Race Name:                                        OLIFANT'S

Start Time Day 1                             10h30

Registration times:                           09h00 to10h00

Start Venue Day 1                           “Patrysberg” farm

Start Time Day 2                             09h30

Start Venue Day 2                           Biesievlei

Prize giving venue & time:                 Rugby Club

Race distance Day 1 + Day 2             16km +20km

K1/ K2 / K3/ K4:                              K1

Race Classification:                          AR                                 

Sweeps:                                        Scott Taylor & Riaan Fourie

Event Sponsor:                               Citusdal Tourism

Organising Club:                              Milnerton Canoe Club

Club contact person & number:          Kevin Goodspeed  082 550 8209

There will be a bring and braai on Saturday evening at the Rugby Club. It is a licences venue so drinks from the bar only.

 For all information from direction - accommodation - etc go HERE

The next W.C.C.U. competitive canoeing event will take place this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, 31th/1th July/Aug, on the Olifants River, situated in the Olifants River Valley in the Citrusdal region. The event is held (obviously) in 2 stages, with stage 1 on Saturday being the 18km section between Patrysberg and the upper reaches of the Clanwilliam Dam (by way of the Algeria Bridge) and stage 2, on Sunday, also 18 km, from Bieseisvlei to the Citrusdal Bridge.

Download full results HERE

In perfect weather on Sunday 22^nd July, the Peninsula Canoe Club annual K2 Mini-marathon was raced off over 21.5 km on Zandvlei and through the canals of Marina da Gama.

As this was also the first K2 race of the season and coming on flat water before the start of the Breede River K2 season, this was an ideal opportunity for paddlers to try out various doubles combinations that will ‘do battle’ in weekends to come.

As with the Spier Eerste River race held the day before, the turnout was disappointing – especially as the weather was perfect and the water, though low, was mostly weed-free. – as only 26 canoes took part though, being a K2 race, the arithmetic shows that 52 paddlers took part.

Download full results HERE

 Saturday 21^st July saw the third annual running of the Spier Eerste River race hosted by Maties Canoe Club.

Thanks to the department of water affairs, a consistently full 14 km river from start to finish and the involvement of Spier wine estate saw the most successful race yet.

Forty-five lined up at the Hangbrug for the time trial format start (a disappointing number given the nearly double that number that competed last year, but maybe this can be put down to a very full season – after all, the Berg River Canoe Marathon only ended last weekend! Those who missed this race on Saturday though were the losers, such was the excitement of taking part in it) above the small fish chute weir.

All the images from the Berg are now available at www.capetownsportphotography.co.za

 John Hishin

Cell: 083 343 2598

Fax: 086 671 3323

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.drumbeatphotography.co.za

Web Sales: www.capetownsportphotography.co.za

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

Lance king(3^rd), Pierre-Andre Rabie(1^st), Heinrich Schloms(2^nd)

       (pic by Cape Town Sport Photography)

The W.C.C.U canoe race held on Saturday 3rd July, 2010, the 28 km section of the Berg River between the Lady Loch Bridge (Wellington) and Hermon farm - also the W.C.C.U. K1 Long Distance Championships - was also the last if the one-day races before 'The Big One' - i.e. the 2010 Windhoek Berg River K1 Canoe Marathon. Paddlers who are 'doing the Berg' now have the opportunity to work on their local river knowledge by 'tripping' the various sections of the 4 day ultra-marathon to get a better idea of what they are to encounter and already there are concerns about the mass of water hyacinth in the lower stages (Zoutkloof area) of the race that need to be contended with.

South African Canoe Marathon team that has been selected to compete in the World Canoe Marathon Championships to be held in Spain from 22 to 26th September, 2010.

The team includes 13 paddlers from the W.C.C.U.

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

The Hermon Bridge to Gouda Bridge, 32 km section of the Berg River, one of the several 'day races' that lead up to the 'BIG ONE' itself, the 2010 Windhoek Lager Berg River Canoe Marathon, was contested on Saturday 26th June on low water levels but in prefect weather conditions. Low levels being approximately a metre lower than the previous weekend when the annual Swartland K1 canoe marathon had been held in almost perfect conditions and where the weather played along with the river was at a medium level.

