Local canoeists take on Fish River
The Keiths Flyover Rapid at the Fish River Canoe Marathon proved to be problematic for paddlers.
THE Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon took place in Cradock, from October 9 to 10. The 26 cumecs of river water released for the Fish River Marathon from the Grass Ridge Dam on the edge of the Karoo near Hofmeyr, was pristinely clean, fast flowing and ensured enormous wave trains for river canoeists.
The tricky rocky rapids and infamous obstacles including the double trouble shute, toastrack low level bridge and Keiths Flyover were popular among the South African and international canoeists. Only 20 percent of the race field attempted to shoot Keiths Flyover while the rest gladly climbed out of the river with their boat and ran or walked around it.
The Southern canoeists, Michael Roy, Derrick Oliver and Willie du Plessis, members of the Johannesburg Canoe Club (JCC) based in Wemmer Pan, had a very successful race finishing the 80kms over two days in six hours and 55 minutes in the K3 racing kayak category.
