Jade Wilson (left) and Nix Birkett come into the finish to win the doubles event at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday. Photo Madison Malherbe/
Gameplan Media.
Saturday’s singles race winner, Jade Wilson, wrapped up a perfect weekend at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday when she and fellow East London local Nix Birkett successfully defended their doubles title in the 17km race from Nahoon to Yellow Sands.
It was a popular home-town double for the 21-year-old, who on Saturday said the singles victory was the best result of her career. It was extra special for her to achieve the double win with her long-time paddling partner Birkett, who finished second on Saturday.
The pair were chased across the line 26-seconds later by Chloe Bunnett and Candice Starr, with juniors Ellen Strydom and Georgia Singe just under a minute further back. Singe ended up winning the junior division on both days and also finished third overall in both races.
Candice Starr (right) and Chloe Bunnett approach the finish in second position at the doubles event at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday. Photo by Bruce Viaene / Gameplan Media.
In the men’s race, Hank McGregor and his regular ocean-racing partner Josh Fenn were too strong for the opposition and rounded off a near-perfect year of doubles racing, as they added the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski title to the Freedom Paddle and SA Surfski Championship wins earlier this year.
McGregor’s recent river-racing parter, Uli Hart, and the younger Fenn brother, Matt, finished second, with the all former World Champion partnership of Kenny Rice and yesterday’s singles race winner Nic Notten finishing third.
Hank McGregor (right) and Josh Fenn skirt the infamous Yellow Sands break near the finish of the doubles event at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday. Photo by Bruce Viaene / Gameplan Media.
Kira Bester made up for some of the disappointment of Saturday – when she overshot the finish while in with a chance of winning the singles event – by taking the mixed doubles title on Sunday with Cody Stallard. They were comfortable winners over Andrew and Georgia Stone with Lee Moran and Monika Goluch compelting the podium.
Wilson was understandably very happy with her double successes on Saturday and Sunday.
“This weekend has been an amazing two days of racing for me,” said Wilson after the finish. “I’m really so happy to round the weekend off with the win in the doubles with my amazing partner, Nix.
“It was very tough day today ….I think it was even tougher today than the singles, but I am stoked that Nix and I were able to defend our doubles win from last year – winning on our home turf is always special.”
Birkett was equally pleased with her weekend performances.
“We have paddled a lot of races together so it is nice to finish off the season with a win,” said Saturday’s runner up. “It was great out there and very technical, but Jade steered like a champion. We’ve paddled together for six or seven years, so we know each other pretty well and she really was a champion out there today.”
Multiple world junior champion Georgia Singe (left) and Ellen Strydon won the juniors and finished third overall at the doubles event at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday. Photo Bruce Viaene / Gameplan Media.
McGregor and Fenn had a bit of mid-race debate about the route as they approached the finish, with McGregor keen to opt for a conservative line while his East London partner was opting for a risky, but quicker route that flirts with a breaking wave within sight of the finish – a wave that has robbed McGregor of a victory once before.
“We were a big bunch at the start and then once we turned, everyone sort of started spreading out and the little bumps came along. We had to work for every wave we got but we managed to pull into the lead after about three or four kays and then we just as sort of eased away slowly but surely,” said McGregor.
“We took a wide line coming into Yellow Sands and played it safe and took the win. Josh was telling me “Go left! Go left!” but I was “No,” and it was pedal was hard right – I’ve been caught there before.
“But it was a solid race, so I am happy to take the win and so happy to defend our title here, and this year we won the national doubles title and the Freedom Paddle title … so the combination still works,” he added with a smile.
Fenn said he tried to persuade the multiple world champion to change the game plan as they approached the finish and approached the break at Yellow Sands Point just before the finish.
“I tried to tell Hank to make use of my local knowledge of catching the wave at the point, but I think he was remembering his swim from a few years ago and he was not too keen.”
Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn power through the surf at the start of the doubles event at the Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race on Sunday. Photo by Bruce Viaene/ Gameplan Media
Selected Results:
Men
1 Joshua Fenn / Hank Mcgregor 01:02:23
2 Matthew Fenn / Ulvard Hart 01:03:06
3 Nicholas Notten / Kenneth Rice 01:03:36
4 Dawid Mocke / Matthew Coetzer 01:04:18
5 Mark Keeling / Oscar Jones 01:04:27
Women
1 Jade Wilson / Nix Birkett 01:13:05
2 Chloe Bunnett / Candice Starr 01:13:31
3 Ellen Strydom / Georgia Singe 01:14:43
4 Kirstin Scott / Dayne Loots 01:23:16
5 Mikaila Brown / Michelle Gregory 01:24:01
Mixed
1 Kira Bester / Cody Stallard 01:09:31
2 Andrew Stone / Georgia Stone 01:16:54
3 Lee Moran / Monika Goluch 01:18:49
