The Epic Kayak’s pair of Bouman and Krieger were in the pound seats following the opening stanza and went into the second 32km leg of the race with a 40 second advantage over the chasing McGregor and Furby whilst Fenn Kayak's Luke Nisbet and REVO Kayak's/Bay Union's Gene Prato were three minutes back in third.

The opening day of the race was not without drama as the final sprint ended in a win for Bouman and Krieger after a mishap from McGregor and Furby which cost them the stage win.

Matt Bouman and Wade Krieger won the first day of the 2-day event

Surfer

"We were hoping to win both days but we had a little altercation with a surfer and we fell off our ski on the sprint to the beach on Saturday," McGregor mentioned after their overall win.

"That error definitely made us more hungry to win the second stage and I am really stoked that myself and Lee were able to put in the performance we did today to claim the Dolphin Coast title.

"Being part of the race from a sponsorship point of view just made it that much better to win - it was a great stage for us to be on and win on.

Hank McGregor and Lee Furby lead the way to the finish on Day 2

Tactics

The race was an exciting one heading into final stage and all the contenders decided to take varying lines in the benign conditions on Sunday with McGregor and Furby's tactics proving to be the difference on the day.

"We decided to not go too deep today and rather remain in the shallower water whilst Matt and Wade went deep which made quite a big difference at the end of the race.

"Steve (Woods) and Bevan (Manson) used a similar tactic to us and they managed to get second on the stage today.

"The conditions were tough today with an off shore wind blowing and I think that the fitter pairs were able to benefit from it," added McGregor.

The start of day two as the paddlers head out through the mild surf

Never Looked Back

The 40 second deficit that McGregor and Furby had to overturn on the second day was going to be a tough ask however they made a push heading into the final half of the day and never looked back after that until they were over the line.

"We got to Blythdale and I told Lee that we needed to stretch the guys, and we did that.

"Making up the time was the first goal and then we pushed as hard as we could to Zinkwazi and we are just really happy to have got the win!" a satisfied McGregor commented.

Despite a barnstorming second day, which saw them finish second, the pair of Woods and Manson ended outside the top three with Nisbet and Prato taking the final podium spot.

Coming in through the surf to finish day 2

Mixed Doubles

The Mixed Doubles Team of Bailey de Fondaumiere and Hayley Nixon had an outstanding result, coming 10th overall

One of the stand out results was the Carbonology mixed duo of Bailey de Fondaumiere and Hayley Nixon as they ended in tenth place overall while the Fenn Kayak's ladies pair of Nikki Russell and Jenna Ward, the only all-ladies pair in the race, came home in fourteenth place overall.More information can be found at www.dolphincoastchallenge.co.za.

Nikki Russell and Jenna Ward were the sole all-female crew in the race 

SUMMARY OF RESULTS - 2016 Gara Dolphin Coast Challenge

Suncoast Pirates - Salt Rock, Salt Rock - Zinkwazi

Overall

1. Hank McGregor/Lee Furby 2:36:52 2:15:12 4:52:04
2. Matt Bouman/Wade Krieger 2:36:12 2:19:15 4:55:27
3. Luke Nisbet/Gene Prato 2:39:47 2:17:25 4:57:12
4. Steve Woods/Bevan Manson 2:44:35 2:16:58 5:01:34
5. Linton Hope/Zoog Heyns 2:48:48 2:28:06 5:16:55
6. Herman Chalupsky/Mark Perrow 2:50:45 2:29:19 5:20:05
7. Brett Hadiaris/Keagan Kruger 2:52:35 2:33:52 5:26:28
8. Michel de Rauville/Jason Ekstrand 2:57:40 2:28:55 5:26:35
9. Quinton Rutherford/Bryan Taylor 2:54:14 2:33:34 5:27:49
10. Bailey de Fondaumiere/Hayley Nixon (Mixed) 2:55:13 2:33:19 5:28:32

Women

1. Nikki Russell/Jenna Ward 3:07:11 2:36:37 5:43:48

Full Results

The Durban surfski scene has been dominated over the years by two of the world’s leading paddlers – Hank McGregor and Matt Bouman. The two have built up an impressive rivalry that has seen the pair trade series titles, although in recent years McGregor has been the dominant force and will be back to defend the title he won in 2016.

