Hank McGregor claims victory at Durban Bay’s Thule Season Starter

Salt Rock paddler Hank McGregor has maintained his winning ways hot on the heels of his double victory at the national championships.

McGregor posted a runaway victory at the Thule Season Starter which got the winter surfski series underway on Sunday morning.

Little pressure faced the 43-year-old Fenn/Euro Steel racer as he faced big swell in Durban Bay, claiming the two-lap, 12km race from Matt Bouman and Brandon van der Walt.

“There wasn’t too much wind out there but there was a big swell running,” said McGregor.

“It was a lot of fun as Matt Bouman pushed me all the way to the finish line.

“Obviously racing SA Champs last weekend made it easy to get into a ski and I am happy to get the first race of the winter series under the belt, and to take the win is a bonus.

“It is great training for me and really enjoyable on a Sunday morning with so many paddlers out on the Durban beachfront,” he added.

With a nationally adjusted calendar squishing events so close together, paddlers have been pushed harder than before with McGregor’s focus now squarely on the Freedom Paddle in Western Cape next weekend.

He said it was all about staying race sharp.

McGregor finished the race with a time of 43:16.99.