Canoeists secure top-10 finish
Lowveld Canoe Club's (LCC) Ant Baird and Wihan Venter managed to secure a top-10 finish in their age group at the 2017 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon.
This year’s Dusi will certainly go down in the record books as the toughest canoe marathon in the modern era, and the paddlers will surely look back on the experience for many years to come.
This was the official statement from the organisers of the canoe marathon that covers roughly 120 kilometres between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
While the Lowvelders were getting ready for cyclone Dineo, LCC braced themselves for a tough day at the office.
With an acceptable water release on day one, all paddlers were geared up in great anticipation for a nice river level with temperatures climbing into the high 30’s during the race.
With day one being the running day of the three days, paddlers were looking forward to more paddling on day two and three, but unfortunately that was not the case; there were no release flowing into the uMngeni River and paddlers had to scrape though the rapids. Once they reached Inanda Dam, it was clear that the drought is still a reality in some parts of South Africa.
Also read: Canoeists tame the Duzi
At the start of day three the paddlers received confirmation that low-level rules would apply. After the first four-kilometre paddle on the dam, the canoeists would have to run from about 14 kilometres with their boats from the dam wall over Burma’s and get back into the water after the Burma put-in.
From there participants had to paddle/drag boats or walk all the way to the pump house, whereafter they could get back in their boats and paddle to the finish.
“Dusi 2017 was definitely an experience, and one all will remember and discuss to for many years to come. A huge congratulations to all our paddlers for enduring such tough conditions. You can be really proud of your achievement,” said JC Kriek of LCC.
Results
• Anthony Baird – 11:33:58,67 (K1 position – 74)
• Wihan Venter – 13:20:04,72 (K1, 133)
• Craig Lewis and JC Kriek – 13:32:21,30 (K2, 37)
• Gustav Smook Sr and Gustav Smook Jr – 14:07:13,02 (K2, 51)
• Stuart Butcher – 14,43:43,59 (K1, 180)
• Wikus and Dewiko Loots – 15:16:23,97 (K2, 90)
• Louis Paquet – 16:13:02,21 (K1, 231)
• William Michael Adams and Clive Brown – 17:57:05,77 (K2, 219).
