Durban's paddlers take on world’s oldest surfski race
All the paddlers took time to spread the Paddle for the Planet awareness at the 2016 Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race on Sunday, 5 June 2016.
Credits: Kevin Sawyer/ Gameplan Media
Durban, South Africa - Sunday saw a moderate field take on the world's oldest surfski race, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race, with paddlers encountering some tough conditions with South African surfski ace Hank McGregor claiming the overall win with Nicole Russell finishing as the first lady home.
World's Oldest Surfski Race
The race, first raced in 1957, had both a long and short course as well as incorporating a number of long standing traditions which include an earlier 7am start as well as all paddlers receiving soup at the conclusion of the race. The older members of the Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club were present at Sunday's shoot-out further entrenching the prestige of the 59 year old race.
"It was a good race today with a good following tail wind all the way to Umhlanga," Euro Steel/Epic Kayak's Hank McGregor said after his win. "The wind was against the current so you felt like you were going faster than you actually were and then on the return we were with the current but into the wind which made it a pretty tough day out."
Hank McGregor
Went according to plan
The race had the potential to be another humdinger between McGregor and fellow Durban ace and Epic Kayak's Matt Bouman however the race went according to plan for McGregor who managed to get himself ahead early and boss the race until the finish line.
"I managed to get quite a big lead on Matt Bouman early and then I turned with the doubles so that gave me a good incentive into the final leg.
"Myself and the leading double just sat together until the finish.
"It was a really solid day for me and I am really happy to get another win here even though I am still battling with a bit of jet lag," a satisfied McGregor added following his recent return from the Molokai in Hawaii.
Matt Bouman
Marathon Focus
McGregor's focus now shifts to canoe marathon as he prepares for the South African Marathon Championships in Cape Town next weekend however his immediate calendar is still dominated by surfski races.
"We have the South African Marathon Champs which is also the national trial so I will hopefully be selected to go and defend my world marathon title.
"Despite this my calendar is chock-a-block with surfski races with the Scottburgh to Brighton the following week, then Durban Downwind and the I'm off to Mauritius so my schedule is really busy!" the star mentioned.
Bouman took the second placed position whilst Wade Krieger came home in third with the doubles race spoils going to Steve Woods and Bailey de Fondaumire with Shaun Dias and Matthew Elliot finishing second and Lee Furby and Quinton Rutherford finishing third.
A number of doubles were present with the combination of Shaun Dias and Matt Elliot finishing second in the doubles race.
Ladies Race
The ladies race was won by Fenn Kayak's Nicole Russell with the mixed doubles spoils going to Russell's Fenn Kayak's team mate Jenna Ward and Brett Hadiaris.
Nicole Russell
The Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates fell the day after paddlers from around the world united to raise awareness of the environment and the plight of the world's oceans for a relay event called Paddle for the Planet.
The 59th edition of the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates is the lead in race to the 2016 FNB Durban Downwind on 25-26 June 2016.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS - Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race
