Catching runs at night (Photo: Mike Walker/Gameplan media)

Fast Start 

The 40 year old adventurer set off at 6pm on Sunday evening from his starting point 30 kilometres off Richards Bay in a strong North Westerly wind, with a big swell running, hoping to capitalise on the Mozambiquan current and favourable downwind conditions.

He started well, averaging 15 kilometer an hour, and was within his planned timeframe to break the 1986 mark set by American Randy Fine of 194,1 kilometres in 24 hours.

Simon Blackburn starts his attempt at the 24hr paddling distance record (Photo: Mike Walker/Gameplan Media)

Sea-sickness

However once darkness fell over the sea, and then the overcast skies obscured the moon, Blackburn started to struggle to see the waves and the big swell that was running.

"Because I couldn't see the swell, I wasn't able to catch the runs as I had been earlier, and I started wallowing. That's when the sea-sickness hit me," said Blackburn.

He persevered until well after midnight, while his seconding crew on the support boat tried to feed him, and keep him hydrated. "We tried everything," said his second Marc Germiquet. "He just couldn't keep it down."

In an effort to try and arrest the sea-sickness Blackburn climbed onto the boat and lay down to rest for an hour and a half, while the boat remained stationary in the heavy seas. 

Marc Germiquet encourages Simon who was battling cold and sea sickness (Photo: Mike Walker/Gameplan Media)

"That helped," said Germiquet. "He was able to keep his liquids down, and his sense of humour started returning." Blackburn then set off once again in pitch darkness, to try and get back to the pace required to break the world record.

For several hours he persisted, as the sea-sickness returned and he became progressively weaker.

Disappointment - end of the attempt 

Eventually, as they reached a point 60 kilometres off Zinkwazi, Germiquet took the decision to abandon the record attempt. "Simon was getting weaker and weaker, and the distances that he was covering had fallen so far behind that the record was no longer realistic. I called Simon over. He realised where we were at as well, and we got him onto the boat to head for the shore."

The end of the attempt - Marc helps Simon back onto the escort boat (Photo: Mark Walker/Gameplan Media)

"It's obviously hugely disappointing," said a philosophical Blackburn afterwards. "My preparations were very good, and I felt I was in the shape to break the record and improve it substantially. But I just didn't bank on the sea-sickness affecting me the way that it did."

Sharks and flying fish 

His dramatic night paddle was packed with incidents, and sightings of sharks and fish. "The skipper was keeping an eye on a Hammerhead shark for a while, and at one stage something big bumped into my ski," said Blackburn.

His biggest scare however came from a school of flying fish that skimmed above his head. "That's never happened to me before!" he said.

Video 

[Editor: Simon sent us the video clip below, shot by Michael Walker at about 7pm just as it was getting dark.  At the time Simon was achieving an average of around 15kph and was well on track to beat the record.

Look out for the flashing strobe lights on his PFD and on the ski.]

 

Trying again?

Blackburn and his support team have already started analyzing the failed bid, and working at addressing the problems of sea-sickness and the night paddling.

"Summer solstice might be the answer," said Blackburn, trying to maximize the daylight paddling hours to challenge the Guinness world record. He is also planning to start at dawn to try and cover most of the target distance in daylight hours.

"When the cloud cover moved in it got really tough because the darkness made orientating myself very tricky," said Blackburn. "Before the clouds came I was focusing on the two pointer stars that helped me stay on course. In the darkness it was a lot harder, and the GPS shows that I was not holding the course that I had planned."

With his energy reserves dwindling, Blackburn also had to deal with falling off his ski, and having to remount in the choppy swell. "I must have fallen off the ski at least ten times," he said. "This was one of the things that Oscar Chalupsky warned me about before the trip, so I was ready for it, but it is still exhausting. The waves were really big out there and the wind made it tough to get back on."

While he is understandably disappointed, Blackburn wants to rest and recover before lining up any future attempts at the 24 hour world record. The Guinness world record attempt is intended to raise awareness for his planned circumnavigation of the African continent to raise awareness for the threat posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.

Blackburn can be reached for comment on 072 987 1028.

[Editor:

I asked him if he was going to try again.  "I've already been asked that question so many times," he said, "and at 4am this morning when I was feeling so cold and queasy the answer was a definite no!  But, now, well maybe..."

The logistical planning is difficult though: Simon said that they've been waiting for the right window of wind, currents and weather for 2-3 months and already had about 3 false starts for this attempt.  Factor in waiting for a clear night, along with suitable wind, tides close to the summer solstice and it just may not be practical.

On the school of flying fish that leaped over him at dusk he said, "They were really big for flying fish, 20-30cm in length.  I thought they were going to hit me - I had to duck under them."

"The worst thing was being disorientated in the dark," he confirmed, "was that the seas were so big that the lights on the boat were either pointing at the sea or the sky."  And when it became overcast, he couldn't see the stars, and they were so far out that he couldn't see the loom of the land either.

Although disappointed with the result, Simon said there was great value in the experience gained in the attempt.

"The ski is incredible," said Simon. "I'd been training in an 18kg glass V10L and the difference was amazing.  In the (8kg) V10E it felt as though the runs were catching me, instead of me catching the runs.  I did find it slightly less stable and that might be something to think about for the future."

Hats off to Simon...]

For more info, see www.theafricachallenge.org 

Comments (4)

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Hats off!
written by Barry Lewin, October 22, 2007

Hey, I have to take my hat off to Simon for giving the record a crack! I know you really trained hard for it doing downwinds with us at every opportunity, constantly asking advice and researching the possible conditions. Its takes a lot of guts paddling in the dark when you cant see the swell, waves and wind chop! On my very limited time paddling in the sea in the dark I only learnt one thing, not to try it again as i was really scared not knowing where it was! Well done!

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Sponsorship.
written by Gavin Dickinson, October 22, 2007

Hard Luck Simon.

You need to know that paddlers all over the World will want to sponsor you with either a donation or a per km rate for your 'around africa' attempt. Be sure to tap into the boys for some funding. A good place to start is DSKC. The president Wayne Randall has broken every record in the book for solo fund generation in our sport. Give him a call - and he will give you cash...especially if you loop Dubai into your plans.

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Well done...
written by Alain Jaques, October 22, 2007

Eish! Simon you must have suffered badly, you don't strike me a person who gives up easily. Seasickness is bad enough when lying in a ship's bunk bed, never mind when paddling a skinny boat in the dark wild ocean. All the best for next time.

PS. Young Ben says thanks for the nappies.

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Video
written by Alain Jaques, October 26, 2007

Nice paddling there in the video Simon, you make catching runs look so easy. In the 70 seconds of the video clip you took only 20 strokes.

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