World Surfski Series

McGregor, who recently took home the overall honours in the World Surfski Series, is in top racing form and will return to the familiar waters of KwaZulu-Natal with his eyes on another overall title at the 2017 FNB Surfski Series.

“I think last year was my seventh title at the series so it really is a series that I enjoy and have done for years,” Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks’ McGregor mentioned.  “Barry (Lewin) always puts on such a great event and through the ten weeks it becomes tradition for my family so we feel a bit lost with what to do on a Friday night when the series is over!

“I’m really looking forward to another tough series against not only some of the best surfski paddlers in KZN, but in the world too.”

McGregor’s long standing battle with Bouman goes back to well before their professional paddling days and he knows that not only Bouman will pose a threat to his title chase.

“Matthew and I have been racing each other since we were about eight years old so we know each other pretty well.

“The likes of Wade Krieger will also be a tough competitor and I am sure that there are going to be some youngsters looking to make an impact on the series,” he added.

The FNB Surfski Series has become a stalwart event in Durban during the early months of the year and with resolutions being made McGregor feels that this adds to the series’ appeal.

“It’s a great way to get back into the swing of things after a good break over the festive season.

“People are looking for events to get themselves back into shape and with a fairly forgiving course it’s an ideal way for people to get into surfski racing.

“I am looking forward to another competitive year of racing and with my river season training in full swing it will be nice to get into a surfski once in a while,” McGregor added.

Women's Series

The women’s series is set to be one of the most competitive yet with the depth of women’s surfski paddling in KZN growing substantially in the past few years. Hayley Nixon, who won the women’s World Surfski Series title in 2016, is one of those hoping to take top honours this year.

Hayley Nixon dominated the 2016 Cape Point Challenge in December

“I love being involved in the FNB Surfski Series as it was probably the first series that I ever did in a surfski,” the Euro Steel/Carbonology star mentioned.  “Each week it is always such a great way to start the weekend and this year I am expecting the battle for the women’s title to be really tough!

Competitive

“There are girls coming across from river racing and with the likes of Bridgitte (Hartley) also getting into a surfski means that there are so many girls with different strengths. It makes the racing really competitive and each week will be just as tough.”

Bridgette Hartley - coming back to Surfski Paddling

The FNB Surfski Challenge, Race One of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series, takes place at 17h30 on Friday, 6 January at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club, Addington Beach. More information can be found at www.marineseries.co.za

Cool Paddle

Despite the field being slightly depleted with paddlers opting to travel to Underberg early for the N3TC Drak Challenge starting on Saturday, SMG/Epic Kayaks' Matt Bouman was surprised by the conditions that were served up to the competitors.

"It was another really cool paddle," the experienced Bouman said. "The wind was a bit surprising as we were expecting a south-easter which would have been a bit miserable but we got a pumping south-wester which gave us nice gentle bumps all the way to North Beach."

The dice at the front of the race was between Bouman and Wade Krieger, a battle that has played out often in the surf in and around Durban.

"The race was fun as always, Wade is paddling well and for a while I didn't think that I was going to drop him.

"It's an honest, hard race every Friday with nowhere to hide and I am grateful that I was able to come out on top," added Bouman.

Women's Race

Having finished second in the opening two races of the series to Bridgitte Hartley, Euro Steel/Carbonology Sports' Hayley Nixon is in for a bumper weekend of racing starting with an impressive win at the FNB Surfski Series.

Hayley Nixon

"I am glad that I was able to come down and do the race before leaving for the Drak Challenge tomorrow," she mentioned. "The south-wester meant that we had a few more bumps and runs to try and catch on the way to the can at North Beach.

"There was a bit of a head wind coming back which forced you to work hard."

Nixon was the first to admit that the field was not as strong as previous weeks but she knew that it was important to keep her wits about her with the likes of Michelle Burn chasing her the whole way.

"It was a bit of a depleted field with some of the girls making the trip up to Underberg early but with the likes of Michelle Burn on the start line you can never be complacent.

"I was happy that I had a great race and with this being my third week back in training things are starting to feel better and I feel a bit more connected to the boat," Nixon added.

Jason Ekstrand and Richard Lowe made it three wins from three in the doubles category on Friday while Sharon Armstrong and Jonty Dobrowsky taking the mixed doubles honours.

