FEEDBACK : VLC/MALUTI – LIEBENSBERGVLEI RACE – SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2017
Thank you to our Sponsors Patrick Starkey from Bearing Vision , Malcolm Stothard from Set Kayaks & Composites as well as all my club members who contributed in so many ways and to the paddlers who made the trip I hope every body had a good time.
Victoria Lake Canoe Club in conjunction with the Maluti Canoe Club based in Bethlehem hosted an additional race on the Liebensbergvlei on Saturday 4 November, between Reitz and Tweeling – an awesome opportunity for 31kms of training together with super rapids, shootable weirs and enjoyable wave trains!
It was a superbly lovely hot day without any of the extreme weather we sometimes experience in the Free State – NO gale force winds or sleet rain! the cold water splash from the mighty wave trains was welcome and refreshing and the field of some 4 K3 crews, 18 K2’s and 13 K1’s making up some 60 paddlers on the field plus marshalls. It was a great day for all with welcomed printed Tshirts and tasty boerie rolls at the finish!
The results will be posted in due course on the GCU website where the photo’s have also been shared – from the VLC Canoe club album – HERE. Unfortunately the first few paddlers were through the bridge rapid before the photographer got there so they were missed!!
They were however the winning Dabs K3 with Michael-John Robb, Alistair Jackson and Robert Levick who finished in 1 hour 54 minutes, while Kelvin Byres with Robert Crichton were 2nd finishers in 1 hour 55. The second K3 with the Watuni crew finished in 2 hours with Kobus and Caroline Filmalter as well as Andre Zandbergh being the first Mixed crew as well as first Veterans to finish. Ryan Rodda with Joe Penn (Dabs) in 2:02 were the 2nd K2 finishers at this K2 race, in a time of, followed by Meyer Steyn and Bryan Slater finished as the 3rd K2 and first finishing Master age group combination.
The first finishing lady , Bea Steyn, was from North West University in 2 hours 45, as the 10th K1 finisher and first Under 23, while Sylvia Nel (LIK) finished in 2: 52.
Waldo van der Linde from Upington finished as the first K1 finisher, and first Sub Veteran, in a time of 2 hours 10 minutes, while the first Sub Grand master finishers were next in 2 hours 14 minutes – Mark Allen and Gerrie Ambrosius (KZN / Wat).
The 3rd K3 finishers were Franz Fischer, Rodney Carpenter and Vincent Buttrick (VIC/ERK) who finished in 2 hours 15 minutes as the Grand Master top finishers, while the 2nd K1 finisher crossed the line in 2 hours 21 minutes – Under 16 Dihlabeng paddler from Bloemfontein, Kaizer Mokoena.
The K2 Mixed doubles crossed the finish line in 2:25 and 2:28 bringing in Macdonald Nkosi and Stephany Taylor (FLO/CEN) and Moses Nghomane/Jennie Dallas (FLO) as 9th and 10th K2.
It was a lovely way to spend the day in the grasslands and mieliefields near Frankfort and paddlers were grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the fast flowing fresh clean water from Lesotho once again – thanks to VLC and Maluti for giving us the opportunity!!
Jennie Dallas
for GCU PR
082 857 857 1
