with the likes of Mocké’s brother, Dawid (Fenn Kayaks/Mocké Paddling), Sean Rice (Think Kayak), Kenny Rice (Think Kayak) and junior flyer Mark Keeling having all claimed top ten finishes previously, setting up another tough task for KZN’s racing snakes should they hope to reign supreme.

Dawid Mocke

International Contenders

It remains to be seen if international contenders such as defending champion Booth and fellow Australian and 2014 Durban Downwind sixth place finisher, Mark Anderson will make the trip out to South Africa for this year’s mouth-watering match-up.

While the majority of the focus will be on the singles racing, Durban’s affinity for doubles racing is likely to draw a healthy S2 field as well, an event that will run concurrently to the S1 clash.

Through the generous support of title sponsors FNB, the first 100 online entrants will receive a complimentary moisture management race garment while R40 000 will be up for grabs across all age and gender categories and all participants stand the chance of claiming one of the various sought-after Thule lucky draws prizes at the event’s prize giving.

Online Entry

Online entries, submitted via www.roag.co.za, close on Wednesday, 22 June with registration taking place at Marine SLC on Friday, 24 June from 17h00-19h00.

The 2016 FNB Durban Downwind takes place on 25 or 26 June, the final race date and venue will be announced on the series' Facebook page on Thursday, 23 June. More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za.

Downwind

The race was scheduled for this weekend, but when the paddlers saw the forecast, the paddlers’ whatsapp group lit up…  A healthy 15kt southwester was due to come in on the Thursday, in contrast to an expected headwind for the weekend. 

The race organisers managed to persuade the city to grant a permit to run the race on the public holiday… and the downwind was on.

Tough

The Scottburgh to Brighton is tough: the surf at Scottburgh is notorious for breaking boats; the surf at the check-in point at Amanzimtoti is notorious for breaking boats and the surf at the finish at Brighton is…  you get the idea!

And you don’t often see good downwind conditions: more often than not, you have a light offshore breeze lifting a side-on chop that interferes with your stroke, which turns into a headwind for the last 10km. 

Race Course - 46km from Scottburgh to Brighton.

Great Conditions

But there was no headwind yesterday.

The surf was challenging – one of the doubles came to grief on the way out at Scottburgh and another cut the corner coming into the checkpoint at Amanzimtoti and steered onto the rocks.  Ouch.

Barry Lewin (who came third with his last-minute partner, Lee Furby) commented, “We had about 15kt of wind, which is enough in Durban.  It was messy, but the runs started 5km in and it was paddles-down while we were surfing.

“It got better in the second half,” he added.

Women's Record

Nicole Leigh Russell and Jenna Ward had a ball on their way to breaking the women's record for the course.

"It was a classic race," said Nicole. "Nothing beats a pumping downwind, the runs were magic and we were able to get incredible top speeds on our garmin... our max on Jen's garmin was 31.5km!"

The surf presented little challenge for the two experienced paddlers.  "There were a few gnarly sets that made for a few swims and one or two damaged skis," said Nicole.  "But we managed to have a clean run in and out the surf; it makes for really exciting racing though. Jen and I loved it!"

Fantastic Runs

Matt Bouman hadn’t intended to do the race.  “But downwind is everything in our sport,” he said.  “And I have to compliment the organizers for having the guts to make it so.”

He and partner Wade Krieger had a relaxed first half of the race.  “But I was nervous,” Matt said.  “Wade had never done a race longer than 2 hours and I certainly hadn’t trained for it.

“I thought we were clear away,” he went on.  “But when we headed into ‘Toti, Luke and Gene popped up to our right.

“That’s the way it goes in downwind paddling!”

They found a better line than their opposition through the surf on the way out from Amanzimtoti and were ahead until…

“I don’t know whether Wade was looking to see where they were,” laughed Matt, “but we fell in!  And Wade struggled to get in again so we took 30-40sec to get going.  And then I had to dive in again to get my drinking system.

“And after that it was an arm-wrestle all the way to the finish. 

“The runs were fantastic – we were doing 20-28kph the whole time and the finish came so quickly.

“I was still nervous; we were just trying to stay calm and save a bit for the end.”

Photo Finish

As they approached the finish at Brighton, Matt and Wade accelerated. 

“We were a wave ahead, but as we arrived, the shore break jacked up and I had to wait,” said Matt.  “If we’d just gone, we’d have been smashed. 

The leaders approach the shore break...

“Luke and Gene came through and beat us to beach, but then they dropped their boat!”  

It turned into a lung-bursting sprint to carry the skis across the soft sand up the beach to the finish line.  A desperate dive… and who’d won?

There were photos – but none of them were at quite the right angle…  they show both crews with their skis in mid-lunge, but who was in front?  Who can say?!  So an honorable tie for the record-breaking first place was declared.

...and a frantic dive across the line!

Records

The Scottburgh to Brighton record, owned by Matt Bouman and Herman Chalupsky since 1998 was smashed by more than 17 minutes.

Zoog Haynes and Linton Hope broke the vets’ record; Nick Burdon and Hayley Nixon were the faster mixed doubles crew ever and the women’s record was smashed by Nikki Russell and Jenna Ward.

“It was just so nice to have a proper downwind,” exclaimed Matt.  “Good people, good times, good fun!”

The race was run by South Coast Lifesaving Association.