Jason Ekstrand and Richard Lowe continue to dominate in the Doubles category 

In the short course it was Matthew Mouron who took his third in a row with Keaton Riddle and Luke Criticos in third.

Nick Park-Ross took his third win in the SUP category with Danica Bartho taking the win in the ladies SUP race.

Next Race

The Thule Surfski Challenge, Race Four of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series, takes place at 17h30 on Friday, 20 January at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club, Addington Beach. More information can be found at www.marineseries.co.za.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS – DAIKIN SURFSKI CHALLENGE
RACE THREE OF THE 2017 FNB SURFSKI SERIES

LONG COURSE

1. Matt Bouman 32.35
2. Wade Krieger 33.25
3. Gene Prato 34.19
4. Ian Greig 35.26
5. Lee McGregor 35.27
6. Paul Rabinowitz 36.08
7. Oliver Burn 36.18
8. Brett Hadiaris 36.54
9. Irvin Dixon 36.54
10. Gavin Searle 37.01

Women

1. Hayley Nixon 35.44
2. Michelle Burn 36.55
3. Sabina Lawrie 40.39

Doubles

1. Jason Ekstrand/Richard Lowe 32:36
2. Shaun Dias/Matthew Elliott 34.19
3. Shaun Burgin/Lee Muir 34.24
4. Neil Evans/Gustav Kriese 35.12
5. Calvin Mckie/Byron Mckie 35.23

Mixed Doubles

1. Sharon Armstrong/Jonty Dobrowsky 40.01
2. Thando Thusi/Lauren Coleby 40.33
3. Amanda Seidler/Dean Maclean 44.08

Junior Boys

1. Brendon Delport 38.56

Junior Girls

1. Sabina Lawrie

SHORT COURSE

1. Matthew Mouron 19.21
2. Keaton Riddle 19.44
3. Luke Criticos 19.48

Doubles

1. Vandile/Mhlengi Gwala 18.24
2. Scott Sowman/Ryan Engel 18.37
3. Zoog Haynes/Ty Haynes 19.41

Might be a bit nose-heavy, but it works!

SUP

Men

1. Nick Park-Ross 25.12
2. Daryl Bartho 36.13
3. Brandon Read 26.21

Women

1. Danica Bartho 29.20
2. Shannon Clark 29.53
3. Lande Williamson 30.45

The FNB Surfski Series is known for its relaxed, everyone-welcome attitude and that philosophy has seen the event grow into the biggest of its kind in the world, however the racing at the sharp end of the field was anything but relaxed.

"Bit of a hiccup"

Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks' Hank McGregor notched up his fifth win from six races when he continued to show why he is arguably the best ocean paddler in the world at the moment.

"I had a bit of a hiccup near the start when I got into a clash with another boat going around the first buoy," McGregor mentioned after his win.

"There was a knock of paddles as we rounded the buoy and I got flipped out so I must have lost about 30 or 40 places!

"I really had to work hard after that and managed to catch back to the front guys after about three quarters of the first lap."

It was a slog for the defending series champion McGregor who had to wind his way through the field in order to catch the contenders and in a live display of McGregor's tenacity he was not happy to settle when he reached the front paddlers.

"I got to Matthew (Bouman) at the end of the first lap and sat with him for a little bit and then managed to get ahead of him over the last lap and get my fifth win of the series, which I am really happy about!

"It was great to have Matthew back this week to strengthen up the field so to get a win against such a strong group is always satisfying.

"It was phenomenal that we had some international paddlers out here, especially Emil from Sweden!" McGregor added.

With an overall series win in sight, McGregor needs one more win over the next four legs to wrap up yet another series title and his series clinching win could come as soon as Tuesday at the Lettie Paddle Surfski Challenge.

Series Lead - Women's Race

The ladies series took another dramatic turn on Friday evening, with Euro Steel's Bridgitte Hartley edging out team mate Hayley Nixon for her third win of the series and an overall series lead going into the final four races.

Bridgitte Hartley now leads the Women's Series

Hartley's win sees her move ahead of Nixon, who has two wins to her name, and Michelle Burn, who has one win, into the outright lead however, with four races left and unpredictable weather conditions Hartley will be under pressure to maintain her advantage.

Hartley took the race honours ahead of her nearest rivals Nixon in second and Burn in third.

