A MODERATE field took on the world’s oldest surfski race, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race on Sunday, with paddlers encountering some tough conditions.
South African surfski ace Hank McGregor claimed the overall win with Nicole Russell finishing as the first lady home.
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. 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,” McGregor said after his win.
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.
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.
Bouman took the second placed position while 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.
The ladies race was won by Russell with the mixed doubles spoils going to Russell’s Fenn Kayak’s team mate Jenna Ward and Brett Hadiaris.
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 to 26 June.
