FNB Surfski Challenge
Donna Winter and Shaun Burgin were the fastest mixed double home with Hamish Mackenzie taking the first junior title away with him.
THE women’s series honours have been thrust into the spotlight as the race heats up with Michelle Burn registering her second win of the series at the FNB Surfski Challenge, one adrift of Hayley Nixon and Bridgette Hartley, with just two races left in the popular 10-leg series.
With Hank McGregor having wrapped up the men’s title last week with his sixth win of the series, the focus shifted to the women’s title showdown with a three-way sprint for the overall honours, with Nixon holding a slight advantage over the chasing pair.
“I thought the North-Easter was going to die down a bit but it didn’t so I battled a bit paddling into the headwind and my arms got pretty tired,” said race winner Fenn Kayaks’ Michelle Burn. “When we turned at the top can, Hayley probably had about two runs on me but on the downwind section I managed to get some good runs and get ahead of her. She then caught me again on the paddle to the can on the second lap so it was such a good race between the two of us. I just made sure she didn’t get too far ahead of me.”
Conditions have varied over the eight weeks of racing, however they have steered towards the benign and for Burn, having some choppy conditions played right into her hands.
“I always knew that I was going to be able to link some good runs together over the downwind leg of the race and get the lead but it wasn’t as easy as I was hoping it was going to be. Luckily I was able to get a few really steep and awesome runs and I was even more lucky to hold on a small swim at the finish,” a smiling Burn added. “When I fell out I hoped that my ski would be facing the shore and it was so I was able to just beat Hayley to the line.”
The men’s race was an one-sided affair as SMG/Epic Kayaks’ Matt Bouman showed his class to take his second singles win of the series ahead of series stalwart Wade Krieger in second and Grant van der Walt in third.
Men’s series winner Hank McGregor swapped his single for a double as he and Lee Furby powered their way home to a doubles win in front of Quinton Rutherford and Brian Taylor in second and the Mckie pair of Calvin and Byron in third.
The Euro Steel/Fenn Kayaks’ women’s pair of Jenna Ward and Kyeta Purchase rekindled their partnership to dominate the women’s race, both singles and doubles, to finish 13th overall on Friday.
Donna Winter and Shaun Burgin were the fastest mixed double home with Hamish Mackenzie taking the first junior title away with him.
On the 4km short course it was Warrick MacNicol and Dwayne Powel who were the fastest across the line ahead of Jason Ward and junior Matthew Mouron in third. Carmel Billson was the strongest woman in the short course race as she finished just under two minutes ahead of Tracey Nuss in second with Siobhan Sharp finishing third.
After missing the last race of the series, Nick Park-Ross showed his class to come back and take another win in the stand-up paddle boarding category ahead of Matt Swemmer and Danica Bartho in third.
The Hi-Q Surfski Challenge, race nine of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series, took place on Friday, 24 February at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club, Addington Beach.
More information can be found at www.marineseries.co.za