Doubles

In what was probably the performance of the race the mixed duo of Luke Nisbet (Bay Union/Fenn Kayaks) and Euro Steel/Fenn Kayaks' Jenna Ward took the overall race honours ahead of McGregor.

The pair started the series slowly but have got into their stride and showed their class in a double ski by pipping Hank McGregor to the line.

First overall, beating Hank McGregor for line honours for the first time: Luke Nisbet and Jenna Ward

Family Friendly

The ever-popular novice-friendly 4km short course proved to be a family affair yet again with a number of family doubles rising to the top of the result sheet.

The pair of Zoog and Ty Haynes were the first across the line ahead of Dylan Bridges and Eugene Swanepoel with the Swart duo of Justin and Stefan finishing the race in third place.

SUPs

As usual, SUPs were well represented - Jon Ivins heads out...

Nick Park-Ross returned to take his third win in the stand-up paddleboarding category ahead of Brandan Read and Shayne Chipps while Jackie de Billot won the ladies SUP category.

With the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon taking place from Thursday to Saturday next week the Lettie Paddle Surfski Challenge will take place on Tuesday, 14 February rather than Friday evening.

The Lettie Paddle Surfski Challenge, Race Seven of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series, takes place at 17h30 on Tuesday, 14 February at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club, Addington Beach. More information can be found at www.marineseries.co.za.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS – BORLAND SURFSKI CHALLENGE, PRESENTED BY MARRIOT
RACE SIX OF THE 2017 FNB SURFSKI SERIES

LONG COURSE

1. Hank McGregor 35:37
2. Matt Bouman 35:51
3. Grant van der Walt 36:30
4. Wade Krieger 37:04
5. Hamish Lovemore (U18) 37:40
6. Bailey de Foundaumiere 38:11
7. Buckey Symons 38:14
8. Emil Torstensson (SWE) 38:50
9. Oliver Burn 39:22
10. Nic Burden 40:35

Women

• Bridgitte Hartley 40:08
• Hayley Nixon 41:00
• Michelle Burn 41:40
• Kyeta Purchase 42:26
• Kerry Segal 43:22

Doubles

Men

1. Tyron Maher/Lee McGregor 35:46
2. Jason Ekstrand/Richard Lowe 35:58
3. Byron Mckie/Irvin Dixon 37:21
4. Shaun Burgin/Lee Muir 37:28
5. Matt Carlisle/Geoff Thompson 38:59

Women Doubles

1. Louisa van Staden/Wilma Deyzel 43:34
2. Debbie Gillett/Debra Lewis 44:08
3. Jacqui Boyd/Vanessa Mayhew 46:14

Mixed Doubles

1. Luke Nisbett/Jenna Ward 35:32
2. Barry Lewin/Carly Davidson 39:06
3. Raquel Arcediano/Gareth Miles 40:100

Juniors

1. Hamish Lovemore 37:40
2. Brendon Delport 41:54
3. Sabina Lawrie 47:35

SHORT COURSE

1. Bruce Jackson 23:45
2. Jody Taylor 24:05
3. Dave Rees 24:53
4. Shane Gouldie 25:08
5. Alan Beukes 25:54

Women

1. Teegan Hardwick 25:26
2. Siobhan Sharp 26:00
3. Cara Waud 26:17

Doubles

1. Zoog Haynes/Ty Haynes 21:48
2. Dylan Bridges/Eugene Swanepoel 22:19
3. Justin Swart/Stefan Swart 22:21
4. Lance Howarth/Gabi Howart 22:23
5. Scott Sowman/Ryan Engel 22:59

SUP

1. Nick Park-Ross 30:05
2. Brandon Read 30:18
3. Shayne Chipps 31:21
4. Matthew Swemmer 31:25
5. Robbie de Billot 32:23

Women

1. Jackie de Billot 32:47
2. Charlotte Atherton 0:33:49
3. Lande Williamson 35:06

Maui Jim Molokai Challenge 2017

$18,000.00 PURSE

 TIMELINE:

Maui Jim Molokai Challenge DIVISIONS:

SOLO and RELAY:

Relay is one division only, but can have 2 or 3 person teams for single seated crafts and 3 – 6 person teams for double seated crafts. There is not a different division for varying number of team members.

Craft Divisions:

Surfski-1, Surfski-2, Prone Paddleboard, SUP, V-1, OC-1, OC-2.