Results 

Having last raced back in April at the King of the Habour race in New Zealand, the 38 year-old flyer from Narrabeen, Sydney will look to this weekend’s clash to reignite his competitive spark before he takes on important assignments in Mauritius and Portugal in the coming weeks.

Conservative

A lack of racing recently and little indication of strong winds blowing this weekend, Anderson has set himself some conservative goals for this weekend.

However, a sixth place effort at last year’s FNB Durban Downwind – behind fellow Australian, Michael Booth and a powerful South African quartet – proves the Fenn Kayaks/Oceanpaddler athlete has what it takes to mix it up at the front and should forecasts improve, may well be a factor again in 2016.

It is what it is!

“There doesn’t seem like there will be much wind on the weekend unfortunately but it is what it is, its just one of those uncontrollables that you can’t get too concerned about.

“I’ll get the whip out and give it a crack but I need all the help I can get so if it’s flat then it’ll be hard to match the pace of guys like Hank (McGregor) and company.

“Having not raced since New Zealand, I have absolutely no idea how I’ll go this weekend, especially given the expected conditions. Either way though, it will be good get some miles in the arms before Mauritius and Portugal!”

Having jetted in on Tuesday, 14 June and only departing for Mauritius on Wednesday after this weekend’s clash, Anderson has made a point of making the most of his time in SA, both on and off the water.

“I first came to South Africa in 2008 to race but it was just so easy to make friends that I was back again in 2009 and 2010 before taking a bit of a break and then returning again last year and again now,” explains Anderson.

“I arrived last Tuesday, everything lined up perfectly for me for the Scottburgh to Brighton race on Thursday, I went for a paddle on Monday, did a downwind from DUC to Umhlanga on Tuesday evening and I’ll paddle again today (Wednesday), so its been good!

Safari

“I also always try and do some stuff outside Durban while I’m here – last year I went up Sani Pass, in 2010n I spent a few days in Cape Town – and so it was absolutely amazing to head up the North Coast and spend two nights at the Zululand Rhino Reserve this time.

“My friends are why I’m here really; the race is just an excuse to come back and is just a sideshow,” he laughs.

While the majority of the focus will be on the singles racing, Durban’s affinity for doubles racing is likely to draw a healthy S2 field as well, an event that will run concurrently to the S1 clash.

Sponsors

Through the generous support of title sponsors FNB, the first 100 online entrants will receive a complimentary moisture management race garment while R40 000 will be up for grabs across all age and gender categories and all participants stand the chance of claiming one of the various sought-after Thule lucky draws prizes at the event’s prize giving.

Online entries, submitted via www.roag.co.za, close on Wednesday, 22 June with registration taking place at Marine SLC on Friday, 24 June from 17h00-19h00.

The 2016 FNB Durban Downwind takes place on 25 or 26 June, the final race date and venue will be announced on the series' Facebook page on Thursday, 23 June. More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za.

“The Durban Downwind is a race I’d love to win for sure,” confirms McGregor. “It’s going to be pretty tough though; at this stage conditions look like it’s going to be pretty flat plus a lot of the local guys are in really good shape at the moment.”

“Guys like Matt Bouman and Wade Krieger are both very fit while Steve Woods and Luke Nisbet also showed at Thursday’s Scottburgh to Brighton that they’ve got the miles in them too.

“A local youngster or two may just put their hand up on the day as well and I hear there will also be one or two Aussies (Mark Anderson) on the line, which will add another element to the mix as well.”

Forecast

Organisers and competitors alike continue to keep a close eye on weather forecasts as they try to best prepare for the weekend’s likely conditions with current predictions suggesting there will be a healthy breeze blowing during the latter part of the week, however there appears to be little wind expected this weekend until Sunday afternoon.

“At this stage it looks like it might be a bit of a slog before having to deal with a bit of swell at the end but it doesn’t matter too much what conditions are like on the day really, if you’ve got the right mindset then you’ll adapt accordingly.

“Anything can happen when it comes to the weather; a buster Westerly could suddenly come through and it could be great downwind conditions or current predictions could be correct and it will be a tough, flat paddle from start to finish – who knows?

Local Knowledge

“Local knowledge will help a bit if the wind does end up blowing and then current and lines become a factor but if it’s a hard slog, then it comes down to who is the fittest guy on the day!” said Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks’ McGregor.

In 2014 – his only appearance at the race previously – McGregor looked well set to clinch the event’s inaugural title as he led from start to 100 metres from the finish.

A stumbling at the final hurdle – getting through the colossal surf shortly before the finish line on the at La Mercy beach – however proved his undoing and handed Jasper Mocké (Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks) the win instead.

“2014 will definitely be playing on my mind as I prepare this week,” admits McGregor, who trains from his Salt Rock home base. “It can be flat and you’re in the lead the whole way but not even that can guarantee you a win as you could take a swim at the finish.”

“There is a bit of swell around at the moment so if there is some surf at the finish again this weekend then to be safe you’ll need to have enough of a lead that you don’t have to take a chance and can afford to take your time and go in on the back of a wave or wait on the sand bank for the set to go through.

“We’ll just have to wait and see how the weather pans out over the next couple of days and then try to plan accordingly.”

Window Period

The organisers aim to stage the race in the best available downwind conditions and, as such, a two day window period has been set aside with a final decision on the race date, start time and 26km course – either Marine SLC to La Mercy or vice versa – to be made on Thursday morning.