Lance King & Pierre-Andre Rabie sprint for the finish line (Cape Town Sport Photography)

A blue and grey Manta number 5138 has gone missing from Milnerton Canoe Club. The deck colours are the same as in this picture.

If you have seen it or may have borrowed it please contact Gordon Laing on 074 100 6081.

The Western Cape Canoe Union team that travelled to Plettenberg Bay to compete in the annual South African Canoe Marathon Championships on 12th and 13th June, 2010, did exceptionally well, raking in a haul of medals across all the age groups competed in but in particular and excitingly, showing very good strength and depth in the Junior ranks.

These championships were supposed to have taken place in Cape Town, but given the World Cup Football extravaganza, it was CanoeSA decided to return to the Keurbooms River, Plettenberg Bay (where these same championships were held in 2009) to help reduce the travelling and accommodation costs those paddlers from Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal. With Plett. being plus/minus central to most paddlers, this practical decision was made by the C.S.A. Exco. and so the 2011 S.A. Canoe Marathon Championships will be held in the Cape at a venue still to be decided.

Whilst there have been previous reports on these championships, this report will rather highlight how paddlers from the W.C.C.U. fared.

Sub Grandmasters SA K1 - L to R, Tim Cornish (KZN), silver; Rob MacLean (WCCU) gold; Rob Welsh (E. Cape) bronze 

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

At 10 am on Saturday 19 June 2010, the charismatic Peninsula Canoe Club Chairman, Mark Torrington, blew his vuvuzela to signal the start of the 4^th running of the Swartland K1 (a 2-day, 86 km) Canoe Marathon, under perfect racing conditions: a medium high Berg River, brilliant sunshine, blue skies and no wind.

Ian Trautmann, Henri vd Merwe, Edgar Boehm(jnr), Rob Hart.

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

The Hansa SA Canoe Marathon Championships took place this past weekend, amidst some of the best and worst weather Plettenberg bay has to offer. Saturdays K1 racing enjoyed perfect sunny calm conditions, while Sunday’s racing saw four seasons in one day- sunny one minute, with howling wind and rain the next, and then back to beautiful sunshine.

Unlike the weathers inconsistency, Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt were consistently on top of their game throughout the weekend. McGregor claimed the SA K1 Marathon title on Saturday, with van der Walt in second, and then together they powered home to take the SA K2 Marathon title on Sunday, 5 seconds ahead of second placed Ant Stott and Graeme Solomon. Line honours aside, the story of the day must be that of Jacques Theron and Piers Cruickshanks who, in a heroic effort, clawed their way back to claim the final podium position and the SA Marathon Champs Bronze after taking an unfortunate swim 200m into the race.

DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

On Sunday 30^th May, 2010, the W.C.C.U. K2 canoe marathon championships (postponed due to poor weather earlier in the month) were held at the stunningly beautiful Arrieskraal Dam, on the Palmiet River, Elgin Valley, and although (unfortunately) the turn-out was not as good as would have been liked, the venue and outstanding weather made for a wonderful event, with W.C.C.U. looking perhaps to making this the permanent venue for both K1 and K2 canoe marathon events in the future. For the unitiated, even though there was a very strong south easterly wind blowing in the region of Sir Lowry’s Pass on the way to the dam from Cape Town, on arrival the water was like a mirror and although a breeze did come through during the racing, it was insignificant.

To all WCCU paddlers,

There have been a number of queries regarding registration and racing from paddlers – here are the rules/regulations as decided at the 2010 WCCU AGM:

From and including last weeks race, Berg River Dam, WCCU paddlers will only be allowed to race one race unregistered with the union/CSA.  Issuing of a temporary licence for this race will be charged at R140/R70 instead of the usual race fee R80/R40.  If you raced Berg River Dam unregistered you have utilized your credit and will not be allowed to race again until you are formally registered.  This means registering 10 days before the event you plan on entering in order to allow the various administrative procedures leading up to registration to be finalised.   Please do not arrive at a race expecting to paddle if you are not registered and have already used up your credit because you will not be allowed this option.

The only exceptions to this rule are the following novice races:  Dal Josephat/Lady Loch and Marina Mini Marathon K2 which being flat water and beginners events, anyone is allowed to race. NOVICES will also be allowed to race Marina da Gama unregistered but as this is a Presidents Trophy race this rule will not apply to experienced paddlers if they have already used their credit.