|
Bay to Beach
The weather wasn't going to be the best
for the race but that's life, it's not meant to be easy! Just
think of it being character building.
There is usually a fight for parking
at the finish line so I went early to avoid the rush so early
in fact, that there was no-one there. Back at the start a
cycle race was zooming through the area. Last year there was
a running race on the same day.
Dave Tupling, Kevin Johnson
and Alan Moreby all taking part in the over 55 sea kayak class.
Paddlers started arrival slowly. Most
were ski paddlers but there was a good group of kayakers taking
part this year so I would have plenty of stiff competition.
Anthony Mee was the favorite. Last year he was second to Darryl
Long with me being third. But this year, I wasn't so confident
to coming third again as there were more paddlers. There was
Peter Thompson who was dying to beat me so I expected he would
have been training hard over the last few weeks. Last week
in the Moore River race his goal was to beat my 2012 time
but thankfully he didn't manage to, but I could feel he was
out for my blood today.
Kevin and Warren Southwell.
Warren was favourite to win the Long Plastic division.
After the briefing we started entering
the water. The big outriggers were off first at 9.30am followed
by all sea kayaks and plastic boats at 9.33am. We waited for
our turn and as paddlers lined up, the line was far from straight
with some paddlers a long way forward of the line so they
had a big advantage. It was easy to see the boat and the buoy
so it was disappointing to see the more experienced paddlers
try to get an unfair advantage. Of course when these paddlers
are too far forward it only encourages others to do the same
and then it just gets out of hand and then there is no line.
The horn went off even though there
was no straight line but we were away. For some reason the
single Molakai skis also took off and they were supposed to
go 3 minutes after us. Apparently many waited for the right
time to leave and were disadvantaged as the final results
were all mixed up.
On our grid it didn't take long for
Warren Southwell in a plastic ski and Anthony Mee in an Epic
kayak to slip well ahead. On the left John Breed and Steve
were well away in a double Mirage sea kayak. Like always I
didn't really break any records getting off the mark so they
soon left me behind. Then I saw Peter Thompson fly away, bugger
he was off a lot faster than me as well and it looked as if
I had already lost the race.
Trying not to be too depressed I paddled
my little heart out and to my joy came together with Alan
Moreby and Dave Tupling just before the first bend. They were
setting a cracking pace and I didn't really know if I had
the stamina to keep up but most times I have raced Alan, his
stamina has petered out. Lets hope it will happen again. For
a short time I had to wash hang Alan but when I got my second
wind I managed to find enough strength to get beside him.
We were now three abreast, Dave, Alan and me with a few paddlers
wash hanging behind us.
Waves from passing boats unsettled us
but we still didn't break ranks. I didn't have anyone (I mean
Alaine) to blame today for my performance, so I just had to
keep up. By the yacht club we were still three abreast although
I was a little worried about being pushed towards the pen
posts and squeezed out. We turned a corner and for a short
moment I managed to get in front but I was soon pegged back.
Then I noticed Mark Tate in a raider X had somehow gone wider
and crept ahead but we didn't have the power to go with him.
He slowly slipped away. That meant there were now 3 sea kayaks
in front of me so definitely no podium finish for me.
Just before the bridge we split up as
power boats ruffled the water. Dave moved over to the right
and towards the shallows, whilst Alan and I paddled through
a cluster of boats. We separated as we paddled under the old
Fremantle bridge so with the timbers between us I paddled
faster to try to get ahead. I think Alan had the same idea
as we came out together.
When we hit the sloppy waters of the
harbour, Derek who had been wash hanging me most of the way
moved up beside us so we were then four a breast. We had 3.4kms
to paddle through the harbour to reach the North Mole and
the ocean leg. We had just paddled 6kms most of that against
the wind. Power boats were heading in and out of the Harbour
stirring up the water and the wind from the west was making
paddling that much harder. Mark Tait was now at least 200
metres or more ahead so it was doubtful that we would catch
him. Sometimes you have to accept that you are just not fast
enough and let them go. I think I need to do more training
but he was a lot younger so that must count for something.
Back in 1985 I used to work with Mark at Merribrook, an outdoor
training centre near Gracetown. When Merribrook had large
groups to train I used to head to down south to help out with
abseiling, caving, ropes course, and canoeing courses.
We pushed on and paddled by two large
ships, we were like dwarves beside them. We started passing
a guy on a ski who was paddling two strokes and bracing the
other two. It was a little rough but not as rough as it was
going to be once we rounded the corner so I don't know if
he succeeded in keeping upright when he got out there.
We crashed through wave after wave as
we were leaving the main Harbour and heading that last kilometre
to the north mole. I can't remember how, but Derek managed
to get slightly ahead of us. I wasn't happy about that so
I deserted our line and started chasing him. We were now no
longer a team, I was off and it was every man for himself!