While the majority of the focus will be on the singles racing, Durban’s affinity for doubles racing is likely to draw a healthy S2 field as well, an event that will run concurrently to the S1 clash.

Sponsors

Through the generous support of title sponsors FNB, the first 100 online entrants will receive a complimentary moisture management race garment while R40 000 will be up for grabs across all age and gender categories and all participants stand the chance of claiming one of the various sought-after Thule lucky draws prizes at the event’s prize giving.

Online entries, submitted via www.roag.co.za, close on Wednesday, 22 June with registration taking place at Marine SLC on Friday, 24 June from 17h00-19h00.

The 2016 FNB Durban Downwind takes place on 25 or 26 June, the final race date and venue will be announced on the series' Facebook page on Thursday, 23 June. More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za.

After organisers confirmed on Thursday morning that the event will take place from 13h00 on Sunday, 26 June, Burn is set to be joined on the start line of the 26km clash from La Mercy Beach to Marine Surf Lifesaving Club by fellow elite racers Nicole Russell, Hayley Nixon, Jenna Ward and Kyeta Purchase.

The five’s pedigree speaks for itself with all having bagged race crowns and podium finishes on both the surfski and marathon racing circuit throughout the past eighteen months.

Conservative Outlook

For Amanzimtoti’s Burn though, this weekend’s clash represents a different challenge to many of her previous paddling tasks, with the veteran surfski competitor expecting to have the best seat in the house from which to view the title race unfold rather than competing for victory herself.

“My focus has shifted a little and I was looking forward to giving the recent Ironman 70.3 in Durban a bit of a go so I haven’t really paddled competitively since November,” explains Burn.

“A silly knee injury I picked up a couple of months ago sadly ruled me out of Ironman though, so when I couldn’t ride I thought I might as well paddle and that’s when I decided to do the Durban Downwind.

“Unfortunately I then picked up a really rare virus and was really ‘man down’ for the last little while, so I really am not in great shape at all at the moment,” the highly decorated surfski competitor chuckles somewhat bewilderedly.

While her recent health troubles, together with forecasts of little wind to help push her along on race day, see the 30 year-old Fenn Kayaks athlete heading into Sunday’s race with a conservative personal outlook.

More hopeful by the day, 10kt is enough to kick up some runs...

Burn is however confident a storm of action is set to unfold in front of her as the in-form Russell, Ward and Purchase (all Fenn Kayaks) as well as Nixon (Carbonology Sport) give it their all.

“Hayley (Nixon) is very powerful and will be super strong, especially if its flat while Nikki (Russell) is probably the most consistent of the four across all conditions and her win at the SA Marathon Champs recently showed she has what it takes in flat condition too.

“Jenna (Ward) and Kyeta (Purchase) are obviously incredible paddlers as well and I’m sure they’ll be right up there this weekend but I think Hayley and Nikki go into the race as slight favourites.

But... if there's wind...

“If for some reason the wind gods do bless us with some wind on Sunday then perhaps my years of experience and technical skill will mean I stand a bit of a chance but if there’s not much wind and it is flat, like is expected to be, then I think I’ll just be watching from behind as the others battle it out ahead of me.”

While the majority of the focus will be on the singles racing, Durban’s affinity for doubles racing is likely to draw a healthy S2 field as well, an event that will run concurrently to the S1 clash.

Through the generous support of title sponsors FNB, the first 100 online entrants will receive a complimentary moisture management race garment while R40 000 will be up for grabs across all age and gender categories and all participants stand the chance of claiming one of the various sought-after Thule lucky draws prizes at the event’s prize giving.

Online entries, submitted via www.roag.co.za, close at midday on Friday, 24 June with registration taking place at Marine SLC from 17h00-19h00 on the same day while the 2016 FNB Durban Downwind takes place Sunday, 26 June. More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za.

Mother Nature - Party Pooper

Despite organisers’ best efforts to stage the race in the best available wind conditions of the weekend, Mother Nature didn’t come to the party as hoped and the 26km journey from La Mercy Beach to Marine Surf Lifesaving Club at Addington Beach was a testing one for all.

Graham Neate and Tony Purchase punch through the surf on the way to the start

McGregor, having come close to victory in the race’s debut in 2014, had little hassle second time around as he claimed a commanding triumph, racing home one minute and four seconds ahead of Matt Bouman.

“I’m glad to take the win this time around,” said McGregor. “I narrowly lost it two years ago so it’s nice to win the Durban Downwind for the first time.”

“Conditions were pretty tough; there was hardly any assistance really so it was a hard slog for 26kms.

“I managed to get out in front early and then kept the guys behind me for the rest of the race – there weren’t too many tactics involved really.

“I was in hospital on Friday so it was a hit and miss whether I was going to race but I’m glad I was able to get out there and it’s nice to have gotten the win,” added the Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks athlete.

Organisers Tried

Bouman echoed McGregor’s sentiments regarding the conditions while sang the praises of the victor and the organisers alike.

Matt Bouman - second

“It’s sad that it was as flat as it was because there aren’t many races where the organisers genuinely search for the best downwind conditions and the Durban Downwind is one of them where they do.

“This was one of only a few opportunities where the guys use the whole two day window period to try to find the wind but when Mother Nature says there’s no wind then there simply is no wind.

