The Narrabeen Beach Challenge is being held this Sunday, 9 November on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. This 20 kilometre grind is the first ‘true’ downwind race of the Sydney series and will run between Narrabeen and Barrenjoey Headland, depending on the direction of the wind and swell.

Tim Jacobs (Pic: Alex Braid)

Event organizers nearly turned the race around on Friday before the race, but chose to go ahead with the original course. The conditions looked quite daunting on the day but the wind eased to around a 4 knot head wind.  Around 300 Spectators saw 60 ocean paddlers take to the water for a spectacular floating start.  Competitors headed firstly towards Yallingup Beach then turning for a direct line to Sugarloaf Rock and around Cape Naturaliste....what a striking coast line this is - certainly makes for an awesome paddle experience.

Things turn interesting...

Hout Bay, South Africa - Fish Hoek's king of ocean-paddling Dawid Mocke chalked up his third win in the Discovery Men's health Surf Ski Series when he raced away alone to win the Discovery Hout Bay to Camps Bay race over last week's Langebaan race winner Graeme Solomon and his Peninsula Canoe Club team-mate Peter Cole.

What's that roaring noise behind me? (Ans: the beach break at Camps Bay) (Pic: Jon Vellacott/Gameplan Media)

“Look out!” The yell of warning was muffled by a thousand litres of water crashing down onto Mark Anderson’s ski.  As he, Luke Michael and the Orange Red7 double rounded Barrenjoey Headland they realised, too late, that there was no escape from the wave that would take them all out of race contention.

Langebaan, Western Cape, South Africa:  Marina da Gama's paddling supremo Graeme Solomon notched up his first win of the Discovery Men's Health Surf Ski Series when he paddled to victory over arch-rival & Lakeside's doyen, Peter Cole, and Fish Hoek's U21 surf-lifesaving champion Sean Rice.

Graeme Solomon - king on flat water! (Pic: Justin Vellacott/Gameplan Media)

[Editor: The abandonment of the NY Mayor's Cup race last weekend has caused considerable discussion and debate both on this site and on other websites around the world.  Here's Ray Fusco's official word on where to from here.]

I was 15 kilometers up the Hudson, my eyes fixed on the Little Red Lighthouse beneath the towering expanse of the George Washington Bridge, when Hank McGregor and Oscar Chalupsky paddled towards me looking like tourists who'd just had their pockets picked.

The scene in New York in the early morning before the race (Pic: Jeff Chen/Trigger Images)

The 2008 Epic Kayaks Lion Island Challenge is on this Saturday, 25 October.  This is the second race in the Ocean Series, and boasts one of the richest purses on Sydney's racing circuit. 

The leaders heading out in the 2007 edition (Pic: www.abbeydigital.com.au)