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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)

This lowered water level meant that several of the tree blocks that canoeists had managed to paddle over during the 'Swartland', either had to be portaged, ramped, or struggled through, thus slowing down the overall pace of the race, the winners coming home in just under 2 hours 30 minutes. Racing on such levels also requires clever tactics - knowing where the blocks are so as to get to them first to help with the getaway break whilst those behind are struggling through - but which can also work against paddlers, as the canoeists behind, seeing someone up front struggling, may look for and find simpler ways through. And further back in the field, those paddlers with less experience and skill and who don't know the river and its obstacles as well often cause bottlenecks which frustrates and slows down the field behind them - often with colourful language!

With the field of over 90 canoeists lining up in typical Berg River starting conditions - i.e. fairly thick mist, the paddlers got away when Scott Baker fired the gun, sprinting away down a narrow, slowly flowing river until reaching the first tree block when the leading bunch of some 10 paddlers was whittled down to 6, Lance King (Milnerton) Pierre-Andre Rabie (Maties), Graeme Solomon (Peninsula), Sean Rice (Pen), Alasdair Glass (Pen) and Greg van Heerden (Mil), as just a narrow gap allowed paddlers through virtually one at a time. Back in the field, in about positions 15 to 20, two canoes jammed the gap and turned broadside after being rammed from behind and then from the side, which created general chaos and led those paddlers behind this snarl up to opt to portage or some, to find a sneak through the block by ducking and pulling through branches on river left.

King, back on the Berg after campaigning in Plettenberg Bay at the annual S.A. Canoe Marathon Championships, where he sustained a strained Achilles Tendon, cracked on the pace and soon, with Rabie and Solomon had established a leading group of 3 paddlers, paddling away from the rest of the field.

Some 6 km from Zonqwasdrift and at the same tree block that gave Solomon trouble in the Swartland canoe marathon, fate stepped in again and whilst Solomon struggled to get through it (after going in first), King and Rabie took a better, clearer route to paddle away from him to go under the Zonqwasdrift bridge a good minute and a half in the lead.   

For the remainder of the race, King and Rabie swopped the lead until over the final few hundred metres, the cat 'n mouse game turned into a serious sprint for the line with King taking the race by 1 second from Rabie (see attached photo - left, Pierre Andre Rabie, Maties, 2nd, and right, Lance King, Milnerton, 1st - PLEASE CREDIT JOHN HISHIN, Drumbeat Photography - a higher resolution photo is available of required for publication purposes). Solomon was third, over 5 minutes off the pace.

In the Women's race, Jemma Hofmeyer (Peninsula) had an easy cruise to victory over Milnerton's young U18 paddler, Marisa Pretorius and her clubmate, Women's Vet. paddler, Lisa Scott, despite an early hiccup at the first tree block, where she was forced to portage because of the chaos in it. Thereafter, in her own words, it was 'smooth sailing to the end - a very enjoyable race'.

The Paarl Juniors continue to show their talents and in particular the two U16 paddlers, Luke Stowman and Michael Farringer, who were 1st and 2nd in the Junior category (excellent 11th and 14th overall placings respectively), whilst their clubmate, Joseph Williams, an U18 paddler (17th overall) was third. The depth in the Junior sections, in particular at the Paarl and Milnerton Clubs is really showing through with these first class results and are good news for the W.C.C.U. in general. Now the other clubs need to step up to the mark - which they are doing at Peninsula and the Maties, where junior programmes have also been established.

The prize giving was held at the Gouda Hotel, reminding older paddlers of those halcyon days when after virtually every Berg River day race (and in particular the Gouda - Bridgetown and Hermon Gouda races) were celebrated at the wonderful 'watering hole' and the legendary 'Green Parrot Pub', the decorations of which have to be seen to believed and from which venue canoeing legends were born - just ask Paul Brouwer!). 

Next weeks Berg River day race, the 28 km section from Wellington (Lady Loch Bridge) to Hermon, will also double as the W.C.C.U. K1 River L/D championships, so a good turnout is expected and as rain is expected during the week, will help, as this section is notorious for its tree blocks.    

RESULTS.

Senior Men

1. Lance King, Milnerton - 2 hours 28 minutes 01 seconds

2, Pierre-Andre Rabie, Maties - 2:28:02

3. Graeme Solomon, Peninsula - 2:33:20

Senior Women

1. Jemma Hofmeyer, Peninsula - 2:57:36 - (26th over all)

2. Marisa Pretorius, Milnerton - 3:05:41 (37th)

3. Lisa Scott, Mil - 3:10:45 (46th)

Junior Men

1. Luke Stowman, Paarl - 2:45:40 (11th)

2. Michael Farringer, Paarl - 2:49:35 (14th)

3. Joseph Williams, Paarl 2:51:26 (17th)

Junior Women

1. Marisa Pretorius, Mil - 3:05:41 (37th)

Novices

1. Desiree van Riet, Mil - 3:24:43 (64th)

Sub Veterans

1. Graeme Solomon, Pen - 2:33:20 (3rd)

2. Greg van Heerden, Mil - 2:34:12 (5th)

3. Hennie du Plooy, Mil - 2:52:44 (20th)

Veteran Women

1. Lisa Scott, Mil - 3:10:45 (46th)

2. Lis Har, Pen - 3:33:39 (73rd)

3. Romy Findlay, Pen - 3:36:34 (74th)

Veteran Men

1. Joe Kearney, Pen - 2:50:16 (15th)

2. Richard Kohler, Mil - 2:52:14 (18th)

3. Jami Hamlin, EVP - 2:54:34 (22nd)

Sub Masters

1. Chris de Waal, Mil - 2:42:34 (9th)

2. Rob Hart, Pen - 2:46:21 (12th)

3. Donnie Malherbe, Paarl - 2:51:19 )16th)

Masters.

1. Daantjie Malan, Maties - 2:48:20 (13th)

2. Ian Glass, Pen - 2:54:29 (21st)

3. Paul Lange, Pen - 3:02:11

Sub Grandmasters

1. Andre Rabie, Paarl - 2:52:43 (19th)

2. John Lee, Mil - 3:00:09 (29th)

3. Rob MacLean, Pen - 3:01:43

Grandmasters (60 - 64 yrs)

1. Giel van Deventer, Paarl - 3:00:37 (30th)

2. Willem van Riet (snr) 3:17:01 (58th)

Great Grandmaster (65 - 69 yrs)

1. Edgar Boehm (snr), Pen.

Super Grandmasters (70 yrs plus)

1. Jannie Malherbe, OUT.