Salt Rock’s McGregor opens Bay Union Surfski Series accounts
Race Two of the Bay Union Surfski Challenge, Bay Union King of the Bay, is coming up next week on May 14
The 2017 Bay Union Surfski Series got underway with the Bay Union Single Surfski Challenge on Sunday morning, and the cream of KZN surfski paddling crop rose to the top with Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn opening their series accounts with wins.
In some mild conditions paddlers raced a 12km loop course that took them up the coast to the Mngeni River mouth and back to the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club with a few shorts runs to help them on their way.
It was Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks’ McGregor who was once again in a class of his own.
“It’s been a couple of weeks since I last raced in a ski so it was great to get back out there,” McGregor mentioned after his win.
“It was great racing against another top-class field as I head into my final preparations for the Moloki Ocean Challenge in Hawaii at the end of the month.
“At the moment I am training really hard and working towards racing a 56km race so it was great to see that my preparation is on track as I just finish testing my equipment and paddles.”
McGregor’s form is a worrying sign for the other paddlers hoping to claim wins in the Bay Union Series, but the current World Surfski Series champion is not slowing down as he looks forward to the other races in the series.
“Racing against a strong field week-in and week-out is the best preparation for me and to get a win over Matthew Bouman, who is going well at the moment, is always a good gauge on my form.
“Next week is the King of the Bay, one of the most unique races in the country in that we get to paddle out of the harbour. It’s always a race that I look forward to and am excited for that one,” added McGregor.
SMG/Epic Kayaks’ Bouman had to settle for second behind a dominant McGregor, however he was also a class apart as he finished over two minutes ahead of Bailey de Fondaumiere in third.
Race Two of the Bay Union Surfski Challenge, Bay Union King of the Bay, is coming up next week on May 14.
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