At last I could see the north mole and
the ocean which looked choppy. The boats in front of me were
pounding up and down through the incoming waves. Derek was
now 3 boat lengths ahead and I tried to keep directly behind
in the intention to get on his wash and catch him up but unfortunately
he was going that little bit too fast for me to achieve it.
Our boats reared up and slammed down over the waves. It is
really amazing how much pounding a fibreglass boat can take.
It was hard work and the sight of the north mole groyne was
pleasing to see. Derek took it a bit wider whereas I went
closer as I was confident that I wasn't going to get capsized.
I caught Derek and was a little ahead for a short time. I
didn't find it too messy on the corner although others had.
(Unfortunately for Dallas he had capsized at this point and
his ski was pushed onto the rocks giving it that slightly
gnawed by a shark look). I had wondered how he managed to
get to the end before me but he then told me that, that was
where he withdrew from the race.
It was just over 7 kilometres to Cottesloe but the ocean was
messy and I could see rogue waves appearing at different places
in front of me. Although I had no hope of catching Anthony,
Peter or Mark, in theory I did have a chance to keep Alan,
Dave and other sea kayaks at bay on this rougher section.
I have done a lot of sea kayaking so, I should be more used
to the sloppy conditions. Trying to keep up the pace though
and not exhaust myself was probably going to be more of a
challenge. With the bouncy conditions and rogue waves anything
could happen when you are tired and have little life left
in you.
Derek started slowly easing away from me which I wasn't happy
about but there was nothing physically I could do about it.
Was he going faster or was I going slower? Peter Liddle was
2 or 3 hundred metres ahead and I could see him struggling
with the conditions. I had thoughts of catching him up but
even though he didn't look too comfortable on the ocean he
still managed to keep in front of me. He said later he fell
off twice but I didn't see him.
The pine trees at Cottesloe still looked a long way off, it
wasn't a pleasant feeling knowing that the conditions were
pretty ordinary and I had to keep paddling hard. I tried catching
a wave or two but I ended up going well off course so I just
buckled down to paddling in the slop in a near direct line
to the finish line. The faster single and double skis were
beginning to pass me. They didn't look to be ecstatic about
the conditions either and every so often when the waves really
started to wallow they fought for stability. Being in a sea
kayak it made it a lot easier to keep upright, they are quite
stable so I had no issues with stability.
At times when there was a relatively flatter sea it allowed
me to get some good strokes in but then the slop would come
back ruining all my chances of getting into a good rhythm.
Half way along I felt my arms straining, they were telling
me to ease up, but my mind was telling me to keep going to
make sure none of the kayak paddlers behind me passed me.
Although it was a little too rough to see anyone directly
behind, I couldn't see any kayaks in my wings so I presumed
I was way ahead of them.
Two double skis passed way over to my left and a woman on
my right. I wasn't happy about the woman passing me, but she
was on a faster ski, looked younger, stronger, better looking
so probably she deserved to be there. Soon after a single
outrigger started passing but I managed to keep within a few
metres of him. There were paddlers scattered along the coast,
apparently my hero, John Carroll, was hugging the coast without
me knowing and I had passed him by. He was strong on the flat
but not so confident in the rough so I beat him.
I was happy to be a kilometre or two from the finish line
but when I glanced behind to check who was there, I noticed
the white Mirage sea kayak of Alan Moreby. Oh shit I thought,
I had to get a move on. If Alan had kept directly behind me
I wouldn't have known he was there and he may have been able
to pip me at the post. Now I strained as much as I could to
keep in front of him.
A paddler struggling with his ski
At last I could see the
Cottesloe groyne clearly. It's usually a little rough next
to it so I kept well away from it. The wind was still blowing
hard in fact, even stronger than an hour ago. The flags were
flying on the beach and paddlers were landing. The guy in
the Outrigger was struggling a bit so I caught up 50 metres
from the beach. I wanted to go straight in to get the quickest
time but I held back a bit to ensure I didn't get smashed
by the surf break.
John Carrol and Derek
Amy. Derek is happy because he beat me and John but Derek
is always happy when he is paddling.
I hit the beach and an
official soon had my boat. I lost a bit of time releasing
the paddle from the paddle leash but I didn't want to have
my paddle trodden on so I ran through the finish line with
it. Alan wasn't that far behind but that didn't matter, at
least I beat him and all the other 55 plus paddlers so I was
happy.
The young, good looking
(even with the mo) Francois Joubert after finishing the race
in his Epic V8
Other paddlers continued
to come in. Many capsized as they approached the beach. It
was quite good watching them all fall over. Apparently Dave
Tupling who was doing so well on the flat hit the wall soon
after and was beaten by Geoff Emery and Kevin Johnson.
A ski paddler struggles
just off the beach whilst Colin Priest passing in his Epic
18.
It was a tough race but
it was good exercise and well worth doing. Pity about the
start though, many paddlers who took off on the right grid
will be unhappy about the ones that took off early.
Graham McMahon on his
Afinnity surfs into shore ready to run through the finish
line.
If you have a photo
that may go with my stories they would be most welcome.
|