“I’m not unhappy with how I performed; it was good for me personally but the person who puts in the most work is the guy who wins and it’s something you’ve got to give people credit for.

“Hank was just too strong today and well done to him for that. The man’s commitment to sport and the amount of work he does is one hell of a thing,” added Bouman graciously.

Aussie Ando Represents

Australian paddler Mark Anderson rounded out the podium with a well deserved third place.

Australia’s Mark Anderson (Fenn Kayaks/Oceanpaddler Sydney) claimed the bottom step of the podium while Gene Prato and Barry Lewin (Jeep Team) claimed positions four and five.

Carbonology Sport’s Bailey de Fondaumiere was the first junior across the line, finishing seventh overall, while birthday boy, Wade Krieger (Epic Kayaks/Falcon World Travel) rounded out the top ten.

Women's Race

In the women’s charge, Russell and Hayley Nixon went head to head from the get-go, the former edging out the latter by thirty three seconds in the end.

Nicole Russell enjoyed the flat conditions

“I love the Durban Downwind and it’s great to win again,” said Russell. “Winning SA Marathon Champs a couple of weeks ago definitely gave me a bit of confidence in these flat conditions because I do normally prefer the bumps, runs and a bit of swell.”

“I knew it was going to be a grind but it was even tougher than I was expecting.

“Haylz (Nixon) was there the whole way and it was a ding-dong battle between us. I went deep early on and I didn’t see Hayley until we met up at about halfway. I then went on the inside and she stuck to the middle, which worked out for me in the end but it was very close.”

Nixon was pleased with her effort. “It was an awesome race and a titanic battle. I’m stoked with second place and well done to Nikki on her win,” the Carbonology Sport competitor said.

Hayley Nixon - second in the women's race

Visitors

While a predominantly local field, eleven paddlers from Gauteng and one each from Western and Eastern Cape made the journey to Durban for the race with Johannesburg’s Anna Clifford Arwidi rounding out the women’s podium while Durbanville Hills’ Anton Holtzhausen was the first Masters competitor home.

Thank you FNB!

Through the support of title sponsors FNB, a prize money purse of R40000 was given away across all age groups and categories while all finishers stood the chance winning various Thule and Funky Pants lucky draws prizes.

“KwaZulu-Natal is South Africa’s second largest economy and is well positioned in the tourism and sporting sectors,” commented Howard Arrand, FNB Business - KZN Provincial Head.

“We relish the opportunity to be involved with the Durban Downwind event as the sport continues to grow in popularity as one of the key activities in the province and the South African sporting calendar.

“Congratulations to all those who took part in the race as well as the families, spectators and the various communities who showed their support,” he added.

More information can be found at www.durbandownwind.co.za.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
2016 FNB DURBAN DOWNWIND

Overall

1. Hank McGregor 1:44.50
2. Matt Bouman 1:45.54
3. Mark Anderson (AUS) 1:48.54
4. Gene Prato 1:49.27
5. Barry Lewin 1:50.40
6. Luke Nisbet 1:50.52
7. Bailey de Fondaumiere (U18) 1:52.35
8. Jason Ekstrand 1:53.06
9. Steve Woods 1:53.43
10. Wade Krieger 1:54.10

Women

1. Nicole Russell 2:01.32
2. Hayley Nixon 2:02.05
3. Anna Clifford Arwidi 2:27.49

“Leave me!”

A passing kite surfer, seeing the stricken paddler, had chased after the ski.  “Jasper still had a chance at the podium and I told him to leave me,” said Dawid. 

A worried Jasper paddled back into the race, glancing back to see his swimming brother disappear into the distance.

The Tamassa Resort, Southwest Mauritius - venue for the Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic

Lux Surfski Week - Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic 2016

This year’s MOC, the eighth and the first to be sponsored by Investec Bank, had seen perfect conditions for the entire week – the southeasterly trade winds blew every day and the paddlers reveled in the daily downwind runs from Tamassa to Le Morne.

Stellar Field

The men’s field included three-time champion Dawid Mocke (RSA), three-time (and defending) champion Hank McGregor (RSA), current ICF Ocean Racing World Champion and 2015 World Series Champion Cory Hill (Aus), Michael Booth (Aus), 2014 winner Jasper Mocke (RSA) and Matt Bouman (RSA), Mark Anderson (Aus) any of whom could make the podium. 

The women’s race was also packed with stars: Nicole Leigh Russell (who had just won the Durban Downwind at home in South Africa), defending champion Michelle Burn, three-time champ Nikki Mocke and Durban stars Jenna Ward and Hayley Arthur.  The South Africans were unaware of a dark horse in the mix too: Wendy Reyntjes from Geelong, Australia. 

Overall, this was the biggest women’s field ever with over thirty racing.

Grey hairs…

Who’d be a race director?  On Friday, a massive southwesterly swell came in, 3m/15s swells smashing and roaring onto the reefs and preventing the rescue boats operating in the unprotected area south of the island.

“It’s the kind of thing that that gives you grey hairs,” said race director Anton Erasmus.  “We have a range of abilities among the paddlers and safety is paramount.

“At one point it looked as though we might have to race inside the reef.”

Happily by Saturday morning the seas had subsided somewhat, and although the course was shortened by 3km, conditions were safe, if challenging, for the majority of the paddlers.

