Mauritius - stunning race images

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!
Images - just a taster!
"The front group has cut the corner really tight," said Dean Gardiner. "There's a set coming in that just might clean up a couple of them...!"
It didn't - but as the photo above shows, it came close...
To cut a long story short (I'm sitting in Johannesburg airport on the verge of being called to my flight) Dawid Mocke, Jeremy Cotter, Matt Bouman and Hank McGregor formed the front bunch, dicing hard until about half way through the race. By then Mocke had dropped back, Cotter and Bouman were neck and neck and McGregor was ahead of Mocke but 150m back from the leaders.
Cotter said afterwards, "Hank was incredible - he just put in a 20 minute burn and came straight past us." In that time, McGregor made up the 150m deficit and powered 100m into the lead.
Le Morne
The channel through the reef at Le Morne has become the iconic rite of passage in this race. This year, in a repeat of the 2009 race, huge swells roared through channel, creating mountains of breaking water. The paddlers had varying experiences, some arriving during a lull; others with sets of waves that made the channel a heaving tumult of white water.
Here's a couple of sequences showing 1) Hayden Holmes deciding that he'd better scoot quickly to the side of a 10ft feathering swell and 2) Aussie/UAE paddler Hayden Smith catching a superb run through the channel.
The pics were taken by Barbara Yendell: www.BarbaraYendell.com
{gallery}2010/09/MoC/race/litebox{/gallery}
More reports, pics and the official results to come...
Results
Position | Boat no. | Name | Time | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | McGregor - Hank | 01:55.46 | SA |
2 | 5 | Cotter - Jeremy | 01:56.26 | Aus |
3 | 3 | Bouman - Matt | 01:58.17 | SA |
4 | 2 | Mocke - Dawid | 01:59.16 | SA |
5 | 8 | Chalupsky - Herman | 02:00.20 | SA |
6 | 4 | Schilperoort - Tom | 02:02.42 | SA |
7 | 6 | Smith - Hayden | 02:02.43 | UAE |
8 | 9 | Anderson - Mark | 02:07.46 | Aus |
9 | 12 | Barton - Greg | 02:08.25 | US |
10 | 11 | Chalupsky - Oscar | 02:09.20 | SA |
11 | 13 | Rice - Brendan | 02:13.49 | Aus |
12 | 15 | Holmes - Hayden | 02:14.22 | UAE |
13 | 57 | Topfer - Danny | 02:16.22 | Aus |
14 | 24 | De Speville - Simon | 02:16.48 | First Mauritiun. Also the first junior |
15 | 48 | Brown - Gordon | 02:19.25 | Mau |
16 | 14 | Berruyer - Pierre | 02:20.23 | Reunion |
17 | 30 | Appel-Rene | 02:21.16 | Hong Kong |
18 | 18 | Zlatarev-Boyan | 02:21.45 | Bulgaria |
19 | 28 | Eadie - Richard | 02:22.07 | Aus |
20 | 19 | Rice-Shaun | 02:22.48 | Aus |
21 | 16 | Mocke - Nikki | 02:22.50 | SA - First lady |
22 | 32 | King - Tony | 02:23.14 | Aus |
23 | 20 | Rossbotham - Leon | 02:25.47 | Hong Kong |
24 | 46 | Dabhi - Malek | 02:28.28 | Reunion |
25 | 80 | De Speville/Leclezio | 02:32.02 | Mau - Double |
26 | 26 | Dickinson - Gavin | 32:02.00 | UAE |
27 | 35 | Sands - Craig | 02:32.46 | Aus |
28 | 22 | Hales - Boris | 02:36.22 | SA |
29 | 17 | Highman - Ruth | 02:37.06 | Aus - 2nd Lady |
30 | 38 | Brain - Gael | 02:37.37 | Reunion |
31 | 41 | Leleuch Eric | 02:37.38 | Reunion |
32 | 36 | Wiland - Lindsay | 02:37.52 | Aus |
33 | 33 | De Speville-Jean Baptiste | 02:38.04 | Mau |
34 | 27 | Swart - Ben | 02:38.11 | UAE |
35 | 40 | Harvey - Nigel | 02:39.12 | UAE |
36 | 59 | McKenzie - Craig | 02:44.41 | Mau |
37 | 25 | Geevers - Mark | 02:45.48 | SA |
38 | 10 | Topnel- Andy | 02:47.32 | Aus |
39 | 29 | Brand - Charles | 02:48.42 | SA |
40 | 64 | Gilmer - Dave | 02:48.43 | SA |
41 | 49 | Hanns - Nathan | 02:50.09 | Aus |
42 | 62 | De Carmejane - Camille | 02:50.11 | 3rd lady Hong Kong |
43 | 52 | Sauzier - John | 02:50.49 | Mau |
44 | 43 | Parks - Kim | 02:53.10 | SA |
45 | 51 | Barnes - Nick | 02:59.50 | Aus |
46 | 56 | Manzewski - Boris | 03:21.30 | Hong Kong |
47 | 54 | Quirk - Chris | 03:41.08 | Aus |
48 | 44 | Goussaire -Olivier | 03:42.47 | Reunion |
49 | 45 | Hardy - Jean Marc | 03:43.36 | Reunion |
50 | 72 | Audibert - Xavier | 03:51.06 | Mau |
23 | Randal - Wayne | DNF | ||
34 | Hann- Rebeeca | DNF |