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The paddling race hiatus has come to a grinding halt.
Kids are back at school, and the hamster wheel already needs a drop of oil.
The race calendar for the year has eventually been finalised, and will be reflected on the website soon.
There may well still be the odd amendment, but, for all intents and purposes, it is a solid reflection of what will transpire over the rest of the season.
The 2026 river racing season in KZN has kicked off, with the emphasis being on preparation for the Dusi next month, now that the Drak has been cancelled. Hopefully, the foot-and-mouth outbreak does not play any further havoc with the race calendar.
The past weekend saw a number of Dusi prep races, with the “Dambusters” being held at Emmarentia dam and two races (50 Miler and Inanda to Durban) taking place with decent water, on the Dusi course.
If the results of these races are anything to go by, it appears that three crews are already sticking their heads out as favourites for the PMB to Durban classic.
The rest of the field are going to have their work cut out if they are wanting to beat the Msia/Gwamanda, Mtolo/Mtolo, and Fenn/Birkett combinations.
The women’s races also pointed to a trend, with three crews topping the results. The Hockly/McKenzie combo appears to have a slight edge over Solms/Groenink, with the slightly older Hartley/Bruss pairing languishing a bit off the pace.
The last real “Dusi type” test will be the Campell’s to Dusi Bridge race on the 8th of next month.
All the races held this weekend were characterised by superb conditions. None more so, than the first of the Marine Surfski Series which was held on Friday evening. Crystal clean water and small surf greeted the larger-than-expected turnout. Great value for money and superb organisation are going to make this a bumper series for the year. |