The paddlers head out to the start of the race - in crystal clear warm water

Race Course(s)

The race was split into two: the main course outside the reef and a gentler option inside the lagoon.

The "wild-siders" paddled 19km from the start at the resort, through the Tamassa Pass, west towards Le Morne, then in a northerly direction towards the L’Ambulante Pass and then back across the lagoon to the finish. 

The "Wild-siders" course

Men’s Race

Jasper Mocke was worried about his ability to compete in this race; he’d fallen sick after Molokai and still wasn’t feeling well.  Nonetheless, he hurtled off the start line, leading the men to the turn buoy before the Tamassa Reef Pass.

“I realized I wasn’t going to be able to compete at that pace,” he said.  “So I reset my expectations and aimed instead for a top 5 result – which I got so I was happy.”

L to R: Michael Booth (Aus), Jasper Mocke (RSA), Mark Anderson (Aus), Hank McGregor (RSA) and Matt Bouman (RSA) race out from the start

Collision

The Tamassa Reef Pass is wide and easy to navigate – but under race stress all kinds of things can happen…  As Aussie Mark Anderson found when a wave popped up out of nowhere and the foamie hit from the side, knocking him off and sending his ski careering into his neighbor, Matt Bouman.  The two remounted, but Bouman found that the collision had bent his ski’s rudder and he wasted precious seconds straightening it. 

Meanwhile Dawid Mocke had surged out through the pass at the head of the pack, immediately hooking into a couple of runs and taking the lead.

Behind him Hank McGregor had taken a slightly wider line.  “Conditions were pretty wild,” he said.  “When we got to Le Morne we came together and I was actually on the inside when Dawid got eaten by the wave."

The paddlers enjoyed the downwind leg

Short Downwind

“The downwind section was actually quite short,” he commented.  “Dawid and I had paddled the course the day before and we agreed that we were going to have to leave something in the tank for the last section – 4km on small bumps and then 1800m into the wind and current across the lagoon to the finish.”

While Dawid Mocke swam, Hank led Cory Hill and Michael Booth around the corner and onto the flatter, protected waters as they headed north.

Aussie Michael Booth also had a swim, but managed to remount within seconds. 

“The swell coming in through Le Morne was massive!” He said. “Hank, Cory and Dawid came together in that section after Hank came in from an outside line.

“Dawid got taken out by a freak set way outside the pass. I missed those sets and took a big one to the inside putting me some 250m inside the other boys. It put me in a great position almost catching Cory and Hank as I was just behind the reef catching waves, while they were out wide catching swells.

“I nearly came unstuck with about 1km to go with a set standing up forcing me to jump off my ski and throw it over the wave. I was lucky and it was easy to recover and only cost me about 10seconds. Cory and Hank were too strong and kept pulling away from me in the small grindy bumps!

“Yeah it was an awesome race. Great conditions for the event.” he added.

Final Stretch

“About 1km from Le Morne, I pushed it and managed to open up a bit of a lead,” said Hank McGregor.  “And after that I just tried to work the bumps and got further ahead.

“Le Morne is like the turning point,” he went on.  “The race jumps to another level of intensity.”

Hank McGregor catches the shoulder of a wave on the outside of Le Morne

McGregor won by just under a minute from Cory Hill in 1:08:46.

Cory Hill chases Hank McGregor on the flat protected waters heading north to L'Ambulante Pass

“What was nice to see, was the performances from some of the other paddlers like Barry Lewin and Oscar who had really good races.  Kyle Friedenstein beat Oscar for the first time.

“It’s fantastic to have such a great line up of paddlers; without them, the title just wouldn’t mean anything.

“It was a fabulous week with my wife Pippa and my son, Thorsten.”

Very Happy

“I’m very happy to have won my fourth MOC.  In fact the trophy only has two names on it: Mocke and McGregor so we’re thinking of changing it to the MockGregor Trophy,” he laughed.

Hank has had a pretty good month – four major titles in four weeks: Molokai, SA Marathon Champs, Durban Downwind and the 2016 Investec MOC.

The last 1800m was a hard grind on flat water into the wind and current!

Long Swim

Dawid Mocke was finally reunited with his ski when Mark Anderson arrived at Le Morne.  In a display of sportsmanship, Anderson paddled across and held Mocke’s ski while the kite surfer who had been clutching it, sailed back to pick up Mocke, dragging him across to the ski.  Mocke finished in 13^th place, nearly 9min adrift of the winner.

Women’s Race

Nikki Mocke lead Michelle Burn and Nikki Russell through the Tamassa Pass – but they had an unexpected companion.  The unknown (at least to the South Africans) Wendy Reyntjes was also in the group – and as they exited the pass, Reyntjes turned sharp right, on the edge of the reef and close behind the breaking surf.

The women head out towards the Tamassa Reef Pass

Tiger Line

“She was on a serious tiger line, right on the edge of the reef,” said Nikki Mocke.  “I just thought to myself, ‘who’s that chick?  She’s flying!  And… she’s gonna die!’”

The three South Africans diced wave for wave down to Le Morne – and to their surprise, Wendy Reyntjes reappeared next to them. 

Nikki Mocke took a wide (safe) line around the corner at Le Morne, and the other three women disappeared.

Having battled with a recent flu, Michelle Burn didn’t think she would feature in the race.  “But I guess the wind put me in the mix,” she said. “The race was really enjoyable.

