FOLLOWING hot on the heels of his victory in the Maui Jim Molokai Challenge in Hawaii, Hank McGregor underscored his form and ocean riding skills by winning the Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic recently.

The event, which forms the first leg of the International Canoe Federation’s new World Cup circuit attracted a very strong field, and was contested in strong 25 knot downwind conditions that allowed the confident surfski exponents to exploit the favourable runs over the majority of the 26 kilometre race course.

“Conditions were pretty wild out there, it was super cool! There were some wide-eyed paddlers, ” said an elated McGregor.

McGregor said that the title race had been very close as he was constantly under pressure from Australian team mates Cory Hill and Michael Booth, with Jasper Mocké and eMdloti’s Barry Lewin always in the mix.

“I managed to get a lead going into the point, and managed to keep it at about three hundred metres all the way to the finish. I am really happy to win a fourth Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic,” he added.

The women’s title was won by Australian Wendy Reyntjes, shading South Africans Michelle Burn, the defending champion, and Durban North’s Hayley Nixon finishing third.

The second leg takes place at the Nelo Summer Challenge in Portugal next weekend while the third leg takes place in Tahiti in September.