Night Race a win with Gauteng paddlers

Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) held their annual Night Race at Germiston Lake last Tuesday.

February 17, 2020

Leigh Hodgson 2 minutes read

Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) held their annual Night Race at Germiston Lake last Tuesday. Wayne Jacobs and partner Clinton Cook (winner of the 2019 Night Race) were able to break away from their opponents to win the race.

Just like clockwork, the heavens opened and a chilly wind whipped across Germiston Lake, last Tuesday, just in time for Victoria Lake Canoe Club’s (VLC) annual Night Race.

However, the rain dissipated in time for 90 paddlers competing in this year’s event to take to the water.

“Conditions were great,” said Wayne Saunders, on behalf of VLC.

“We were fortunate with the weather and really had excellent conditions to race in.

“The only small challenge was the cloud cover which made the evening a lot darker, so paddlers battled to see the buoys as it got darker quicker.

“This is something we will address with better lighting next year.”

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VLC also happily reported an increase in the number of entrants to the race.

“Overall, our entry numbers were up on the previous two years,” said Saunders.

“This year we planned for 70 but had 90 paddlers on the water.”

The race, which started in 2002 as the FHM Night Race, once again served as one of the last opportunities for canoeists to refine their racing and portaging (running with boat) techniques before the world’s toughest endurance canoeing event, the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon, which will be held from February 27 to 29 in Pietermaritzburg.

The FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon was started in 1951 and remains one of the biggest canoe races on the canoeing calendar, covering a distance of 120km and including a minimum of 15km of portaging over the three days.

The Night Race saw paddlers doing five laps around the lake, a total of 15km, with a short 50m portage splitting the laps.

“The race was an official K2 event, to coincide with this year’s Dusi format,” explained Saunders.

“Every year the Dusi swops between a K1 and K2 format and we align our race to this.”

The K2 racers set off first, followed by the K1 and K3 paddlers five minutes later.

“The four leading boats jostled for position in the first three of the five laps,” said Saunders.

“However, coming into the forth lap Wayne Jacobs and partner Clinton Cook (winner of the 2019 Night Race) from Dabulamanzi showed their class and strength and broke away from the pack to win the race.”

The pair finished the race in one hour, six minutes and 28.24 seconds.

They were followed by a young pair from Soweto, Sibusiso Chwayi and Zanentlantla Mbala, who finished the race in one hour, eight minutes and 30.06 seconds.

Michael Stewart and Alex Roberts came in third in a time of one hour, eight minutes and 31.21 seconds, with Michael-John Robb and Liam Stewart rounding out the podium finishes in a time of one hour, eight minutes and 32.17 seconds.

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VLC’s Loveday Zondi was the first of the K1 racers across the finish line in a time of one hour, 13 minutes and 19.48 seconds.

Kobus Filmalter came in second in the K1 division, finishing the race in one hour, 16 minutes and 10.76 seconds, and he was followed by Malcolm Stothard in a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 34.98 seconds.

“We are very happy with the support we received for this event,” said Saunders.

“The race has become renowned as a high-quality event and great value for money and we are proud to host the cream of Gauteng’s paddling community.

“Overall, we had a great evening.”

With the last preparation race behind them, paddlers will hit the road to Pietermaritzburg to compete in the Dusi.