Surfski-1, OC-1:

• Solo – Male and Female:
• Junior (18 and under), 19 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 56, 57 – 63, 64+
• HAWAII RESIDENT: There will be a division and award for the top SS-1 Hawaii resident paddler
• Relay: 2 or 3 paddlers per team.
• Male and Female: Open = 1^st–3^rd, Juniors, 19-50, 50+.
• Mixed: Open

V-1:

• Solo – Male and Female: Open
• Relay – Open (Male, Female or Mixed)

  Surfski-2, OC-2:

• Solo
• Male and Female: Open
• Mixed: Open
• Relay: 3 – 6 paddlers per team.
• Male and Female: Junior, Open.
• Mixed: Open

SUP:

• Solo – Male and Female
• Unlimited – Any board size: Open
• Relay: 2 or 3 person teams: Male, Female and Mixed
• Unlimited: Open

Prone:

• Solo – Male and Female
• Unlimited: Open
• Relay: 2 or 3 person teams: Male, Female and Mixed
• Unlimited: Open

 
For more details visit www.kanakaikaika.com.   And don't forget, use discount code: KIRA10 to save 10% when booking tickets on Island Air!

The Miller’s Run

For those who don’t know, the 11.7km Miller’s Run is a famous (infamous?) downwind route here in Cape Town, South Africa.  While there are others that “better” in that they’re longer, easier, have warmer water, or whatever the case may be, the fact is that the Miller’s is one of the best known, most travelled downwind runs in the world. 

Cape Town is windy.  Really windy.  The south easterly “Cape Doctor” blows reliably for six months of the year and happens to blow along the edge of False Bay from Miller’s Point, past the Roman Rock lighthouse to Fish Hoek.  And it’s this wind that drives the Miller’s Run.

The Route

We launch at a slipway just to the south of Miller’s Point and paddle out to Bakoven Rock, around 800m offshore.  This part of the paddle can be tense, because you’re angling across the wind and waves, very conscious (at least I am) of the rocks to leeward.  If you fall out, you need to remount very quickly lest your ski be smashed on the rocks leaving you with a long swim back to Rumbly Bay (so-called because the canon-ball sized pebbles rumble as they’re smashed together by the shore break!).

The Miller's Run Route

When you get out to Bakoven Rock, there’s generally a pause while the paddlers group together and start their Garmins…  If you don’t time your run with a GPS, it definitely didn’t happen.

And then it’s off downwind…  Conditions vary widely; occasionally you get clean runs from the start, but more often the sea is somewhat confused for the first couple of km.  The fastest, cleanest waves usually start about 3km from the lighthouse and persist until the entrance of Fish Hoek bay, where they flatten out and you have to paddle hard not to lose momentum for the final km to the beach.  One thing’s for sure – it’s never the same from one run to the next.

Tuesday 5^th December and the regular evening race in Hout Bay had been cancelled; south-easterly squalls were smashing down the sides of Chapman’s Peak and turning the surface of the bay into a churning maelstrom of whitecaps and spray.

Disappointed, Tim resigned himself to a non-paddling evening at home.  But then he had a call.  “Come,” his friend Gary said.  “Miller’s Run!”

Wild Miller's

(The Miller’s Run is a well-known and much beloved route from Miller’s Point to Fish Hoek along the False Bay coast near Cape Town, South Africa.  The most challenging section of the run is the first 800m where the paddlers have to make their way out diagonally into the wind and waves to round Bakoven Rock – which marks the start of the run.)

Tim takes up the story:

“I've been paddling regularly once a week from Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town, but it's been a couple of years since I last did a Miller’s Run,” he said. “The wind was gusting up to 35kts, so there I felt some trepidation, but I pulled the trigger and drove out to Fish Hoek, loaded up onto the Miller's Taxi with Gary and a couple of others.”

The Miller's Run Taxi has made the route much more accessible

The view from the Miller’s Point slipway wasn’t encouraging.  As he looked out towards Bakoven Rock, Tim thought it looked, “like an absolute washing machine, with large waves almost breaking all the way out.  Coupled with the powerful gusting wind, conditions were going to be testing.” 

Rudder Damage

Nervous, he rushed his launch off the slipway, and his rudder grated along the concrete.  He didn’t give it a second thought at the time but the impact had bent the shaft, compromising the movement of the rudder. 

