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Paddlers from all over the world (well, Tahiti, Australia
and South Africa at least) are arriving in Hong Kong in preparation for the
inaugural Dragon Run.
 Dragon Run Start (Fenn Hotspot to the right of Steep Island) (Pic: Oscar Chalupsky)
Hong Kong 1: Dawid
Mocke 0
Dawid's Tuesday night flight was unpleasant. "Emirates were terrible," he wrote. "We
arrived late, no explanation; at least thirty guys' bags were missing
(including Bevan Manson's), no explanation - or assistance."
(Bevan's bags are STILL missing.)
 Dawid on the only street in Shek-O trying to remember how the camera timer works (Pic: Dawid)
Lost Among the
Islands
Next morning, Dawid went for a paddle: "...paddled from Shek-O
beach out onto the course looking for Bevan, Oscar, Rene Appel, JD and others
but missed them..." he said. "What was I
thinking anyway, it's a massive ocean and the chances of bumping into them were
minimal anyway. So I carried on the downwind leg of the race and got
completely lost!!!
"There are so many islands out here that you seriously need
to know where you are going. I was LOST! So picture the scene, me
in a surfski in the second busiest shipping channel in the world whistling and
shouting to local fisherman asking for directions as they buzzed by in the
little boats... Finally I saw a dude on an OC1 and he directed me to Stanley
where the guys were paddling to. Still didn't find them so spent the rest
of the afternoon cruising the Stanley market and the streets of Shek-O."
That evening he had dinner with the race organizers (US$100
per head, "Ouch!" he commented).
"Great bunch of guys, visionary about the race."
 Victoria Recreation Club. Dawid with race director Billy Harker and his wife Tracy (Pic: Dawid)
Great Course
"Today we paddled the last half of the course," he went on,
"and I must tell you that this is an absolutely brilliant course!!! It
has everything." (Oscar Chalupsky has
also been enthusing about the course, saying that there are runs everywhere
even on the supposedly upwind legs.)
 Dragon Run course map
Forecast Looking Good
Rene Appel, Hong Kong local and part of the organizing team
said that the forecast is looking good for the race.
"We paddled the whole course over 2 days," he said, "both
days good conditions, with bigger swell and more wind today----everyone is
raving about the course, let's hope the conditions hold up and the forecasters
are right."
The current forecast is for 20kt NE winds with a 9ft swell -
perfect.
Our Picks
Our picks? You must
be crazy...
However... I'll bet
that the top five will be (in no particular order):
-
Ken Wallace (unconfirmed)
Bevan Manson should be in there somewhere too!
 L to R: Jon Dingley (race organiser), Lewis Laughlin (Tahiti), Ken Collins (SA), Oscar Chalulpsky, Bevan Manson (SA), Dawid Mocke (SA)
We'll have another update tomorrow with the confirmed list
of entrants...
For more info, see the event website: http://www.thedragonrun.com.hk/
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They were checking out the course - "What a start to the tour," Dawid said. "Hong Kong is an awesome place."
Ken Wallace & Dean Gardiner only get in tonight - not much time to prep for the race...