In keeping with tradition the heavens opened, last Tuesday, just in time for the Victoria Lake Canoe Club’s (VLC) annual Night Race at Germiston Lake.
However, as the 84 competing paddlers made their way onto the lake the sun broke through the clouds, bathing the water in a late afternoon glow.
“Despite the continual threat of a Highveld thunderstorm disrupting the event earlier on in the afternoon, the VLC Night Race still managed to attract most of Gauteng’s top canoeists,” said Wayne Saunders on behalf of VLC.
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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 on February 14, 15 and 16 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.
After a pre-race safety briefing paddlers took to the water, doing five laps around the lake for a total of 15km, with a short 50m portage splitting the laps.
The K1 canoeists set off first, followed by the K2 and K3 paddlers five minutes later.
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“The race is officially a K1 event and we had just over 50 K1’s competing for top honours,” said Saunders.
“The front runners, after the first portage, consisted of five of Gauteng’s top canoeists, Sibusiso Chwayi and Zanentlantla Mbala from Soweto Canoe Club, Alex Roberts and Wayne Jacobs from Dabs Canoe Club and Loveday Zondi from VLC, as well as KwaZulu-Natal star Clinton Cook.
“The pace was electric and it was a classic duel between the older experienced campaigners such as Zondi and Roberts versus the younger guards coming through to establish their dominance.”
Cook won, crossing the line first in time of one hour, 12 minutes and 15.12 seconds, followed closely by Chwayi, who finished in one hour, 12 minutes and 15.96 seconds, with Zondi and Roberts rounding off the podium finishes.
VLC’s Helen Jansen van Vuuren was the only female K1 to complete the race and crossed the line in a time of one hour, 53 minutes and 34.76 seconds.
Johan Strydom and partner Elton du Preez were the first K2 paddlers to finish, completing the race in one hour, 14 minutes and 26.74 seconds.
They were followed by Raymond Rorich and Nadine Norval, and Ryan Booysen and Paul Nel. Raoul Goosen, Ian Hewat and Gavin Coetzer were the first K3 boat across the finish line.
The race was deemed a great success.
“We had a good turnout and the atmosphere was friendly and upbeat,” said Saunders.
With the last preparation race behind them, paddlers will hit the road to Pietermaritzburg to compete in the Dusi.
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