“As for Wendy, I didn't even know who she was since I wasn't in Tahiti for world champs,” She added. “All I know is she is very brave and took some extremely close ‘tiger’ lines off the turn outside the start pass at Tamassa, and along from the old Le Morne pass to the finish. It paid off for her and she was super strong the whole way.

“I managed to catch her about 2km from the Le Morne pass, and managed to get a couple runs ahead of her there.  After heading out deeper a bit as I was a bit shallow at the pass, I saw Nikki Russell and managed to keep them both on my tail as we rounded the pass."

"It was massive..."

“It was massive and we were all quite close trying to catch the backline wave off the back since the runs faded out from the protection of the reef.  Shortly after the Le Morne pass I nearly got taken out by a wave, and I had to paddle out to sea to miss it. I looked back to see Wendy doing the same, but poor Nix (Russell) just stayed on the wave and caught it in...

Panicked

“I didn’t see the boat at the turn,” Nikki Russell said.  “And I just panicked and turned over the reef 750m early.”

She quickly realized what she’d done, and paddled on the inside of the reef up to the actual turning point – but the race organisers had no choice but to DQ her. 

“My heart was sore,” she said.  “I was so fit and had worked so hard for it.  But I will never make that mistake again!”

Meanwhile Wendy Reyntjes put the hammer down and inexorably drew away from Michelle Burn on the flat lagoon, beating her in the end by just 21 seconds in 1:22:41.

Reyntjies leads Burn on the protected water, heading north with the kite surfers in Le Morne Pass in the background

Investec MOC 2017

Investec Bank have signed up for a three-year sponsorship and the events team from LUX Resorts will be announcing plans for an even bigger and better event next year… Stay tuned for details.

Full Results

 "Wild-sider" Race

Insider Race

Paddlers, Forecast

131 men and 12 women are entered (Click here for the full entry list).  Among the men:

• Cory Hill (Aus): 2015 ICF World Ocean Racing Champion and World Series Title Holder
• Sean Rice (RSA): 2013 ICF World Ocean Racing Champion, NSC Champ 2013, 2015
• Sam Norton (Aus)
• Jasper Mocke (RSA): NSC Champ 2012
• Dawid Mocke (RSA)
• Benoit Leroux (FR)
• Kenny Rice (RSA)
• Mark Anderson (Aus)
• Yannick Laousse (FR): NSC Champ (and European champ) 2014
• Joep van Bakel (NED)
• Walter Bouzan (ESP)

Predictions?

Cory Hill came second last weekend in Mauritius behind a rampant Hank McGregor... but McGregor is not in Portugal for tomorrow’s race.  Sean Rice has won this event twice and would love to take it a third time.  The French paddlers Yannick Laousse and Benoit Leroux are the most likely contenders to present the Australians and South Africans a challenge.

Sam Norton and Dawid Mocke have also featured on the podium in this event in previous years.

My call?  Cory Hill, Sean Rice, Jasper Mocke!

Women’s Race

The field in the women’s race is quite small, and assuming she’s spent any time in her boat, I’m calling Michele Eray (USA) to win this race.   Michele practically owns the event, having won four times in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

The other women in contention (IMO) will be:

• Angie Mouden (FR)
• Chloë Bunnett (ESP)
• Sara Rafael (POR)

Stronger on flat water is Amaia Olaberri (ESP) who will feature strongly if the wind doesn't blow.

Course

The course is a 19km downwind route from Viana do Castelo to Ofir on the open Atlantic Ocean…

The weather forecast predicts a WNW breeze of 10kph at 11am strengthening to around 16kph by 4pm when the race is due to start.

According to NELO Surfski CEO Oscar Chalupsky, that’s more than enough wind to kick up rideable waves, but not enough to raise safety concerns even for the less experienced paddlers.  Race director’s perfection, in other words.

Race Tracking

To follow the race, click here: http://www.tractrac.com/web/event-page/event_20160706_NeloSummer/764/

Previous winners

(The inaugural event in 2009 had no long distance course, but comprised a surf lifesaving style knockout event.)

NELO Summer Challenge

The inaugural event was held in 2009 when NELO hosted a surf lifesaving-style surfski tournament – an aspect that has gone onto to become the second day’s fun after the more serious downwind race that usually takes place the day before.

In 2013 the race became the first ICF Ocean Racing World Championships, and Sean Rice (RSA) won it in grueling flat conditions against a field full of Australian and South African stars.  He won the Summer Challenge again in 2015.  (2014 saw a field restricted to European entrants for the European Surfski Championships.)

In the women’s section, South African (and now US) paddler Michele Eray made the race her own, winning four out four attempts, the exception being 2011 when Australian Naomi Flood was women’s champion.

2016

Last week another star-studded field flew in from all over the world – current ICF World Champion and 2015 World Series Champion Cory Hill; defending champion Sean Rice; 2012 winner Jasper Mocke; ex-World Series champion Dawid Mocke; Mark Anderson and a number of others who all could legitimately hope to fight their way onto the podium.  European challengers included 2014 European Champion Yannick Laousse (FR) and silver medalist Benoît Le Roux (FR).

