McGregor bags maiden FNB Durban Downwind success
Hank McGregor and Nicole Russell claimed the top spots in Sunday's maiden FNB Durban Downwind surfski event.
PADDLING icon Hank McGregor overcame sickness, flat conditions as well as a strong local field, to clinch his maiden FNB Durban Downwind win on Sunday, while the in-form Nicole Russell claimed the title event’s women’s crown.
Despite organisers’ best efforts to stage the race in the best available wind conditions of the weekend, Mother Nature didn’t come to the party as hoped and the 26km journey from La Mercy Beach to Marine Surf Lifesaving Club at Addington Beach was a testing one for all.
McGregor, having come close to victory in the race’s debut in 2014, had little hassle second time around as he claimed a commanding triumph, racing home one minute and four seconds ahead of Matt Bouman.
Australia’s Mark Anderson claimed the bottom step of the podium while Gene Prato and Barry Lewin claimed positions four and five.
Carbonology Sport’s Bailey de Fondaumiere was the first junior across the line, finishing seventh overall, while birthday boy, Wade Krieger rounded out the top 10.
In the women’s charge, Russell and Hayley Nixon went head to head from the get-go, the former edging out the latter by thirty three seconds in the end.
While a predominantly local field, eleven paddlers from Gauteng and one each from Western and Eastern Cape made the journey to Durban for the race with Johannesburg’s Anna Clifford Arwidi rounding out the women’s podium while Durbanville Hills’ Anton Holtzhausen was the first Masters competitor home.
