Southern Shamaal - "No fireworks, but an honest paddle!"

Thursday, 09 December 2010  |  Written by Rob Mousley

Scott Rutherfoord wins Day 1 of the 2010 Southern Shamaal PE2EL Challenge Credits: Owen Middleton

Easterly winds

"Under our rules, the forecast easterly meant we had to curtail the usual 75km first day," said Erasmus.  "We sent the paddlers out 25km to the mouth of the Sundays River and back so they escaped just over 20km."

The doubles set off

In event the wind never really picked up.  "It filled in a little on the way back," said fourth place Pete Cole.  "Maybe 10kt for the last hour."

The paddlers were mostly feeling their way at the start of the four day epic, not willing to commit too soon to any brash moves.  The day's winner, Scott Rutherfoord, eventually couldn't take the "pedestrian" pace anymore and put the hammer down after the turn mark at Sundays.

Ian Trautman leads the pack shortly after the start

"I went for it after the turn, just to feel the rest of the guys out," he said.  "Hayden stayed with me for a while but dropped off."

Rutherfoord said he hit the wall with about a km to go.  "I don't know if I had too many goos, or something," he said, "but I was feeling nauseous and started vomiting."  He could see Bevan Manson creeping up on an inside line.  "Bevan is really strong at the moment, but I just managed to pip him at the finish."

Feeling the hurt - Scott Rutherfoord at the finish of Day 1

Hayden Smith finished third some four minutes off the pace.

"I think most people are hurting," said Pete Cole.  "It's true that we had 20km off today, but we still did the distance of the Cape Point Challenge.  And tomorrow is slightly longer than today!"

Doubles

The doubles partnership of Bruce Neil and Theo van Dyk have dominated in the Cape Town Discovery Sunglass Hut Series this season - and today was no different.  The two men have been training up to 150km a week for the past couple of months, and they went hard from the start.

Bruce Neil and Theo Van Dyk

"We decided to go hard because we knew that the day would be shorter than we'd expected," said Neil.  "The bunch broke up early and we only had Craig Powell [and Rowland Pearce] on our tail.

"It was a long, hard paddle.  But it went well and we're looking forward to getting back on the proper course tomorrow."

Forecast and course

Based on latest forecast, the paddlers will start again tomorrow at 5am at Woody Cape and will paddle 57km to Port Alfred.

"It was the right call today," said race veteran Pete Cole.  "I think all the paddlers supported the decision.  Tomorrow is looking fairly benign and the surf at Woody Cape shouldn't be a problem; the forecast is for 1.5m at 6sec."

And where would we be without the seconds?  

Photos

Race photographer Owen Middleton took these pics...  

Results - Day 1

Single Ski

Double Ski