In the women’s race, Michele Eray could be confident of another victory, with no other non-European paddlers in the mix.  2014 European champion Sara Rafael (POR), runner up 2014 European champs was there, as was the diminutive but powerful French athlete Angie Mouden 2014 European champion.  But neither they nor the other women entrants had nearly the depth of open ocean experience that Eray could call upon.

The Race

Conditions on Saturday were a race director’s dream: 16-20kph wind with small waves at the start, building as the race progressed.  The wind was directly behind the paddlers from the start – giving a 100% downwind course.

The start was a conventional line-up along the beach next to the breakwater at Viana do Castelo; the paddlers poised next to their skis. 

As the siren sounded the paddlers leapt onto their craft and sprinted out over the 600m of flat water behind the harbor wall. 

And they're off!

Inside v Outside line – which way to go?

As the paddlers reached the end of the breakwater, they had to make a decision.  “It was quite a delicate balance,” said Dawid Mocke, “between catching the first run and working out to find the bigger waves.

“It was similar to a Milnerton to Melkbos run at home: the runs were small to begin with, but grew as time went on – beautiful!” he said.

On the TracTrac replay, it’s easy to see how the race progressed.

Ten minutes in, Sean Rice and Dawid Mocke were neck and neck – but Dawid, with his brother Jasper close behind was 80-100m further out in the runs.  Cory Hill had moved up, on roughly the same line and was only 30-40m back.

TracTrac - 10min in...

Awesome Conditions

“It was an amazing race really with awesome conditions’” Said Hill. “I think perhaps the best the race has seen. Oscar and myself compared Garmin times after the race and we were going no slower than 3:30 per km which is a very fast course.”

His deeper line was intentional.

“I knew if I worked hard from the start and pushed out further to begin with the wind would be in your favour at the end,” he said. “This was the case in the race. I just made sure I was the deepest and had momentum to come over the top of Dawid with 3km to go.

“I think Ando (Mark Anderson) was even further out which was smart,” he added.

Sean Rice (leading), Dawid Mocke and Jasper Mocke - just after the start

Sean Rice’s line was also intentional.  “We were into the runs immediately,” he said.  “It’s really a great course this!

“I went out hard at the start and then went a little bit inside.  It was my game plan and I stuck by it.  I don’t know if it was bad line because I was just getting tired towards the end.”

By the 26min mark, Rice had fallen back

Rice has been on a worldwide coaching tour for the last few months.  “Maybe my conditioning wasn’t as sharp as it needs to be for a 19km race!”

Sean Rice

“About half way I saw Cory to my right and slightly further back,” said Dawid.  “But I didn’t see him again until about 3km to go.”

By now, Sean Rice, some 250m closer to shore was visibly falling back; Dawid Mocke was in the lead, but Cory Hill was not far behind.

53 year old legend Oscar Chalupsky had entered the frame too – reveling in the runs and working his way up from 20^th to 11^th position.

Cory makes his move

The moment Cory Hill passed Dawid Mocke

On the TracTrac replay, at around the 56min mark, you can see the moment when Cory made his move.  At 56:29 he surges into the lead.

“With 5km to go,” said Dawid, “I thought I had it, but then I hit a real choppy patch, not very fast at all, just opposite the river mouth, and that’s where Cory caught up to me.

“He was just too strong; he was really, really strong.  He just pulled over one or two of those choppy, glassy bumps, and that was it!”

Aussie Mark Anderson came in third

Surf finish

The race wasn’t quite over; by now the surf had built up at the Ofir Beach and would prove a challenge.

“At the finish I thought I might get him on a wave,” said Dawid.  “But then he made it through so I actually had to turn around and pop back over a big one that came through.

“And that was the race!”

Except it wasn’t, quite.  There was still a battle on for third place.  “We had some really solid surf,” said Sean Rice.  “It must have been 2.5m – Atlantic 2.5m which is quite big!

“So there was a lot of spills and thrills at the end including Jasper.”

Sean, Mark Anderson and Jasper Mocke came in on the same wave.  “Jasper was on the inside against the pier and he swam as the wave bowled.  I managed to hold it and Mark was just ahead of me.”

All Smiles

“Otherwise, a good event, all smiles.  Cory had a phenomenal race; he’s really in dominant form at the moment!”

Oscar Chalupsky ended up in sixth place behind Jasper Mocke. 

Oscar Chalupsky made best use of his legendary downwind skills to power through from 20th position to 6th

“I was pleased with my result,” Oscar said, “especially on the real downwind section.

“I compared my splits with Cory and we had 6-8 km where we were within 1-2 seconds,” He added.  “I lost my time in the first 3 km and last 2 km. I had a top speed of 27.2kph; he had 23.4!”

In fact, Oscar’s top speed was the fastest in the entire race.

Coming in seventh, Benoît Le Roux was the top European paddler

Women’s Race

The women’s race was frustrating to watch on TracTrac because they were indistinguishable from the men – it would be nice if TracTrac had a button you could press “Show women only”!

Added to that the fact that Michele Eray’s tracking device never left the beach, meant that we had an incorrect view of the positions anyway.

Michele Eray was first to the beach - but was pipped on the run up to the finish line

“The conditions were fabulous,” said Michele.  “But I didn’t know how I was doing because you can’t see the other women in the field.”

Note for the organisers – perhaps different colored bibs for the women would help them to see each other.

“I was coming in on a wave when a guy on the same wave turned in front of me,” Michele said.  “So I had to pull out of the wave, and paddle in between waves.”

