The cream of South African surfski paddling will be using the MOC on 29 June, 2013 as a warm-up for the inaugural ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Portugal two weeks later; they're going to be well fired up and raring to prove themselves...

As I watched the white-haired paddler surf away, paddles down for the nth time I grimaced.  I consider myself to be a pretty competent downwind paddler – but he was putting half the effort in that I was and I just couldn’t catch him.

Four weeks to go to one of the premier events on the Oceanpaddler World Series calendar… the 4th Mauritius Ocean Classic.  And an awesome line-up of the world's top surfski paddlers will be there.

To the relief of the paddlers, a 10-15kt breeze kicked up some small whitehorses and 1-1.5m swell to provide some downwind conditions for the third Island Shamaal Mauritius Ocean Classic.

[Editor: The warm-up race for the Island Shamaal Mauritius Ocean Classic was held yesterday in almost calm conditions.  There were a few swimmers in the channels through the reef but no great trauma…]

[Editor: Having come a highly creditable sixth in the Dunlop Surfski World Cup in Durban, South Africa, Barry Lewin is in Mauritius for the 2011 Island Shamaal.  He’s not finding it tough on the island…]

When staying on an exotic Island in a first class resort it’s pretty hard to get your mind around racing a ski for 20 odd kilometres.

For surfski paddlers looking for fun in the sun...  start making your bookings!  Some of the best downwind paddling in the world (as well as diving, fishing, mountain biking, sailing, you name it)...  Bookings are already pouring in from Australia, South Africa and Europe.

Although the race didn't have the expected fabulous downwind conditions (a cyclone south of the island disrupted the usually reliable trade winds), there was plenty of drama as the paddlers negotiated the reefs during the 28km Island Shamaal Mauritius Ocean Classic!

“The right ‘and side of the pass is extremely dangerous,” said Dominic Henry as he briefed an anxious group of paddlers this morning.  They were on their way out from Les Pavillons to scout the channel through the reef for tomorrow’s race.