FEEDBACK RACE REPORT:
VLC FLAT – 1 AUGUST 2015
Thanks to the nearly 60 paddlers who turned up for the 24km VLC Flat hosted by Victoria Lake Canoe Club at Germiston Lake – despite the icy cold front that swept through Gauteng the previous day, the Saturday of the race was amazingly pleasant, warm, sunny with no wind and the lake shone like glass twinkling in the sun’s rays!
Thanks also to the NSRI team who were quite relieved that they did not have to get into the icy waters for rescue purposes but they were out there in their boat making sure all paddlers were safe!
The winning K2 was powered by Dave Hamilton-Brown partnered with Marco Magni (Dabs) finished as first Sub Veteran team in a time of 1:51, with Theo Smith and James Thorburn (CEN/BLU – EC) finishing one second behind them as 2nd Sub Veteran team and father and son team Michael and Liam Stewart (ERK) in 3rd 3 seconds later – the bunch paddled well together and kept their pace through to the finish.
Piers Cruickshanks with Peter O Connor (DABS) were the 3rd finishers just 3 seconds later having stuck like glue to the other 3 for the entire 8 lap course, and finished as top Veterans .
Shaun Maphanga and Monique Steven finished in 7th place overall (FLO) in 2:03 as the first Mixed double and 7th K2, but sadly there were no female boats or finishers! The first finishing K1 brought in Richard Cele (VIC) in 2:11.
The winning masters were once again – guess who? in 2:11, as the 11th K2, and 12th overall finishers – Glen Sinclair and David Ivy (JCC) and other Masters really need to make a concerted effort to drop these guys as they are getting really big heads with their unbeaten TRACK record as 2015 Master paddlers….!
Gunther Grune was the winning Sub Master in a K1, 21st overall and with 2:20 on the clock, he was also the 6th K1 winner, however the K2 SM winners were Anthony Welsh and Richard Carter (VIC) in 2:25.
The Grand Master winners were once again Keith Beeston and John Rowan (JCC/ERK) in 2:25, 28th overall and 19th K2 – and one can ask – where were the strong monster fit super hero youngsters?
Well one team was disqualified for disobeying race rules by non wearing of PDF – apparently the same rules don’t always apply to everyone some think !
An Under 23 finisher made it across the finish line in 2:25 after the GM’s and SM’s, and M’s as 8th K1 – Macdonald Nkosi (FLO), but at least he was an Under 23 there on the water!
Kanyisa Mancoba (VIC) finished as the first Under 18 in 35th overall, and a time of 2:35 , as 11th K1, with an Under 16 (LIK) Jonathan Jooste finishing in 2:46 as K1 12 some 11 minutes later.
Thanks to VLC as always for the training opportunity, good hospitality great food and pub area as well as the fire in the bar – always much appeciated!
Jennie Dallas
for GCU PR
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