Oceanpaddler World Rankings - Dawid Mocke Consolidates Lead

Dawid Mocke extended his lead in the Oceanpadder World Rankings last weekend, coming fifth in the Steelcase Dragon Run.  His lead is now almost unassailable with one race to go.

Steelcase Dragon Run

(Click here for Barbara Yendell's photos of the race)

The Steelcase Dragon Run, held last weekend in Hong Kong, saw what was probably the most competitive field in this year's series, aside from the Doctor which started the series off in Perth, Australia.  

Apart from the Australia/South Africa rivalry, the stakes were heightened by the introduction of Epic Kayaks' new V14 surfski.

The weather conditions for the race were not ideal and the paddlers were met with light winds and muggy heat.  Tim Jacobs displayed his extraordinary talent and tactical skill, declining to take part in the frantic charge for the Hong Kong Paddler Hotspot at the Nine Pins turning point, and saved his energy for his breakaway half-way through the race.  He broke clear and was never threatened, crossing the line a half minute ahead of his nearest rival, South African Grant van der Walt.

The race for second place was far closer with van der Walt (Epic), dicing with fellow South African Hank McGregor (Fenn), both of whom overtook Cory Hill (Aus/Epic) in the last stages of the race.  Dawid Mocke (Fenn) had a "flat" day and could only manage fifth having briefly lead the race earlier in the day.

In the end the top ten comprised:

Tim Jacobs claims the 2012 Steelcase Dragon Run

Notable Notes

Ruth Highman cemented her spot at the top of the women's rankings, while junior Michael Booth moved up to 6th spot overall.

It's fascinating to see how the manufacturers are mixing it at the elite end of the field too.  Nelo, Epic, Fenn and Think all featured in the top ten.

Leader Board

(Click here for the full rankings)

Rankings after the Steelcase Dragon Run 

The Races

So far there are 17 races in the World Series.  Here they are, complete with dates and links to the event websites and the results so far.

NB: These dates are subject to change.  While I try my best to have the latest info posted, race organisers are prone to changing the dates.  Before booking flights, go to the race website and contact the organisers to make sure that the dates are correct....  (And if they're not, please let us know so that we can update the calendar.)

Race Categories

The World Series races are categorized according to the level of prize money on offer.  The categories are shown in the table below.

Example: An A-category event:

• Must offer an overall prize pool of $20,000 or more
• Must contribute $500 to the World Series prize pool
• Is given a 20 point loading (i.e. the winner gets 520 points instead of 500)

How the points work

The winner of a race gets 500 points (plus the race category loading e.g. the winner of a B category race gets 510 points)

The next place position gets 500 – the points interval for the race.  The points intervals work like this:

Example:

An A category race has 120 competitors.

• The winner gets 500 + 20 = 520 points
• Second place gets 520 – 3 = 517 points
• Third place gets 517 – 3 = 514 points

Races to count

Each competitor’s five best results will count towards their World Series Ranking

Prize Pool

The series prize pool comprises

• The event contributions, which vary according to race category
• $500 from each of the participating manufacturers

For more info:

• Click here for Joe Glickman’s article on the World Series
• Click here for the 2012 Calendar including event info
• Click here for the Rules & Regulations