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 Sunday, 24th June 2007, Amanzimtoti, South Africa
Tim Jacobs beat Hank McGregor by almost a minute in today's 20km
KZN Awnings Toti race. All the top rated
South African paddlers took part, save for Dawid Mocke who is still training in
Cape Town.
And newly arrived New Zealand ace Katie Pocock cleaned up
the women's field, winning easily ahead of South African Belinda Carbutt .
Flat Conditions
The race, the eighth leg of the Discovery Men's Health
series, ran from Anstey's Beach to Amanzimtoti, and saw the paddlers dicing on flat,
glassy seas with no wind to help them on their way.
 Flat, windless conditions (Photo: Gavin Searle)
Matt Bouman went flat out from the start, leading Hank
McGregor, Tim Jacobs (Aus) and Tom Woodriff (Aus) on a deep line out to sea,
while Oscar and Herman Chalupsky took an inside line just beyond the
break.
Defending SA champion McGregor attempted to break away from his
group, but Jacobs hung on tenaciously before powering past to take the convincing
win.
 Tim Jacobs greets McGregor at the finish... (Photo: Gavin Searle)
Meanwhile Matt Bouman blew near to the finish, allowing
Oscar Chalupsky through to take third place, some 2 ½ minutes behind Hank
McGregor.
Women's Race
Katie Pocock gave notice of her intentions next week by easily
winning the women's race. Having been
told that Tiffany Kruger, the local favorite, was wearing a pink vest, she
chased after a paddler ahead of her only to find that her pink-vested target
was part of a mixed-doubles crew.
 Katie Pocock trounced the ladies (Photo: Gavin Searle)
Pocock won by 1 ½ minutes from Belinda Carbutt. Tiffany Kruger was third, another 3 1/3 minutes
adrift.
 Katie Pocock (NZ) and Paul Wilford (NZ) after 36 hrs on the plane and 3 hrs watching NZ defeat the Springboks at King's Park (Photo: Gavin Searle)
Prospects for the ARB
Surf Ski World Cup
Today's emphatic victory reinforces Tim Jacobs' position as
favorite to win next week's race - if the race is held in flat conditions. However, Windguru and Bouyweather are both
predicting wind and waves next weekend and Jacobs is reputed to be less of a threat
in downwind conditions, when the South Africans' local knowledge may prove
decisive.
In the women's race, Katie Pocock would appear to have the
race sewn up save for the fact that Cape-based marathon champion Alexa Lombard
has registered a late entry. Although
Lombard hasn't spent much time on the sea lately, she's a phenomenal performer
who could give Pocock pause for thought.
 Caribbean team member Ludovic Goufour charges the finish (Photo: Gavin Searle)
 Oscar Chalupsky & the V10E (Photo: Gavin Searle)
Meanwhile, back in
the Cape
The Durban-based South African paddlers have all been
shaking their heads over the fact that Dawid Mocke chose to spend the last ten
days back in Cape Town. "He should have
been up here practising in the Durban conditions against the best paddlers in
South Africa," goes the thinking.
Dawid has been training with his brother Jasper - and I was
fortunate enough to be on the water with them yesterday for a great downwind in
a typical Cape winter northwester. We did
a "reverse Millers Run" from Fish Hoek to Buffels Bay, a distance of just under
22km with Stuart Knaggs, a (South African born) member of the Caribbean team
for the World Cup. "A little colder than I'm used to," said a chilly Stuart, "but similar conditions in that
the waves are windblown rather than deep sea swell."
Dawid and Jasper started the run some fifteen minutes after
us and arrived at Buffels Bay five minutes ahead of us. Dawid said later that Jasper might give a few
of the Durban boys a surprise next weekend.
"I was going hard," he said, "but every time I turned around Jasper was
right there."
 Meanwhile back in the Cape: (L to R) Mousley, Lippstreu, Stuart Knaggs (Caribbean Team), Thring, Mocke snr, (kneeling) Dawid, Jasper, Feuilherade
SUMMARY OF RESULTS -
KZN AWNINGS TOTI DOWNWIND RACE
Elite Men
- Tim Jacobs 1:29:18
- Hank McGregor 1:30:10
- Oscar Chalupsky 1:32:42
- Matt Bouman 1:33:24
- Bevan Manson 1:34:22
- Tommy Woodriff 01:34:55
- Herman Chalupsky 01:36:22
- Steve Woods 01:36:55
- Barry Lewin 01:37:34
- Ian Grey 01:40:19
Elite Woman
- Katie Pocock 1:51:40
- Belinda Carbutt 1:53:12
- Tiffany Kruger 1:56:40
Junior single long
course
- Shaun Austen 1:52:41
- Donovan Kennedy 1:59:55
- Sthembiso Mbatha 2:13:12
More details on www.surfski.co.za
Click here for the full results
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