She eventually made it to the beach, but then…

“I made a schoolgirl error,” she said.  “I was just jogging up the beach – and I didn’t look round to see if anyone else was coming.”

And at that moment, Angie Mouden, whom TracTrac had reported in the lead all along, surged forward, sprinting up the beach.  She managed to hurl herself in front of Michele Eray as they reached the finish line to take the win, literally by centimeters.

“The spectators were yelling,” said Michele ruefully, “but with the noise from the wind and surf, I just didn’t realize what was happening.  I won’t make that mistake again!  But well done to Angie!”

Summary Results

Overall Men

1. Cory Hill (AUS) 01:07:00
2. Dawid Mocke (RSA) 01:07:47
3. Mark Anderson (AUS) 01:08:31

Overall Women

1. Angie Mouden (FR) 01:20:18.51
2. Michele Eray (USA) 01:20:18.96
3. Sara Rafael (POR) 01:25:05

Click here for the full results 

Squamish

Where in the world is Squamish?  It’s in British Colombia, Canada, just north of the border with the USA.

Defending Champs 

Saturday’s race was the third of the annual events and Sean Rice, winner of the previous two races was on hand to defend his title…  Could he make it three of three?  Defending champion Teneale Hatton was odds-on favourite to win the women's category.

Men’s Race

The top contenders in Canada were the South Africans:  the Mocke brothers and the Rice brothers – fresh from the NELO Summer Challenge where Dawid Mocke, Sean Rice and Jasper Mocke had come 2^nd, 4^th and 5^th respectively while Kenny Rice had come in a disappointing 10^th. 

Aussie Mackenzie Hynard was also in the mix; he’d beaten Kenny Rice in Portugal, coming 8^th.

Race Course

This race is nothing if not picturesque.  Starting at Porteau Cove, the course takes the paddlers 2km out side on to wind and waves to a buoy in the middle of Howe Sound.  From there, they turn sharp right, downwind for 10km to Watts Point and then another 5km or so and into Squamish Harbor.

Downwind conditions are usually excellent – but tides and currents add an unpredictable element in the constricted waterway.

Canadian Surfski Championships Race Course

Men’s Race

Defending Champion Sean Rice blasted away at the start.  “My plan was to have a crack at the hotspot,” laughed Dawid Mocke.  “But Sean put that to bed!  Wasn’t going to happen!”

Sean Rice wins the $1000 Think Hotspot - by miles

But when they turned the corner, the four men found themselves in familiar conditions.

“There were small bumps off the bat,” said Dawid.  “It felt like a mellow reverse Buffels run at home – same temperature water, similar waves.

“Jasper and I train on that run all the time,” he added.  “And you what it’s like: when we do training paddles together, it’s always a race!”

Tactics

“I wasn’t expecting to pull away,” Dawid went on.  “I just wanted to make the others work hard.

“Jasper took a very inside line,” he explained.  “He also wanted to go for the hotspot, but also pulled back when Sean took off.”

Dawid Mocke leads Sean and Kenny Rice with Jasper Mocke on an inshore line

Twenty minutes into the race, Dawid “got in a great sequence of waves”, and created a 40m lead.

“In those conditions,” he explained, “even a small lead is significant, because the guys following have to pull over each wave to make ground on you.”

From there he “worked on one or two more”, and when he next looked around he’d extended his lead to 100m.

“The best thing for me was that we’d worked out the race plan a couple of days before.  It’s so important to have a plan.  I was able to manage the lead, and race to the plan.”

Watt's Point

The sea flattened out a Watts Point, but Dawid used the slingshot effect of the current and pushed hard to make the most of it.

Dawid Mocke slingshots around Watt's Point with Kenny Rice and Jasper Mocke following

“The biggest threat at that point,” Dawid said, “was that Kenny and Jasper had come together and were pushing each other.

“Now it was game of cat and mouse – any of those three (including Sean) can chase you down.”

The runs built up again over the last three km before the paddlers headed into the river but even then, Dawid said, “there was still a bump you could work.”

“Jasper had a great race, especially considering how far back he was.

“Coming into the river he was closing in fast.  Another 500m and he might have had me,” Dawid said.

In the end Dawid beat Jasper by a mere 18sec, with Kenny Rice coming in just under a minute later.  Sean Rice and Mackenzie Hynard were fourth and fifth respectively.

Women’s Race

Defending women’s champion, New Zealander Teneale Hatton had a relatively stress-free run to claim the title for the second year running.

Teneale Hatton, dicing with Jan Malherbe

“With such a spread out field, it was hard to judge where I was,” she said.

Local knowledge from last year’s race was helpful, but she didn’t find much assistance from the waves.  “It was tough racing conditions,” she said, “but mostly a hard slog!

“I just had to stay on top of my work for 21km,” she added.

“I was stoked to take the win today!”

Fellow New Zealander Rachel Clarke came in second with local Tamlyn Bohm third.

(L-R) Rachel Clarke, Teneale Hatton and Tamlyn Bohm

Fantastic Venue, Fantastic Hosts

“Squamish is a fantastic venue,” enthused Dawid Mocke.  “It’s lovely little town, and a highly dynamic outdoor place.  And the Vancouver people are fantastic hosts.”

Results Summary 

Men 

 Women

Full Results 

To analyse the results and to see full category information, see: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=74630