2012 Steelcase Dragon Run: Tim Jacobs Retains Title, Naomi Flood wins

Tim Jacobs Credits: Barbara Yendell, Michaela Mocke

“Yeah, it was alright mate!” said Tim Jacobs.  “I relaxed until Nine Pins and then seem to find a nice rhythm.  I got ahead of the rest of the guys and never saw them again.”  He looked as though he'd just been for a quiet walk in the park - not as if he'd just won a 23km race on flat water against the best surfski paddlers in the world...

Hot, Calm, Grueling

At home in South Africa I’d been watching the Accuweather website, and, two weeks ahead of the race they’d called a calm day for the Steelcase Dragon Run.  Entreaties to various wind gods finally resulted in a gentle easterly that at least cooled us down on the way out to the turning point at Nine Pins Island.

Clearwater Bay to Nine Pins

It wasn’t a false start – but the adrenalin fuelled paddlers crept over the start line and slowly cruised out of sight…  and had to be called back to try again.  But the start was clean, on flat water in the shelter of Clearwater Bay, and the front group of Mocke, Mocke, Hill, McGregor, Jacobs, et al rocketed off towards the Hong Kong Paddler hotspot at the Nine Pins.

The front group pass by Steep Island on the way to Nine Pins

“The races these days are all like that,” said Jasper Mocke.  “The guys kill themselves for the first 8km and then it’s a question of who can keep going for the rest of the race.”

Fishermen and Barges

As I approached Steep Island, I heard yelling and spotted a tiny fishing boat – and an upturned surfski.  The yelling was coming from the paddler, who’d caught a fishing line on his rudder.

It was a funny scene actually – the bemused fisherman was sat there, helpless, surrounded by passing surfskis, at least six of which hooked themselves up on his anchor rope…

Two km further on, and a massive lump of rusty crane barge appeared, travelling deceptively quickly from left to right across the course.  Some race officials in an escort boat were waving flags and directing us left.  Any thought of trying to sprint between the barge and its tug was erased by sight of the towing cable as it emerged, dripping, from the water.  Get hooked up on that, and it would spoil your whole day. 

The race leaders cross in front of the tug

The barge heaves into view - there was a massive set of cables connecting the two vessels

One of the victims of the hiatus was Michele Eray: Naomi Flood had been just far ahead enough not to be affected by the barge; and by the time Eray had negotiated her way past, Flood had an unassailable lead.

Naomi Flood 

Nine Pins to the Kissing Whales

Approaching Nine Pins I paddled across to a media boat.  “Cory Hill took the hotspot,” someone yelled. 

Cory Hill takes the Hong Kong Paddler Hotspot at the Nine Pins

As I went through the gap, the cooling headwind disappeared and a blanket of smothering heat took its place.  My heart sank at the thought of the next 10km; in this heat I’d melt…

At the front of the race, already half way to the Kissing Whales rocks at Cape D’Aguilar, Tim Jacobs had made his move.  His strategy of conserving energy had paid off and, putting a sequence of runs together, he broke away into a substantial lead.

“I lost concentration for a moment,” said Dawid Mocke.  “One second he was right there to one side of me; the next I looked up and he was way out in front.

“I ran out of energy,” he went on.  “Cory Hill passed me, then Grant, then Hank.”

Tim Jacobs strokes past Cape D'Aguilar with an unassailable lead

Hank McGregor overtakes Dawid Mocke

Matt Bouman and Sean Rice power past Cape D'Aguilar

Bad Visibilty

For the first few km from Nine Pins, there wasn’t much help from the waves. The watchers on the escort boats said the paddlers visibly wilted as they contemplated the hot grind in front of them. 

I saw a line of paddlers ahead, veering right towards the harbor – I’d put the coordinates for the Kissing Whales into my GPS and followed the pointer to the left.  Visibility was down to about 4km so it was some time before the distinctive shape of the Kissing Whales loomed out of the murk.

I was watching my GPS winding down the distance – after each km I’d dip my cap in the sea and scoop some cooling water over my head.  But as we got further down the course, sets of small runs started to come through; they were at just the right speed that if you put in a small effort you could catch them and if you kept ticking over, you could keep boat speed up and link from wave to wave.  One or two of those, and you’d drop the paddlers around you.

By the time we reached the Kissing Whales, I was feeling much better – there’s nothing like catching other paddlers for upping morale…

Naomi Flood makes her way past the Kissing Whales rocks

Michele Eray came second

Oscar Chalupsky raffled a place in his double - and won the race with Shaky Kumta!

Hawaiian Karel Tresnak jr won the OC1 race

Kissing Whales to Stanley

The last leg from the Kissing Whales to the finish was a killer – flat and hot.  A ski came past, and I made the beginner’s mistake of not immediately hooking on to his slipstream as he put in an interval to catch up to the group in front.  Then I watched as they worked together, taking turns to pull towards the finish.  Paddling on your own is much more tiring!

At the front of the race, Tim Jacobs had maintained his easy, powerful rhythm to take the race by 30 seconds.  A furious dice for second and third had developed however, with Grant van der Walt and Hank McGregor pushing past a tiring Cory Hill who ended up fourth.  Dawid Mocke cemented his position at the top of the Oceanpaddler World Rankings with his fifth position.

Although Michele Eray made up some of the lost ground, Naomi Flood was never really threatened and finished some 52 seconds ahead of the South African.  Ruth Highman came third.

“I had a great race,” said Highman.  “I was so stoked to be as close as I was to Michele.”

Great Organisation - great race

As for me - I ended up having a ball.  At times, admittedly I was in a whole world of pain, but the course being what it is, there's almost always a distraction - whether it's the frequent landmarks (Sharp Island, Nine Pins, Kissing Whales) or the changing sea state, there's always something happening.

The race organisation was impecable - as always.  From the logistic nightmare of moving 200 paddlers and their craft to the start to the delicious food courtesy of the sponsors (one of the advantages of having a restaurant chain as a sponsor!), it all seemed to work like clockwork.  

"This race, along with the Doctor," said Jeremy Cotter, "are without doubt the races to come to.  The competition is just outrageous."

A hearty thanks to organisers - and the friendly Hong Kong paddlers who always show their vistors such warm hospitality. Rock on!

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