New canoeing partner for Booth
Local canoeist ready for a Dusi K2 with his new canoeing partner.
Springs canoeist Tommy Booth and his canoe partner Pieter Engelbrecht from Boksburg have teamed up for the doubles of the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon which will take place from February 15 to 17.
The Dusi is known to be the world’s toughest endurance canoeing event.
Booth and Engelbrecht are both members of the East Rand Kayaking club based at Homestead in Benoni.
On Sunday, Florida Lake Canoe Club hosted a Dusi seeding and training race on the Klip River from Daleside to Meyerton.
The race was 30km paddling with two by 2km portages where paddlers run with their boats.
“With more than 100 entries in the race it was the best supported local river race in months, as paddlers gear up towards the FNB Dusi which takes place from Pietermaritzburg to Durban,” says Jennie Dallas from Gauteng Canoe Union.
Dallas says with heavy storms and rainfall during the past couple of weeks the water level on the river was superbly wild, fast and furious and thoroughly enjoyed by experienced paddlers.
Booth and Engelbrecht finished the 30km race with portages in ninth place in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes as third sub-veterans.
“This was their first race together and they feel confident about a successful Dusi race in February,” says Dallas.
