The Du Toit Caterers/Rietvallei Wines sponsored W.C.C.U. canoe race on Saturday 23rd May, 2009, was the 23 kilometre section of the Berg River from Paarl (Paarl Canoe Club, Market Street bridge) to the low level bridge at Skooltjie, just beyond Wellington.
With the river at a very low level, the conditions were always going to favour the 'lightweight' paddlers and so it was that Lance King (Milnerton Canoe Club), blasted away from the start, was first over the compulsory portage of the Market Street weir, and was never headed for the entire 23 km. section of the river covered in the race. Early on, i.e. immediately before and after the weir, P-W Basson (Paarl Canoe Club) gave chase and at one stage was on King's slip, but approximately 400m after the weir, he fell off the pace (at the first bridge after the weir), leaving King to race alone until the end, where he came in a full 2 minutes before Solomon and White in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Giving chase. but knowing that catching the lightweight King would be an impossible task unless something went seriously wrong with his canoe, were Graham Solomon and Gavin King (both Peninsula CC), Helmut Schloms (Paarl CC) and Pieter-Willem Basson (Paarl CC), who were to finish in that order, 2nd to 4th overall.In the Women's section, there was no stopping Stellenbosch CC's Robyn Kime, who paddled away from her opposition (Bianca Beavitt - Milnerton and Jemma Hofmeyer - Pens) to come home in 16th place overall and nearly 10 minutes ahead of the Beavitt in 2nd, with Hofmeyer a further 8 minutes back.
Both King and Kime also won the new age category - the U23 division.
Other excellent showings were those of the juniors, Ivan Kruger (Milnerton - U18) and Diviano Pietersen (Paarl - U16), who finished in 19th and 20th positions overall (respectively)
With the low water levels, paddlers had to put up with very with hard paddling (shallow water creates greater friction and therefore harder paddling), minimal rapids, plenty of obstacles in the likes of trees lying across the river, and without any flow to either help, or put at risk, paddlers who inadvertently capsized. As such, it was an excellent opening President's trophy river race which has started 'The Berg' season, as it also gave the opportunity for a good number of new paddlers the chance to experience a relatively benign piece of water which will build confidence for the season ahead.
With next weeks race being 28 km in length, from Gouda Bridge to Bridgetown, where the river is wider, deeper and with more opportunities to really race and overtake plus there being predictions of rain before then, paddlers are hoping for higher levels to 'even out the playing fields'.
Results of the Du Toit Caterers/Rietvallei Wines 23 km Paarl to Skooltjie, W.C.C.U. canoe race, Saturday 23rd May, 2009.
Top 10.
1. Lance King - Milnerton - 1 hour 34 minutes 13 seconds.
2. Graeme Solomon - Peninsula - 1:36:16.
3. Gavin White - Pens - 1:36:17
4. Heinrich Schloms - Paarl - 1:37:35
5. P-W Basson - Paarl - 1:41:50
6. Eugene van der Westhuizen - Milnerton - 1:44:22
7. Ernest van Riet - Stel - 1:44:24
8. Dane Sanvido - Stel - 1:46:21
9. Cornelius Human -Mil - 1:46:22
10. Chris de Waal - Mil - 1:47:03
Senior Men
1. Lance King - Mil - 1:34:13
2. Graeme Solomon - Pens - 1:36:16
3. Gavin White - Pens - 1:36:17
Senior Women
1. Robyn Kime - Stel - 1:50:02
2. Bianca Beavitt - Mil - 1:59:10
3. Jemma Hofmeyer - Pens - 2:07:45
Juniors (U18 yrs)
1. Ivan Kruger - Mil - 1:52:03
2. Diviano Pietersen - Paarl - 1:53:30
3. Joseph Williams - Paarl - 1:53:56
Novices
1. Michael-Lee Farringer - Bridgehouse - 1:58:52
2. Burger Coetzee - KSK - 2:04:02
3. Daniel Buys - Bridgehouse - 2:04:05
Sub Veterans (35 - 39 yrs)
1. Graeme Solomon - Pens - 1:36:16
2. Greg van Heerden Mil - 1:47:03
3. Frohaan Visser -- SSW - 1:48:37
Veterans (40 - 44 yrs)
1. Rob Hart - Pens - 1:50:00
2. Rob Meintjies - LAN - 1:59:05
3. Ommund Sivertsen - Pens - 2:03:59
Sub Masters (45 - 49 yrs)
1. Eugene van der Westhuizen - Mil - 1:44:22
2. Chris de Waal - Mil - 1:46:22
3. Anton Truter - Mil - 1:53:54
Masters (50 - 54 yrs)
1. Paul Lange - Pens - 1:53:38
2. Shaun Butler - Pens - 1:53:44
3. Ian Glass - Pens - 1:58:51
Sub Grandmasters (55 - 59 yrs)
1. Rob MacLean -Pens - 1:54:55
2. Andre' Rabie - Paarl - 2:02:43
3. Anthony Penderis - Temp - 2:08:37
Grandmasters (60 yrs plus)
1. Tienie van Schoor - Stel - 2:15:13
2. Giel van Deventer - Paarl
3. Johan van Rooyen - Stel