Hank and Jenna back to winning ways

THE 2015 surfski season got underway last Friday evening at the first leg of the Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series, and the favourable conditions drew large numbers with Hank McGregor and Mt Edgecombe resident, Jenna Ward, drawing first blood in race one of the ten-leg series.

The men’s race started frenetically as expected, but the status quo was established by the first turning buoy as multiple Canoe Marathon World Champion, Hank McGregor, got himself ahead of the chasing bunch and showed his class in relatively flat conditions as he powered away to a convincing win.

“It is always good to get a win in the first race of a series like this,” McGregor said. “I have been training really hard over the festive season and it is always great when you see the hard work paying off.”

The ladies’ race was dominated by Marathon World Championship bronze medallist, Jenna Ward, who used the favourable conditions to her advantage as she powered away to a good win in race one of the series. Our Lady of Fatima pupil, Kyeta Purchase, finished in second place.

“I managed to get on some good runs out there and keep my nose in front. I train with Kyeta, and so I know how to race her, but she never let up and she made me race all the way to the finish, which was exciting,” Ward explained.

For the young Purchase, being able to come second to her training partner was a result that she was happy with, and she was quick to mention the difficulty of paddling against her training partner, Jenna Ward.

“It was really really tiring,” a visibly exhausted Purchase said.  “I am pretty happy with how I did today, but it is really tough taking on Jenna. She is really strong, but I am happy.”