GAUTENGERS AT FNB DUZI 2017 !!
From all accounts there was superb water on the first day of the FNB Dusi, but by Day 3 the river levels were really low and tough going as paddlers picked their way by foot through shallow rocky pools in the extreme heat of the valley and through to Durban….
Congratulations to the winners led by Andy Birkett in 1st, with Sibonelo Khwela in 2nd place, and Michael Thulani Mbanjwa in 3rd – with Hank McGregor bringing up the 4th place in an interesting tough river race!
The top finishing Gautenger was perhaps not unexpectedly at all, Adreach’s protege – Siseko Ntondini (SOW) finishing as 8th K1, in 9 hours 25 over the 3 days and 120km tough distance.
SCARC club colleage Zonele Nzuza was only 2 seconds behind Ntondini chasing hard in an interesting impressive race, while Loveday Zondi also from SCARC finished 12th overall in 9 hours 36 minutes. Those were the top 3 Gautengers to finish the 2017 FNB Dusi – well done!
Richard Cele (VLC) came in 23rd in 9 hours 54 over the three days, with Shaun Maphanga, (FLCC) finishing as second Veteran behind Jacques Theron, in a time of 10 hours 16 minutes, as 29th K1. Thomas Ngidi (VLC) finished in 10 hours 20 as 34th K1, while Phineas Zulu (SOW) was 38th K1 in 10 hours 33 minutes.
Kelvin Byres (DABS) finished as 3rd Veteran, K1 40 in a time of 10 hours 40 minutes while Nkosi Mzolo (SOW) finished as K1 44, in 10 hours 47 minutes followed by Under 23 K1 45 finisher from SCARC three minutes later – Siyabonga Tyiki.
These were the Gauteng top 50 finishers – Silver medals all round and great respect!
Our Gauteng ladies did very well with Holly Spencer (DABS) finishing as 2nd Under 23 Lady, in 16 hours 20 minutes, as 235 K1, while Sonja Bohnsack (DABS) was the 2nd Master lady finisher in 16 hours 26 as K1 239, and Alexandra Jensen finished as 5th Senior Lady against very strong top competitive field, in 17 hours 20 minutes, K1 271.
Cally Henderson (DABS) made history by being the First Grand Master female to finish the Dusi in a K1 – 17 hours 53 minutes, K1 285.
The next 50 Gauteng finishers, leading up to the Top 100 list, included Tom Ngcobo (SOW) finished as K1 60 in a time of 11 hours 13 minutes, while Alex Roberts (DABS) was the 3rd Sub Veteran in 11 hours 29 minutes as 71st K1 with Raymond Rorich (CEN) only seconds behind him as 4th Sub Veteran, K1 72. Mark Garden (Dabs) finished as K1 73, as 4th Veteran in 11 hours 33 minutes followed by Anthony Baird 10 seconds later as 5th Sub Veteran (LOWV)
Sipho Qoko was the K177th finisher as an Under 23 in 11 hours 37 minutes, with Chizani Gumede as K1 79, also Under 23, in 11 hours 40 minutes. Michael Stewart (ERK) finished as 3rd Sub Master in 11 hours 48 minutes as K1 84, on his 20th Duzi race!! and K1 97 brought in Michael-John Robb (DABS) in 12 hours 2 minutes.
Tommy Booth has the honour of being the K1 100 finisher on the race as 8th Sub Veteran in 12 hours 9 minutes!! Well done to them all!
Christopher Allan and Paolo Magni (KZN/Dabs) were the first Gauteng K2 to finish, in a time of 12 hours 15 minutes as the 11th K2, and Piers / Shelley Cruickshanks (DABS) were the 3rd Mixed Double to finish, in 12 hours 35 minutes as the 16th K2 finishers, while Jonathan Thompson (DABS) was a very impressive 2nd K1 Sub Grand Master finisher in 13 hours 49 minutes.
A special mention of congratulations to young Under 18 Liam Stewart who did his first K1 Duzi under these challenging conditions and finished in 13 hours 43 minutes as K1 148, as 20th Under 18.
A number of the finishers are marked 20 or 25 year so they have been mentioned here as achievers – Manie and Attie Visser (JCC) finished in 14 hours 53, at their 25th Duzi event, and Uwe Schmidthaus finished his 20th as well, (VIC), in 15 hours as K1 190th finisher. Ian and Colin Wilson (DABS) 25 year finishers as well, in 15:06, as K2 81, with Nigel and James Tatham (KZN/Dabs) finishing their 20th in 15:23, K2 100!
Other 20 year finishers include Robert Macfarlane, (DABS) with Iain Clarke (KZN), Sivi Gounden (CEN) with Ken Holden, Clive Evans (DABS) K1 222, and while the results show a 25 year finisher with Michael Vacy-Lyle and Mohammed Patel in K2 132, I doubt that young Patel has lived long enough to manage that so the credit must surely be to Michael ? (Now thats a compliment Mo!)
So the credit of the 20 / 25 years does not necessarily apply to both K2 partners! You guys can guess who the credit belongs to!!! Terence Galloway (ERK) with Justin Ross also finished marked as 25 year finishers as did Lowvelders William Adams and Clive Brown are also marked at 25 year finishers, Glen Sinclair with Tony Savage, (JCC) , Gordon Shaw with Neil Brimacombe (Dabs) ,Victor Williams with Chris Watts (Cen).
James Thompson (ERK), Kevin Davie (Dabs) and Bernard Krone with Deryck Armour (JCC) are also highlighted as 20 year, 20 year and 25 year finishers – so well done to them all!
It was a truly tough Duzi and an enormous achievement to have finished it.
Jennie Dallas
for GCU PR
082 857 857