|
|
|
Herman Gouda - 20th June 2009 |
|
|
|
|
Written by Mark Torrington
|
|
Friday, 19 June 2009 |
|
Course - Hermon to Gouda Bridge – 32 kms. (WCCU K1 Long Distance Championships, 2009).
Date – Saturday 20th June.
Registration – 08h30 @ Hermon Bridge
Start – 10h00 @ Hermon Bridge
Organizing Club – Milnerton Canoe Club
Prize Giving @ Gouda Hotel at approx. 13h00.
Lunches available @ Gouda Hotel and Big Screen T.V. for the 1st rugby test, South Africa vs. British and Irish Lions @ 15h00.
The 32 km section of the Berg River to be raced this weekend will also be used as the 2009 W.C.C.U. K1 (single) Long Distance championships and sees the return to river racing of Lance Ling (Milnerton), the form paddler so far this season, although he has missed recent river races because of illness and Provincial canoe marathon training camps. Graeme Solomon and Gavin White (both Peninsula CC), who have dogged King’s wake in previous races and with Solomon winning the Goree to Viljoensdrift K1 event on the Breede River 2 weekends ago whilst King was laid-up with a bad cold, will unfortunately not be taking part, choosing to focus rather on a marathon training camp in Hermanus in preparation for the S.A. Canoe Marathon Championships being held in Plettenberg Bay on 27th and 28th June. Notwithstanding, there are still a crowd of local paddling ‘Top Guns’ who will be taking part and given that all of them paddled last weekends Swartland K1 Canoe Marathon, which covered the Hermon-Gouda section of the Berg River, will they not be in better shape, local knowledge-wise, than a resurgent King? Heinrich Scholms (Paarl) is one of the pack leaders – he raced day 1 of the Swartland and tripped most of day 2, so is right up there with local knowledge; Ernest van Riet (Stellenbosch) was 3rd overall on the Swartland, but perhaps the paddler that King really needs to look out for, is the youngster from Stellenbosch, Pierre-Andre’ Rabie, who place 2nd to reigning Berg River and World class endurance paddler, Hank McGregor, on the Swartland K1 canoe marathon. Rabie has been in scintillating form and his light weight will be a benefit when negotiating the many tree blocks that will inevitably be a big part of this race, as, with no rain predicted this week, the river will be at a medium level – thus exposing the many trees, branches and debris that are lying across the river channels, brought down by the heavy rains 2 weeks ago and again this immediate past Monday. Add to this the fact that Rabie relishes tree blocks (most paddlers hate them!), he will be that paddler most likely to challenge King for the championship. Other paddlers to keep an eye on will be Dane Sanvido (Stellenbosch), a Top 10 finisher on the Swartland, along with Edgar Boehm jnr (Pen), the awesome Sub Master, Eugene van der Westhuizen (Milnerton), who continues to bely his age in pulling Top 10 placings, Veteran paddler, Henri van der Merwe (Pen), who, after a quiet start to the season, blitzed the opposition in the Swartland and Cornelius Human (Outeniqua), who has consistently placed Top Ten in all the river events since his return from overseas after the season began.
The women’s championship looks cut and dried – Robyn Kime (Stellenbosch) has so totally dominated women’s canoeing in the Cape this season, that there just isn’t anyone else seemingly capable of challenging her – it is a case of her being the outright favourite with others fighting it out for podium places. Of these, Lindi-May Harmsen (Milnerton) is most likely to be dogging Kime’s wake. Harmsen has been concentrating of Berg and marathon racing at the moment, so she has the knowledge and the fitness. Peninsula’s Jemma Hofmeyer most likely to fill the 3rd spot (she being 3rd on the Swartland). However, during the Swartland, both Robyn Henderson and Lisa Scott (Veteran category women’s paddlers from Milnerton), put up their hands and showed class, so if any of the favourites experience trouble on the river, they may well find themselves viewing the backs of Henderson and Scott in the latter stages of the race.
Paarl Canoe Club have claimed the top Junior positions in all the races so far, with Joseph Williams, Diviano Pietersen and Emile Kruger consistently finishing 1st 2nd and 3rd, but be on the lookout for the likes of Michael-Lee Farringer (also Paarl/Bridgehouse) who has shown prodigious talent, even as an U14 paddler this season.
Registration for the race is fro 08h30 with the race starting at 10h00 in the vicinity of the Hermon Bridge.
See the W.C.C.U. website for further details. – www.wpcanoe,org.za.
To get to the start from Cape Town, the suggestion is to go out on the N7 to Malmesbury, turn-off into Malmesbury at the glide-off (left). Drive straight through Malmesbury to the first traffic light – drive straight across it, up a steep hill and then turn right at the stop street onto the Paarl Road (R315) – follow this for 3 km – then turn left onto the R311 and follow this road up through the wheat fields, down the pass over the mountain, go passed the turn off to Riebeck-Wes and Riebeck-Kasteel and keep on straight until the Hermon Bridge is reached about 5 kms further on (from the turn-off).
Rob MacLean
Director - Aquatics |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 February 2010 )
|
|
|
|
|