Not realising what had happened, he paddled out into the storm. The difficulty of paddling diagonally into the wind was compounded by the bigger waves beyond the mouth of the bay.  As he crested the swells, the nose of his ski was flung sideways by the wind; once too often and he tipped into the icy water.

“In such conditions, things go pear-shaped pretty quickly,” he said.  “It takes some fair amount of energy and concentration to re-mount in gale force conditions and large swell.  Add cold to the mix, and a dash of panic with a row of sharp rocks nearby, and it's a recipe for disaster...

“I managed to get things together a couple of times but couldn't seem to control the rudder which was very frustrating.  I fell in a few more times, my leg leash getting tangled around the boat and my other leg, making things even more tricky.   With each dismount and re-mount my energy dropped lower and my panic levels rose.  I had to shout to myself a few times to calm down…”

25^th Cape Point Challenge

The race is one of the oldest long distance surfski races in the world, having been started in 1980 as an “off-year” companion race to the Port Elizabeth to East London Challenge, a race so extreme (250km in four days) that it’s only run every two years. 

Responding to the ever-growing popularity of the Cape Point Challenge, in 2007 the organisers took the decision to run the event every year and 2107 marks the 25^th edition of this classic event.

The Route

Fenn Cape Point Challenge - the route

Billed as a 50km race, the actual distance can vary somewhat depending on the route the paddlers take around Cape Point. 

Soetwater

The start is on the beach at Soetwater, near the old crayfish factory.  It’s somewhat sheltered from the SE swell, although some of the paddlers got their hair wet in 2016 going out through the shore break...  The first batches head off at about 05h30; the aim of the batching is to maximise safety by having most of the paddlers arrive at Cape Point more or less together.  

Soetwater - 2016

Olifantsbos

The first landmark is at Olifantsbospunt some 11km from the start, where the wreckage of a WWII steamer (the Thomas L Tucker) can be seen on the beach.  Just opposite is a reef that can break at low tide, or when the swell is big.  The break can appear out of nowhere and a couple of years ago annihilated a group and smashed a couple of skis.  When in doubt, stay out!

Heading out towards Olifants in the early morning light - 2016 

Being the 25^th edition of the event, the 2017 Fenn Cape Point Challenge was always going to be a special race, and the weather gods delivered almost perfect conditions: a moderate 15kt south-easterly headwind at the start that dropped as the paddlers came closer to the Point, but then (as forecast) rapidly gained in strength, helping them home with a classic Miller’s Run downwind. 

Kenny Rice (Think), Graeme Solomon (Knysna Kayaks), Hank McGregor (Epic Kayaks) and Jasper Mocke (Epic Kayaks) prepare for the start

Mellow Start

“It was a mellow start,” said Rice.  “No fireworks!

“I thought Hank might push hard from the start, but it didn’t happen so I just made sure to stay near the front anyway.”

The group formed into a long single-file line, each paddler conserving energy by slip-streaming the boat in front.  “When you drop back from pulling, the guys are quick to let you in,” chuckled Rice, “because they know that it’s the front 3 or 4 boats that do the work.”  Rice ended up pulling much of the first 15km.

Rice had prepared his game plan for the race, taking into account what his rivals were likely to do and reconnoitring the line through the rocks at Cape Point a few days before the race.  Nutrition has also played a big role in his performance this year, he said. 

It was only as the group was approaching South Western Reefs, with Brandon vd Walt and Ian Black sharing the pull, that McGregor and Jasper Mocke started to accelerate.  Rice followed suit and the group broke up.  “I’m not sure what happened to Hank,” said Rice.  “But when Jasper and I each had an energy gel and checked each other’s rudders for weed, he wasn’t around.”

Jasper Mocke and Kenny Rice hit the kelp beds

Thorough Preparation

Mocke and Rice had prepared together for the race, training together and discussing how to beat McGregor who had no fewer than seven singles titles (as well as two doubles titles), winning the race for the first time in 2008 and then every year from 2011 to 2016. 

 “In the past when Hank has dominated,” said Mocke, “he’s gone hard from the start. We knew that if we could stay with him to the Point then we could compete downwind.”

