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The W.C.C.U. Canoe Marathon championships were over this immediate past weekend (Sat 9th and Sun 10th May 2009) in excellent weather and water conditions on Zandvlei and through the Marina da Gama Canals.
The Cape Doctor kept his house calls to a minimum this immediate past weekend, to the benefit of those paddlers who entered and paddled the W.C.C.U. Canoe Marathon Championships, held on Zandvlei on Saturday (K1 – singles) and Sunday (K2 - doubles). This lack of wind combined with high water (which was relatively weed-free), meant for near perfect conditions that produced outstanding results in all divisions. As all age groups divisions raced over their various marathon distances – from 7km for the U12’s right up to 35 kms for the Senior Men, it meant that there was a good deal of paddling activity on Zandvlei and through the Marina Canals (where some supporters had Freddie Mercury and ‘Queen’ belting out such numbers as ‘We are the Champions’, ‘We will Rock you’ (perhaps inappropriately for a canoe race!) ‘Another one bites the Dust’ and even ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – especially for Peninsula Canoe Clubs Karaoke aficionado Mark Torrington, to help the paddlers along. Report back from those supporters was that there was a definite quickening of stroke as they paddled into range of the speakers. It was even reported that Torries was soaring on ‘Galileo, Galileo’ as he powered past the local DJ!!! ), which started at 09h00 and was completed at approx 13h30 on both days. The combining of the Junior, Senior and Masters divisions was a coup by the W.C.C.U. as it gave the youngsters the chance to view their heroes in action and the older paddlers a good view into the future when they watched the Juniors doing their thing – and if this is the future of canoeing in this Province, then it is in good hands. In the Senior’s Men’s division, who paddled 5 x 7 km laps for their 35 km marathon distance, the breakaway group right from the gun of Lance King (Milnerton), Graeme Solomon (Peninsula), Henrich Schloms (Paarl) Pieter-Willem Basson (Paarl) and Ernest van Riet (Stel), meant that it would become a battle royal, as a diamond of more than 4 paddlers is always a problem. King and Solomon soon put paid to this large group and by the end of the first lap, it has been whittled down to 3 boats who were then content to cruise (with pace) at the front of the field and play the waiting game until the final portage when Schloms fell off and when King blasted for home from about 250 m out. Solomon, so long the master in all canoeing distances in the Western Cape, had to concede defeat by 28 seconds whilst Schloms was a further 22 seconds back. The following places from 4th to 10th position were filled by P-W Basson, Pierre-Andre Rabie (Stel) Ernest van Riet, Ian Trautman (Pen), Andrew Birkett (UCT), Nick Longley (Pen) and Shaun Griffin (KZN) respectively.
In the Ladies Marathon, a new guard of female paddlers came to the fore in the Western Cape over the weekend, with the top 3 positions going to U23 paddlers. They were Robyn Kime (Stel), a 1st year Engineering student from Maties (Robyn, hailing from KZN where she cut her canoeing teeth on canoeing events such as the Dusi and Umzinkulu – the Drak Challenge - will be in the Cape for a number of seasons, Engineering being a 4 year degree), former junior champion and a National Junior colours holder, Bianca Beavitt (Milnerton) and Jackie Barnes (UCT), also a former national canoeing colours holder. Kime dominated her event, winning by just under 2 minutes from Beavitt with Barnes a further half a minute off the pace. The next ladies home were Megan Kelly, Jemma Hofmeyer and Angie Gaffney – all Peninsula Canoe Club.
In the K2 (doubles) championships held on Sunday 10th May, and after the initial tussle between several craft, things settled down after another frantic start, with Peninsula’s Graeme Solomon and Gavin White dominating Pieter-Willem Basson (Paarl) and Lance King (Milnerton) until the former broke away over the final 500 m to win by a solid 42 seconds over 35 kms of neck-and-neck racing. 3rd home was the U23 and U16 pairing of Pierre-Andre Rabie (Stel) and Crisjan Coetzee (Mil), 4 and a half minutes back from the winners. This was however, a remarkable achievement for the youngsters, especially as Crisjan is still in the U18 age group (he did exceptionally well at the recent S.A. Sprint trials and S.A. Schools canoe sprint events in KZN and is a talent to look out for into the future). In the Senior Ladies K2 championship, Robyn Kime (Stel) teamed up with Jemma Hofmeyer (Pen) for the first time and paddled exceptionally well to win the event in 1 hour 50 minutes 6 seconds – 3 seconds ahead of the former junior national colours paddlers, Bianca Beavitt (Mil) and Jackie Barnes (UCT). Megan Kelly and Vicky Hind (Pen) gave it their best shot, but were well off the pace in 1 hour 55 minutes 46 seconds to take their place on the podium with the bronze. Junior and Masters categories were also raced off and a W.C.C.U. team comprising paddlers from all racing categories will be chosen for the S.A. Canoe Marathon Championships being held on the Keurbooms River in Plettenberg Bay, 27/28 June, on these results. Rob MacLean
Media Liaison – W.C.C.U. W.C.C.U. K1 Canoe Marathon Championships, Saturday 9th May, 2009.
