New members enjoy their first race
It was a superbly sunny and warm day as the learner paddlers took on their first race.
The BASF River Race hosted by Watuni specifically aimed at new paddlers/ novices took place on Saturday, 16 April. The start was at The Makery restaurant grounds at Henley on Klip.
The race traversed some 15kms to the Danie Maclean Park in Meyerton, a section that included a number of challenging rapids, including a seriously turbulent drop with powerful waves, known as Broken Weir.
Brand-new paddlers who enjoyed their first-ever river race successfully were Colin van Heerden and Keith Smith from Krugersdorp who are members of the Florida Lake Canoe Club.
It was a superbly sunny and warm day as the learner paddlers took on their first race, hoping to finish within the cut-off time and add a point towards their qualification for A grade status. This eventually will enable them to do the mighty Fish River and Dusi River races in due course, as the river-race season peaks with these A grade races in October and February next year.
Colin and Keith finished the race in one hour and 24 minutes, with only one swim at the bottom of the turbulent Broken Weir rapid, to win the second prize in the novice category.
Read more:
• Local paddlers take on grueling canoe race
• Local paddlers finish the Dusi
• Friends take on Vaal Canoe Marathon