Mocke also spoke of the detailed preparation for the race itself: “Do you take 1l or 2l of juice?  2kg in the boat makes a big difference on the first 27km.  We made sure our weed deflectors were strong and securely glued.  The best rudder for going through the kelp doesn’t work when going downwind, so you need to find a rudder that doesn’t collect weed, but is long enough for the runs.  All these things add up, especially on such a long race.”

A double rounds the spectacular Cape Point

Having committed to helping his brother Dawid with a two-week downwind training camp in the lead up to the race, Mocke knew that his was an outside chance of winning, but he planned to give himself his best shot by getting through the kelp and around the Point in the lead.  That, he accomplished, but “there were three other guys who were stronger on the downwind.”

Tactics

After they rounded the turning buoy, Mocke headed right, hoping for an advantage on a deeper line down the coast, but Rice had a different strategy.  “When the wind starts,” he said, “it’s usually from the south, so an outside line wouldn’t have an advantage… and Hank always takes an inside line and I wanted to be there.”

Jasper Mocke rounded Cape Point in first place, as he'd planned

Rice hasn’t been beaten this year on the Miller’s Run, and if he could get to Miller’s Point first, he’d back himself, even against McGregor.

From the media boat, we watched the drama unfold.  First Jasper Mocke and Kenny Rice – then Nicky Notten came around Cape Point.  Finally, Hank McGregor rounded, close under the rocks and seemed to change gears as he sighted Rice in front.  At first, he seemed to be closing the gap, but Rice accelerated and as we watched, disbelieving, Rice simply paddled away, increasing his lead moment by moment. 

Kenny Rice overtakes Jasper Mocke

There was already plenty of movement in the water, the wind was just beginning to arrive – and all four of the front paddlers, Rice leading, Jasper Mocke on the outside, McGregor slightly inside of Rice’s line and Nicky Notten in the middle, were making the most of it.  It wasn’t paddles-down conditions, but they were all riding the runs, accelerating and linking sequences, working right so as not to be driven too far inshore.

At Smitswinkel Bay we timed the gap; Rice was already over a minute ahead.  It was clear that Jasper Mocke’s line wasn’t working for him.  McGregor had already overtaken him, some 500m closer to shore and Nicky Notten was level with McGregor on Rice’s line.

Hank McGregor passes Nicholas Notten shortly after entering False Bay

Wind Arrives

Rice’s arrival at Miller’s Point coincided with the arrival of the wind. The conditions changed dramatically: white horses appeared, the waves were getting bigger, and we could see that Rice was revelling in the runs.  Paddles down as he caught a ride, a swerve and a few swift strokes to continue the sequence and his average speed was up to 18 or 19kph…  No-one was going to catch him now and when we timed the interval at Roman Rock lighthouse, only 5km from the finish, McGregor was 3 minutes behind. 

Kenny RIce surfs past the iconic Roman Rock lighthouse which marks the half way point of the Miller's Run

“I was worried that Hank was going to come through,” said Rice. He kept looking back, but McGregor and the others were way out of sight.

Effectively the race was over; in conditions like this, no-one was going to catch Rice and he arrived at Fish Hoek 3 ½ minutes ahead of Hank MacGregor.  Nicholas Notten came third and Jasper Mocke fourth. 

“It was amazing to plan it with Kenny,” said Mocke, “and then to see him execute it so well.”

Kenny Rice won by a convincing 3 1/2 minutes - no-one in sight!

Rice became the 14^th male winner of the event, crowning a spectacular year which included winning the Breizh Ocean Race (France) and the Gorge Downwind Championships (USA) as well as coming third behind Cory Hill and Hank McGregor in the ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Hong Kong.

Kenny Rice's GPS Track

Kenny Rice's GPS and HR track from Strava

Kenny Rice's HR track is revealing: The spikes in the otherwise low heart rate indicate where some jostling took place at Olifanstbos and Platboom.  As they approached Cape Maclear and the final stretch to the Point, Rice and Jasper Mocke put the hammer down.  The section of high heart rate for the first 10km after the Point shows clearly where Kenny put in the effort to drop the rest of the field and his heart rate dropped steadily when he got to the last 12km Miller's Run section.  "My heart rate tends to drop anyway on a good downwind," he said.  "But I was also conscious of the danger of getting a spasm in my forearms if I pushed it too much after 40km."  

I suspect that another way of putting it is that his heart rate simply shows just how in control of the race he was!  He knew when to put the power down, had the energy to do it and is so good at downwind paddling that his speed stayed up while his heart rate went down.  

