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Pinjarra to
Ravenswood
It was probably the coolest day we have
had for the race in years. 23 degrees, clouds and the chance
of rain. This year I was paddling a double kayak with Alaine
instead of a C1 like I paddled last year. I was hoping for
a quicker race. We brought along my Epic double ski for Ray
Smith and his partner Ann to give it a go and see if they
were compatible as double partners.
Wendy, Sam, Bryan, Alan
and little old me
It wasn't the biggest turn up but there
were 83 senior craft a few being doubles. It's a race that
a lot of paddlers enjoy. Being 17kms it makes it longer than
most other races and the twists and turns and the scenic riverbanks
top off a really good race course.
The car park was full of kayaks and
skis sold by CDU, it was great to see what impact we have
had on the racing scene. Alaine and I were in the fourth grid
and with the river being narrow there wasn't a lot of space
for every paddler to be on the line. We were the lucky ones
there were less paddlers on our line up.
Alan Moreby assisting
Pete Thompson adjust his new Time Bandit. First time on the
water. Kevin White checking his paddles.
We were off but all other doubles were
ahead within seconds. It didn't faze us though as our competition
surely would tire. Lawrence and Christopher Greed took off
like two rockets tied together followed by Lawrence's twin
boys Matthew and Nicholas being close behind. Colin Grimshaw
and Julie in a V10 double had a good start as well. So that
left me and Alaine, Ray and Ann who were beside us to fight
it out and it looked as if we were going to have a hard time
to get away from them. This husband and wife team have been
long standing members of the CDU Saturday morning training
team and only having Epic singles they were interested in
seeing what it would be like paddling together. Some husband
and wife teams don't get on so it would be interested to see
how they went. You wouldn't find better people to be paddling
beside but this was a race so I was doing all I could to streak
ahead and I was hoping Alaine had the same idea.
The river twisted and we were all wary
of the underwater snags at the corners so we took them wide.
Our boats had underslung rudders so we had to make sure we
didn't scape over a log and break them.
I wasn't quite sure what happened but
we managed to get in front of Ray and Ann and started to leave
them behind. Soon after a few frisky calves were walking and
trotting along a high riverbank. Alaine seemed to go all gooey
and started saying how cute they were. You know when you are
paddling with Alaine you have to expect that she will stop
paddling to look at nature. I wasn't quite sure if that happened
today but I felt the boat momentarily slowdown but we were
soon back in full swing as we turned a corner and left the
calves behind.
Fronted by lush trees the river meandered
and doglegged. Beyond the trees which were only a few metres
wide the fields were dry, bare and uninviting with the occasional
farmhouse setting back from the river. It however was a pretty
paddle but I must admit my eyes were more focussed on the
kayaks ahead rather than the scenery.
Some kilometres further we started to
catch up with slower paddlers and the faster K1s started to
catch up with us. Shannon Sime, James Morfitt and Murray Kelby
were the first paddlers to fly by us and not long after a
steady stream of faster paddlers started to overtake. We spoke
briefly to Kim Bingham who flew by in his Epic V10 and ended
up being the first ski. Richard Yeates who I had lent the
V14 to, was being chased by another paddler I don't know when
they overtook us.
As Mark Lawson and Brett McDonald came
up from behind in a double they were being chased by Jerry
Alderson and his son Mark. It looked as if they were going
to have a good tight race but eventually Mark and Brett got
away and won the race. Mark and Brett are going to compete
in the Aussie Marathons at Easter so this race was good training
for them.
Our kayak was continually collecting
weed or leaf litter on its nose. I tried see-sawing the kayak
to get rid of it, but when you have someone quite heavy in
the back it doesn't work as well as when you do it in a single!
Eddie Stoelwinder started to pass. Just
as he was level with us, he asked me if I could get a weed
stalk off his bow. We stopped. My first thought was that we
might capsize trying to help, but Alaine managed to flick
it off without us flicking into the water and with a word
of thanks he paddled off.
We got moving again and soon after 63
year old John Dinucci passed us. He was chasing Eddie and
68 year old Rob Roll who had passed much earlier, capsized
and flew by us again chasing Kevin, Wendy and their young
son Adam in a K3.
The river was quite crowded at times with faster paddlers
shouting and passing from behind and slower paddlers being
passed by us.
Well up ahead Chris Watson was paddling
his heart out on his new Epic V10. His ski was only three
days old so it was the first time he had paddled it in a race.
Chris usually paddles a PRS. He went on to win the 2nd division
and was the 5th fastest ski over the line.
Chris Watson in the 2012
Avon Descent
We were passing a few slower paddles
but we were also being passed. Bronwyn Martin overtook but
she didn't look as speedy as she usually did. There was a
mob of people ahead and we were gaining on them. A paddler
in a blue kayak pulled away from the bank after a capsize.
We managed to chase him and get on his wash. Houses started
to appear and that was a good sign, it meant that we didn't
have many kilometres to go.
We passed Mick Mantell who also didn't
look as fast as he usually is. Next to go was Simon Walker.
He had bought a Time Bandit from me two days earlier but he
was yet to paddle it so he decided to paddle his old Epic
V10 instead. The first Time Bandit Multisport kayak over the
line was 60 year old Patrick Tullock with Martin Watson 21
seconds behind him and Peter Liddle 1.24 behind Martin. Peter
Thomson was next in his 2 day old Time Bandit and Steve Coffee
seconds behind him.
After the last real bend we started
catching up with a group of paddlers. We went wide of them
and quickened our pace. As we just about cleared the group
Greg and Paul put a spurt on in their plastic K2, Greg shouting
as he does to put us off. It didn't work as we soon skirted
away from them and within 20 metres it was quiet again.
Closing up to the finishing line there
were claps and encouragement from the shore as we moved by
a few boats and rounded a bend where the finish line was positioned.
We sprinted for the last time into a circle of paddlers gathered
under the road bridge, who had just finished.
After finishing we turned to head to
the boat ramp to see Bonnie McDougal, and Baillee Liddle fighting
it out. Both were from our Saturday morning training and paddling
Epic V10s. Baillee had only been paddling a few months so
I was surprised and impressed that she had caught Bonnie and
manage to beat her by 2 seconds. Bonnie's partner Craig was
between the two girls in his PRS but he just couldn't get
by them.
Craig Metzke coming down
Championships Rapid 2012
From the results we hadn't done as well
as we should have done and there were several paddlers that
we usually beat had beaten us. Some by two minutes so I was
surprised. But had Alaine slowed her paddling behind my back
every time she saw an animal or bird on the bank!!
At least the race was a lot easier than
last year when I paddled my C1.
Thanks to the organizers and volunteers.
Fastest boat on the day was the K2 of
Mark L.(AKC) & Brett M. (MOC) in 1 hour 15 minutes and
27.9 seconds setting a new record for the 45+ mens K2. James
M. (AKC) led the singles home 8 seconds behind. Samantha P.(AKC)
was the fastest Lady single on the day finishing in 1 hr 24
min 08.8 secs.
Overall there was nine previous records
broken and seven new class records established. Notable being
Luke Egger. (CRCC) taking six minutes off Simon Roll’s
U12 K1 record from 1991. Mathew & Nicolas Greed (AKC)
establishing an U14 K2 record, Ann Smithson setting a Ladies
55+ WWK1 record and Baillee Liddle (AKC) in her first long
race, setting the record for open ladies OS1.
Mathew & Nicolas
Greed just beat their dad and brother to get the Under 14
record.
Full results herer: http://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=20259&did=24263
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