LONG COURSE
Overall
- Hank McGregor
- Matt Bouman
- Wade Krieger
Ladies
- Nicole Russell
Doubles
- Steve Woods/Bailey de Fondaumire
- Shaun Dias/Matthew Elliot
- Lee Furby/Quinton Rutherford
Mixed
- Jenna Ward/Brett Hadiaris
SHORT COURSE SUMMARY
- Brad Pearse
Doubles
- Mark Backman/Roger McGregor
LONG COURSE - FULL RESULTS
Singles
| Pos | Name | Club1 | TotalTime | KPos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HANK MCGREGOR | KIN | [ 1:59:16.64 ] | K1 1 |
| 3 | MATTHEW BOUMAN | DRA | [ 2:05:30.76 ] | K1 2 |
| 4 | WADE KRIEGER | MSL | [ 2:05:55.09 ] | K1 3 |
| 7 | LUKE NISBET | PIR | [ 2:07:26.23 ] | K1 4 |
| 8 | BARRY LEWIN | VAR | [ 2:07:42.37 ] | K1 5 |
| 12 | LEE MCGREGOR | KIN | [ 2:12:03.87 ] | K1 6 |
| 13 | JASON EKSTRAND | PWC | [ 2:12:17.62 ] | K1 7 |
| 18 | THOMAS LOVEMORE | HIL | [ 2:18:13.20 ] | K1 8 |
| 19 | SEAN UYS | PWC | [ 2:18:20.49 ] | K1 9 |
| 20 | JAKUB ADAM | INT | [ 2:18:42.18 ] | K1 10 |
| 22 | MICHEL DE RAUVILLE | KIN | [ 2:21:25.99 ] | K1 11 |
| 27 | NIKKI RUSSELL | KIN | [ 2:24:27.57 ] | K1 12 |
| 29 | RICHARD LOWE | KIN | [ 2:24:33.69 ] | K1 13 |
| 30 | MARK LEWIN | MSL | [ 2:30:50.62 ] | K1 14 |
| 33 | COLIN SIMPKINS | SCO | [ 2:32:15.05 ] | K1 15 |
| 37 | GAVIN DUNDAS-STARR | NAT | [ 2:43:21.13 ] | K1 16 |
| 38 | LUKE STEENKAMP | PWC | [ 2:44:20.48 ] | K1 17 |
| 39 | NIGEL STEVENS | ZUL | [ 2:45:18.15 ] | K1 18 |
| 40 | MARC DESCOINS | UMZ | [ 2:45:22.84 ] | K1 19 |
| 41 | TREVOR MAHER | CRU | [ 2:45:34.42 ] | K1 20 |
| 42 | MATT GUNNING | NAT | [ 2:53:57.95 ] | K1 21 |
| 43 | GIDEON BREYTENBACH | ZMS | [ 2:55:06.80 ] | K1 22 |
| 44 | GAVIN BOTHA | PWC | [ 2:56:32.08 ] | K1 23 |
| 47 | DAVID GWYNN | KIN | [ 3:07:39.06 ] | K1 24 |
| 48 | DOUG MCCREADY | KIN | [ 3:15:06.06 ] | K1 25 |
Doubles
| Pos | Paddler 1 | Paddler 2 | TotalTime | KPos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | STEVE WOODS | BAILEY DE FONDAUMIERE | [ 2:01:28.28 ] | K2 1 |
| 5 | SHAUN DIAS | MATTHEW ELLIOTT | [ 2:06:00.11 ] | K2 2 |
| 6 | LEE FURBY | QUINTON RUTHERFORD | [ 2:06:04.41 ] | K2 3 |
| 9 | MARC STANTON | BRYCE HATTON | [ 2:08:33.83 ] | K2 4 |
| 10 | LINTON HOPE | BRUCE WENKE | [ 2:10:22.39 ] | K2 5 |
| 11 | WARREN VALENTINE | MARC GERMIQUET | [ 2:10:37.02 ] | K2 6 |
| 14 | STRETCH STRUWIG | HEINRICH OOSTHUIZEN | [ 2:12:54.32 ] | K2 7 |
| 15 | BRETT HADIARIS | JENNA WARD | [ 2:14:40.64 ] | K2 8 |
| 16 | MIKE STEVENS | STEPHEN SCRASE | [ 2:14:42.42 ] | K2 9 |
| 17 | ALLAN HOLD | GEOFF THOMPSON | [ 2:17:55.22 ] | K2 10 |
| 21 | IAN MARAIS | CRAIG MCINTOSH | [ 2:21:19.88 ] | K2 11 |
| 23 | BUCKEY SYMONS | DAVE FRASER | [ 2:21:38.80 ] | K2 12 |
| 24 | WARREN LANCASTER | CARL FOLSCHER | [ 2:22:02.07 ] | K2 13 |
| 25 | BRETT FROST | GUY COLLYER | [ 2:22:29.81 ] | K2 14 |
| 26 | BRUCE GLENDAY | STEVE PEARSON | [ 2:24:27.43 ] | K2 15 |
| 28 | GARY RALPH | GRAHAM HOLM | [ 2:24:31.31 ] | K2 16 |
| 31 | MIKE MCDONALD | THULANI MBANJWA | [ 2:31:41.05 ] | K2 17 |
| 32 | THANDO THUSI | QUINTUS VAN DER MERWE | [ 2:32:10.64 ] | K2 18 |
| 34 | GARY BEHN | ANTHONY EDMONDS | [ 2:33:59.43 ] | K2 19 |
| 35 | MARK JOHNSON | RUSSELL SOLOMON | [ 2:35:24.91 ] | K2 20 |
| 36 | MWELI HLONGWANE | STHEMBISO MBATHA | [ 2:37:07.64 ] | K2 21 |
| 45 | DEAN MAC LEAN | LOUISA VAN STADEN | [ 2:58:42.56 ] | K2 22 |
| 46 | GRANT MORSHEAD | JARRYD BREEDS | [ 3:01:16.09 ] | K2 23 |
SHORT COURSE - FULL RESULTS
| Pos | Paddler 1 | Paddler 2 | TotalTime | KPos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRAD PEARSE | [ 0:56:33.56 ] | K1 1 | |
| 2 | MARK BACKMAN | ROGER MCGREGOR | [ 0:57:19.25 ] | K2 1 |
| 3 | BEVIN WORLOCK | SARAH THORPE | [ 0:59:11.07 ] | K2 2 |
| 4 | PETER JEROME | [ 1:01:25.38 ] | K1 2 | |
| 5 | JEFFREY MAINGARD | [ 1:02:03.76 ] | K1 3 |