Up next: the Shaw & Partners Surfski Race Week in Perth
Most of the world’s best surfski paddlers are congregating in Perth next week to take part in a series of events sponsored by Shaw & Partners… And the forecast promises cracking conditions, yeeeeeeha!
The Races
The Shaw and Partners Western Australian Race Week (to give it the full title!) starts on Sunday, 17 November and comprises:
- Sunday, 17 Nov: Fenn West Coast Downwinder
- Tuesday, 19 Nov: Ben Hewitt Sunset Surfski Series Race
- Thursday, 21 Nov: Ben Hewitt Sunset Surfski Series Race
- Friday, 22 Nov: The Shaw and Partners Dash for Cash
- Saturday, 23 Nov: The Shaw and Partners “The Doctor”
Fenn West Coast Downwinder
The 24km course runs from Port Beach, Fremantle along the coast to Sorrento Beach, Sorrento.
Originally slated to run on Saturday, the race has been postponed, to take advantage of the better wind forecast for Sunday.
The 2018 race was won by Cory Hill and Hayley Nixon, both of whom are here to defend their titles.
For more information click here
2018 women's winner Hayley Nixon (SA) is back to defend her title.
Ben Hewitt Sunset Surfski Series Races
Hosted by the Perth City Surf Lifesaving Club, the course runs 11km from Port Beach to the Perth City SLSC.
With Entries approaching 200, the over-50 male category is by far the largest at 48 paddlers. I can’t wait to see what these Aussies are like at downwind paddling!
The forecast looks fabulous: on Tuesday, 19th, we’re slated to have 19-23kt at 5pm from the SSW, perfect! And the wind is only a little less strong on Thursday… It’s going to be a cracker.
Shaw and Partners Dash for Cash
The Dash for Cash is a sprint knock-out, meant to be “fun” and “not too tiring” for the top athletes…
Chatting to Jasper Mocke, who won it last year, however, the top paddlers go all out – after all there’s $15,000 in the pot and that kind of money is definitely worth fighting for. Jasper laughed, “I was shattered after that race!”
For more details on how the Shaw and Partners Dash for Cash works, click here.
And… the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor”
This iconic race has been held 17 times since 2002 – missing out 2008 but being held twice in 2014.
The Doctor starts in the crystal clear water at Rottnest Island
Fun facts
- In the men’s race, South Africans have won the race 8 times, Australians 9 times.
- Jasper Mocke (South Africa) and Cory Hill (Australia) both hold 3 titles.
In the women’s race:
- Australian women have the most titles (9), while New Zealanders have won the race 5 times.
- Ruth Highman (Australia) dominated from 2012 to 2014 and has the most titles, 3.
- Four other women, Julie Jenkinson (Aus), Yanda Nossiter (Aus), Katie Pocock (NZ) and Rachel Clarke (NZ) each have two titles.
$35,000 Bonus
For paddlers who enter all the races, there’s a $35,000 bonus pool on offer. Points are scored for positions in each of the five races and count towards a total for the week.
A paddler who wins the Dash for Cash, the Doctor and the overall week’s series could walk away with a total of $20,000.