What's interesting about this?

• Oscar did the run in 43:25.  
• He wouldn't tell me what he weighs at the moment.  "Too heavy after Christmas" was all he'd say.
• My all-time best run (done a couple of weeks ago) is 44:26 - on a big day with much stronger wind.
• My times when I paddled the 520 were all over 50min

I found the 520 quite tricky to paddle downwind.  Not because it's tippy, it's one of the most stable boats around - but it's short - over a metre shorter than my Think Evo II and it has much less volume in the nose.  And that means that it nose-dives at the drop of a hat.  It comes with a spray deflector as standard (as do all the Nelo skis) and it needs it - if you're me.

I've done 77 Miller's Runs this year so far - somewhere between 500 and 1,000 over the last 15 years - so I'm not exactly a total novice when it comes to going downwind.  (Old, yes, and my technique is still improving, but I'm at least competent.)

But I found that I had to concentrate all the time and lean right back whenever I started down a run so as to keep the nose up.  The boat is extraordinarily maneuverable - thanks I suspect to its short hull and you can treat it something like an overgrown surfboard - but it really requires concentration.

But in this video you can see that Oscar, at probably 20-25kg more than me, hardly ever lets the nose go under - and his heart rate seems to hover much of the time at between 120 and 130 bpm which for me would be almost standing still.  Absolutely amazing.

Oscar Chalupsky

This is eighth edition of the event and the second time that Chalupsky has entered.  Last year he was beaten by Nicolas Lambert (France) who came in some 3 1/2 minutes ahead of the Big O - but Chalupsky is quick to point out that he was paddling a Nelo 610, Nelo's introductory plastic surfski, not exactly their top of the range racing boat.  This year he'll be on a 560 racing ski.

And he'll be tough to beat.  Chalupsky, at age 54, is still considered one of the best downwind paddlers on the planet and almost always finished in the top 10 in the 2017 international races (as long as there was wind; his disappointing 15th place in the 2017 Nelo Summer Challenge was at least in part because the sea was flat.)

Oscar Chalupsky - Ze Race 2017

Nicolas Lambert

Nicolas Lambert paddles an O'Kréa ski.  He too expects to finish in the top 10 in most races; his best World Series result in 2017 was a 5th at the elite-paddler-packed Nelo Summer Challenge (but as already noted, that was a flat race).

Conditions at Ze Race should be somewhere between the utter calm of the Nelo race and the all-out hectic downwind of the Perth Doctor where Lambert came 15th (out of 260 ultra-competitive, mostly Aussie, chargers).

The long range forecast shows a steady tradewind blowing every single day from now until 25th January and there's every reason to believe it'll be there on race day on the 27th.

Lambert v Chalupsky then and may the best downwinder win!

Nicolas Lambert on his way to win the 2017 event

Freya Hoffmeister

I met Freya in Hawaii in 2008 where we competed in the Molokai Challenge.  I found it a particularly "challenging" paddle - I've never paddled so far in such hot, flat conditions and I was a sorry, seasick and sunburned wreck when I finally got to the finish (my wife had been tracking me back home in South Africa, and had watched, concerned, as my speed slowed to around 5kph at times as we paddled into the outgoing current...).  My goal had been to finish in under 5 hours; I did just under 5 1/2, a pitiful performance!  Click here for the full gory details!

Freya did the crossing in 6 1/4 hours - and looked perky and fresh at the finish.  Clearly a 6 hour plus paddle was a walk in the park for an expedition kayaker - she'd certainly made her feelings about surfski paddlers known in the days leading up to the race.  Comments about our lack of endurance, lack of safety preparation and general frivolousness in comparison with the serious business of sea kayaking been frequent (and hadn't won her many friends in the surfski-dominated crowd!).

For her the race was not much more than a mild test run of the Epic Kayaks 18X sea kayak that she was to use a few months later in her voyage around Australia - documented in a highly entertaining but thought provoking book written by my buddy Joe Glickman.  (The book is available on Amazon, very highly recommended.)

Among her many achievements, Freya has paddled around Iceland, New Zealand's South Island, Australia and South America.  She's currently on an expedition to circumnavigate North America.  

Freya Hoffmeister - on arrival at the finish of her epic cicumnavigation of Australia