Delight for Burn and McGregor at national surfski champs

DURBAN paddlers, Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn bagged the plum titles in the single ski races at the Fenn SA Surfski Championships help over 26km from Durban Undersea Club to Amanzimtoti on Saturday afternoon.

Racing in a moderate North Westerly wind, McGregor successfully defending the crown he won on the canals of St Francis last year by holding off a dogged challenge from Capetonian Nick Notten.

Fish Hoek stalwart Dawid Mocké rounded out the overall podium by getting the better of the young East Londoner Josh Fenn and the evergreen uMhlanga surfski ace Matt Bouman.

In the women’s race Michelle Burn revelled in the familiar ocean conditions to canter away from the stacked women’s field to claim an almost five minute victory margin over Cape racers Kira Bester and Melanie van Niekerk.

“I went too hard in the first few kilometres of the race, hustling at the start after I got stuck behind some others at the start. I was racing with Melanie (van Niekerk) for a while but then I just decided to put blinkers on and paddle my own race, which went quite well,” said Burn.

She squealed with delight when reflecting on winning the national title after many years as a benchmark female downwind racer.

Danville Park Girls’ High School matric learner, Saskia Hockly finished fourth and claimed the U18 national title, while her younger sister Valmajean took the U16 national laurels just ahead of Holly Smith, both racing into the top ten overall.

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