Senior Men (35 km)
1. Lance King – Milnerton – 1 hour 57 minutes 47 secs.
2. Graeme Solomon – Peninsula – 1:52:14
3. Heinrich Schloms - Paarl – 1:52:15
Senor Ladies (also U23 Ladies) – (26 km)
1. Robyn Kime – Stellenbosch – 1:37:24
2. Bianca Beavitt – Mil – 1:39:04
3. Jackie Barnes – UCT – 1:39:40
U23 Men (35 km)
1. Lance King – Mil – 1:57:47
2. Pierre-Andre Rabie – Stel – 1:55:55
3. Andrew Borkett – UCT – 1:56:49
Sub Veterans (21 km)
1. Paul Marais – Pen – 1:41:06
2. Simin Griffiths – Pen – 1:58:04
3. Hennie du Plooy – Mil – 2:17:51
Veterans - Men (21 km)
1. Rob Hart – Pen – 1:34:05
2. Quniton Miller – Pen – 1:34:06
3. Angus McPherson – Mil – 1:35:12
Veterans – Ladies (21km)
1. Lis Hart – Pen – 1:47:11
2. Robyn Henderson – Mil – 1:49:00
Sub Masters (21km)
1. Eugene van der Westhuizen – Mil – 1:27:24
2. Johan Swart – Stel – 1:39:01
3. Daantjie Malan – Stel – 1:40:31
Masters (21 km)
1. Shaun Butler – Pen – 1:34:57
2. Paul Lange – Pen – 1:39:28
3. Ian Glass – Pen – 1:40:10
Sub Grandmasters (21 km)
1. Rob MacLean – Pen – 1:34:56
2. Andre Rabie – Paarl – 1:42:18
Grandmasters (21 km)
1. Giel van Deventer – Paarl – 1:42:20
2. Roy Linley – Pen – 1:53:16
3. Ian Marais – Mil – 2:04:40
Girls U8 (7km)
1. Rebecca Meihuizen (Bridgehouse, Paarl) O:47:51
Girls U19 (7km)
1. Justine Williams (Sonop Primary, Paarl) 0:47:08
Girls U12 (7km)
1. Rebecca Meihuizen (Bridgehouse, Paarl) 0:40:20
Girls U14 (14km)
1. Martine Beukes (Bridgehouse, Paarl) 1:18:08
Girls U16 (21 km)
1. Melanie van Niekerk (Milnerton) 1:44:52
2. Marissa Pretorius (Milnerton) 1:50:00
3. She-Earl de Wee (Noorde Paarl High, Paarl) 1:58:15
Girls U18 (21 km)
1. Jessica Jansen (Pen) 2:44:28.
Boys U8 (7km)
1. Kevin Swanepoel (Bridgehouse, Paarl) 0:42:47
2. Luc van der Westhuyzen (Bridgehouse, Paarl) 0:48:02
Boys U10 (7km)
1. Peter Meihuizen (Bridgehouse) 0:40:56
2. Nicholas Howes (Bridgehouse) 0:42:18
3. Matthieu Mauger (Bridgehouse) 0:42:19
Boys U12 (7km)
1. Jean van der Westhuyzen (Bridgehouse) 0:38:45
2. Bradley Ruiters (Paulus Joubert Primary, Paarl) 0:38:47
3. David Meihuizen (Bridgehouse) 0:39:16
Boys U14 (14km)
1. Michael-Lee Farringer (Bridgehouse) 1:05.22
2. Danie Buys (Bridgehouse) 1:09:11
3. Michael Pretorius (Bridgehouse) 1:09:19
Boys U16 (21km)
1. Divieano Petersen (Laborie High, Paarl) 1:42:27
2. Luke Stowman (Klein Nederburg High, Paarl) 1:42:31
3. Dalyn Basson (Muizenberg High) 2:22:15
Boys U18 (21 km)
1. Joseph Williams (Paulus Joubert High, Paarl) 1:36:44
2. Emile Minnaar (Paulus Joubert High, Paarl) 1:44:18
Results – W.C.C.U. K2 (doubles) Canoe Marathon Championships, Sunday 10th May, 2009..
Senior Men (35km)
1. Graeme Solomon/Gavin White – Pen/Pen – 1 hour 47 minutes 8 seconds.
2. P-W Basson/Lance King – Paarl/Mil – 1:47:50
3. Pierre-Andre Rabie/Crisjan Coetzee – Stel/Mil – 1:49:07
Senior Ladies (26 km)
1. Robyn Kime/Jemma Hofmeyer – Stel/Pen – 1:50:06
2. Bianca Beavitt/Jackie Barnes – Mil/UCT – 1:50:08
3. Megan Kelly/Vicki Hind – Pen/Pen – 1:55:46
Veterans (Ladies) 21 km
1. Kisa Scott/Lis Hart – Mil/Pen – 1:44:17
Sub Masters (21km)
1. Daantjie Malan/Johan Swart – Stel/Stel – 1:32:57
2. Mark Torrington/George Willis – Pen/Pen – 1:43:01
Masters (21km)
1. Ian Glass/Shaun Butler – Pen/Pen – 1:32:58
2. Roy Linley/Eric Farringer – Pem/Paarl – 1:46:15
Sub Grand Masters (21km)
1. Rob MacLean/Lionel Ekermans – Pen/Mil – 1:33:00
2. Rene Bohm/Peter Calitz – Sim/Pen- 1:51:23
Grandmasters (21 km)
1. Giel van Deventer/Angus Hemp – Paarl/Pen – 1:45:90
Junior Girls – U14 – (14km)
1. Martine Beukes/Abigail Stubbs – Bridgehouse – 1:13:37
Junior Boys – U14 (14 km)
1. Daniel Buys/Michael Pretorius – Bridgehouse - 0:59:18
2. Daniel Pretorius.Michael-Lee Farringer – Bridgehouse – 0:59:28
3. Paul Marais/Le Sueur Fischer – Tygerberg – 01:19:09
Junior Girls U16 (21 km)
1. Melanie van Niekerk/She-Earl de Wee – Mil/Paarl – 1:44:40
2. Marissa Pretorius/Claire Crauwkamp – Mil/Pen – 2:06:35
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