Local paddlers train for Dusi
Paddlers flocked to the Klip River recently to tackle the last river race of the year.
Florida Lake Canoe Club hosted the Tops Spar Dusi seeding race, last Sunday, on the Klip River.
The race ran from Daleside to Meyerton, with good forgiving water levels after the recent rain.
This was the final river race of 2016.
Sibonelo Khwela, from the Eurosteel racing team, one of the most competitive river paddlers in SA, was sponsored to participate in the race from KwaZulu-Natal where he lives to provide the required competition status to ensure the race acquired front row Dusi seeding.
It was, of course, no surprise that despite his lack of familiarity of the Klip River he nevertheless managed to win the race in two hours and 12 minutes.
Richard Cele from Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) based at Germiston Lake has always been a strong Gauteng contender at the world’s toughest endurance race, the FNB Dusi, which takes place in February.
He finished the race as the sixth senior racer, in a time of two hours and 22 minutes.
Other achievers from VLC included Mark Handley (third master), Colin Ledwaba (fourth u-23) and Katiso Hlahatsi (fifth u-23).
The river race was tough, in accordance with requirements for qualifying for the FNB Dusi, and included a couple of 2km runs carrying the boat, to add to the requisite criteria of the world’s most infamous endurance canoe race.
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