No: CPC1103

16 Dec 2011

Classic confrontation looms in Fenn Cape Point Challenge

Cape Town – Much like the convergence of several massive storm fronts, the international surfski community is abuzz with excitement ahead of Saturdays Fenn Cape Point Challenge, presented by Hansa and DiData, where classic racing conditions and a gathering of most of the best surfski racers on the planet have set the stage for the iconic 50km race from Scarborough around Cape Point to Fish Hoek, with a record prizepot of R130 000 on offer for the various class winners.

Four Cape paddlers will loom large on the startline, fronted by world champ Dawid Mockč and his equally talented younger brother Jasper, Tom Schilperoort, and Sean Rice who is the legendary race's defending champion.

On the startline at dawn at Scarborough beach they will eyeball a hugely powerful challenge from KwaZulu-Natal, spearheaded by new world marathon champ Hank McGregor, his Team Best 4 kayak Centre teammate brother Grant and Brandon van der Walt and the fit and focussed Barry Lewin.

Richard "Chopper" Von Wildermann tops a strong contingent of Eastern Cape paddler entered for the event that also includes Aussie expat Hayden Smith, paddling out of Dubai nowadays and Dutch marathon star Joep van Bakel, and the race for the singles title promises to riveting.

Also expect the junior surfski stars to be right in the top ten mix throughout, as the prodigious talent of Dom Notten and Craig Flanagan have peppered the top of the results in the summer Discovery Sunglass Surfski Series.

The women's title race brings together a potent field of classy and fit female paddlers like Kim Brugmann and Bianca Beavitt, Eastern Cape standouts Kirsty Wessels, Kerry Louw and Angie Austen, all of whom will be desperate to try and stay with the fit and experienced Alexa Cole.

Olympic sprinter Sean Rubenstein will be amongst the starters, but in the double ski race with Steve Farrell. Given their current form they will play a part in the pacesetting and tactics at the front of the race, and while Rubenstein is quick to concede his lack of experience in surfski racing, the prevailing conditions may well play right into his hands.

Much of the race is moulded by the weather on the day, where mild conditions can make the circumnavigation of Cape Point a mesmerisingly stunning occasion, but if wind and waves collude the turn around Cape Point is often associated with huge surf and swells pounding the treacherous rocks and reefs.

While paddlers are sceptical about believing long term weather forecasts, it looks like conditions will be gentle on the day, much to the relief of the many less experienced paddlers in the new record field of singles and doubles.

Traditionally the race tactics are dividing neatly into two sections at the turn around Cape Point. From the start at Scarborough, on the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula past the notorious South Western reefs to the rough waters off Cape Maclear and on to Cape Point, the exact halfway point of the race.

This is where the title race usually starts, with the elite stars cautiously conserving their energy until this point. The actually turn at Cape Point offers a major gamble where the inside line through the rocks can produce a thirty second lead that splits up the gaggle of racing stars at the front, but at considerable risk.

After the point the character of the race changes considerably, and it looks like weather conditions will provide the paddlers with decent downwind runs for the last 25km to Fish Hoek past Buffels Bay, Smitwinkels Bay, to Bakoven, where the popular Millers Run route takes the paddlers to the finish at Fish Hoek beach.

“It’s the only one-day race around that tests all your surfski skills," said former winner and local series champ Dawid Mockč. "You need to be quite tough; you need to be fit; you’ve got to know how to use bunch tactics; you’re using your downwind skills – it’s a great race.”

The Fenn Cape Point Challenge brought to you by Hansa and Di Data takes place from Scarborough to Fish Hoek on Saturday 17 December. More info can be found at www.capepointchallenge.com

ENDS

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