DOWNLOAD FULL RESULTS HERE

 There is a saying about ….Mad Dogs and Englishmen….but that refers to ‘going out into the midday sun’.

Yesterday, in a howling South Easter, that was gusting up to 42 knots at times on Zandvlei, the WCCU canoe race, the Marina Mini Marathon (,mainly for K2’s, but open to K1’s and singles skis too) was held on a 4 kilometre course where 4 laps were paddled, laps 1 and 3 including a portage across Peninsula Park from the Marina da Gama side of Zandvlei, into Zandvlei itself.

The weather had no doubt got to most WCCU paddlers as only 14 canoes lined up for the start and of those, a 3 were classified as DNF – and all three because of the conditions – they deserved prizes for guts though!

The fact that Sean Rice won the event of a single surf ski shows at least two things – that he is not only an excellent, determined and gutsy paddler, but that on the day, he was paddling the best craft for such conditions as canoes – in particular K1’s – were being swamped and the wind was playing havoc with steering. for as soon as the tail came out of the water on the ‘downwind’ runs, steerage was lost. There were also times when all that could be seen of paddlers in K1’s and K2’s, was the paddler(s) themselves, their canoe’s literally having been driven under the water by the conditions.

But not for nothing are (some)WCCU paddlers known as ‘toughies’ and apart from Peninsula Canoe Club’s Sean Rice (already mentioned), a good showing was made by the Junior K2 of Craig Flanagan and Dominic Notten (watch out for these two in the future – both on the sea and inland waters) also both from Peninsula, who came in 2^nd, whilst their younger brother pairing of Kenny Rice and Nicholas Notten, were 3^rd overall, no doubt their surf ski experience being put into good use.

Ashley Carstens and Kirsten Flanagan (both Pen) were the 1^st Mixed double home, followed by Chris de Waal and Lisa Scott (Milnerton).

Shaun Butler (Peninsula) was the only K1 to finish, showing the tenacity that he also brings from surf ski paddling to a stretch of water that definitely didn’t favour canoes yesterday.

Were the wisest paddlers yesterday not those who stayed in bed perhaps?!!

Results:

1)    Sean Rice, Peninsual Canoe Club, 1 hour 9  minutes 3 seconds

2)    Craig Flanagan/Dominic Notten, Pen, 1:10:34

3)    Kenny Rice/Nicholas Notten, Pen, 1:14:27

4)    Garth Watters/Anton Cartwright, Pen, 1:15:46

5)    Ashley Carstens/Kirsten Flanagan, Pen, 1:16:07

6)    Chris de Waal/Lisa Scott, Mil, 1:19:17

7)    Michael Pretorius/David Meihuizen, Mil/Prl, 1:20:49

8)    Gareth Pinkney/Francois Sisam, 1:28:44

9)    Shaun Butler, Pen, 1:29:14

10) Nick Rockey/Luke Rockey, Pen, 1:31;49