(By Bev Mortimer)
There was big excitement with quite a few shivers at the start of Pam Golding’s Canal Winter Challenge canoe race at the Cove on the St Francis Bay canals yesterday.
The race started off in frosty, wet and drizzling weather in the morning. St Francis Chronicle’s roving scribe reports that a group of brave, long-sleeved paddlers, many with hoodies , braved the elements as they raced along the upmarket canals.
The overall winner was top South African paddler Greg Louw of Cradock, who narrowly missed going to the Olympics. His winning time for the 20 km race was a new record – 1 hr 34 min.
(Photo edited..)
“It is fantastic to have such talented paddlers here!” Richard said after the race. “There were 48 paddlers in total and a great vibe. Most stayed a night or two – good for local business!”
First local was MJ Potgieter, first local vet was Brian Wells and first local junior was Roeltin Louw.
Results:
Long course: 20km
Category Senior men:
Pos Time CSA-1 Name1 Surname1 Club
1 01:34:30 4475 Greg Louw Cradock
2 01:34:32 4405 Ryan Louw FRCC
3 01:35:11 4885 Richard Von Wildemann BWCC
4 01:36:15 4615 James Thorburn BWCC
5 01:39:26 4858 Luke McNish BWCC
6 01:39:28 4756 Robert Welsh BWCC
7 01:39:40 4779 Markus Burri BWCC
8 01:40:33 4171 Jason Goedhals BWCC
9 01:42:21 37 Stuart Laing BWCC
10 01:42:51 4751 Craig Walland BWCC
11 01:47:04 4748 Andrew Shaw BWCC
12 01:47:58 44 Robert Lee BWCC
13 01:48:00 1351 MJ Potgieter SFPC
14 01:53:22 4783 Ron Verheij BWCC
15 01:54:08 4959 Kevin Klette BWCC
16 01:54:10 4557 Daniel Strydom BWCC
17 01:54:16 4376 Dappie Prinsloo SFPC
18 02:10:14 4817 Eugene Maritz BWCC
19 02:13:39 4023 Greg Paterson BWCC
Category Junior u/18
1 01:39:25 36 Jordan Zeelie BWCC
2 01:48:21 4238 Gabriel Van Wyk Knysna
Category Doubles:
1 01:40:27 Rohan Greyvenstein Ross Goedhals BWCC
2 01:47:04 4705 Nielen Beyers 2070 Craig Seale BWCC
3 01:53:23 4813 Andre Van Rooyen 4866 Henry Goedhals BWCC
4 01:53:55 4886 Ray Holmes 4345 Alan Campbell 4846 Paul Gerrard BWCC
Category Senior women:
1 01:48:00 4493 Kerry Louw BWCC
2 01:48:20 4252 Michaela Beers Knysna
3 01:53:24 4172 Natalie Goedhals BWCC
4 01:54:00 4818 Tracey Almirail
Short course: 10km:
Category Senior men:
1 00:52:05 3318 Hein Van Rooyen BWCC
2 00:52:49 4902 Richard Arderne SFPC
3 00:55:10 4852 Gavin Harvey BWCC
4 00:55:26 4283 Danie Van Wyk KNYSNA
5 01:04:19 Brian Wells SFPC
6 01:11:05 Gareth Evans BWCC
Category Junior u/16:
1 00:55:45 4361 Roeltin Louw SFPC
2 01:15:25 Jason Carroll
Category Doubles:
1 00:55:40 Christopher O’Linsky Eric Berrington BWCC
Category Senior women:
1 01:11:05 Andrea Rathbane BWCC
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