Young boat racer from Evander is hooked on Trans Agulhas Challenge

EVANDER – Inflatable boat racing is the drug that Billy Bezuidenhout refuses to quit.

This 24-year-old salesman of industrial tools from Evander has been racing inflatable boats (rubber ducks) on dams since primary school.

For the past few years he has also taken this adrenalin pumping sport to sea.

He met his greatest adventure and challenge two years ago in the form of the Trans Agulhas Challenge, known also as the world’s toughest inflatable boat race.

This race that takes place at the end of December each year begins at Plettenberg Bay and ends five days later at Gordon’s Bay.

It is a fast-paced, action-packed water sports event with over 40 inflatable boats battling it out in the waves.

This 700km endurance has 20 beach stops along the coast between Nature’s Valley and Gordon’s Bay.

Bezuidenhout and his co-pilot completed their second Trans Agulhas Challenge this past December, finishing 13th overall and seventh in the pro-stock class.

The first day was a 188km shift to Mossel bay during which they had to land for petrol at several stops.

“We used about 450l of petrol for this race. We get about 2,5km per litre from the 50 horsepower, 750 cc engine.

“I think our top speed was about 94kmph on the calm sea, but reaching a top speed of 65kmph in rough seas is considered good.”

Bezuidenhout said the third day between Stilbaai and Struisbaai was the worst of the rough sea, with the swell reaching heights up to 11m.

The racers have to be tough and fit for the Trans Agulhas which is considered to be the Dakar of the water.

“It tests the endurance of man and machine to the ultimate and one’s body takes many knocks,” explained Bezuidenhout.

Both the racer and the co-pilot must be kitted out in safety gear that includes boots, helmets and special racing goggles.

According to Bezuidenhout once you race through the waves, nothing else comes close.

“I am completely addicted. I’m hooked every time I get a whiff of two-stroke oil.”He aims to finish in the top five overall positions when they next compete in the Trans Agulhas.

Competing in this sport is expensive, especially for Bezuidenhout who is considered a “Valie”, a nickname for someone who hails from the inland, formerly known as the Transvaal (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo).

He travels on average 1 400km to the Cape whenever there is a race.

His entourage for such a trip includes the boat, trailer, racing gear and tools, camping equipment and of course, his high school sweetheart and boating helper, Ms Janke Pretorius.

Bezuidenhout also has his sights set on the national championship title this year.

The championship series begins in February and consists out of races at Port Elizabeth, Blouberg Strand, Port Alfred, Mosselbaai and finally the Ice Block challenge on the Vaal Dam in June.

This final competition is being hosted by the Zodiac Club of which Bezuidenhout is a member. In his spare time he overalls and repairs boats for an extra income.

His dream is to represent South Africa at the World Championship, but for this he needs more sponsors before he will be able to race abroad.

“I am so thankful for all my sponsors,” he said.

This weekend (2 February) will be a warm-up session.

“We are taking part in the Riding for Paws charity event at the Rynfield Dam in Benoni.”