Sat 17th April:

Look in the ocean tomorrow morning off the Gold Coast. 41 x OC6's and support boats with 9 man paddling teams, boat managers, safety boats etc. Flotilla of FUN.

The race starts from Greenmount, heads down to Cook Island and then the length of the Gold Coast with the finish line at VMR tower inside the seaway. 42kms.

Winds look amazing, riding swell the whole way North. The idea is you have 9 paddlers that do 25 minute stints while 3 rest, recover and hydrate in the support boat for 12 minute breaks, 3 jump in the water, the canoe paddles up to them, 3 jump out and the 3 in the water climb in which is a challenge in itself with canoe speed, swell etc. The canoe does not slow down for you.

We will be stoked to finish in the top 1/2. The superhumans will win... Outrigger Australia, Northcliffe, Mooloolaba, Coffs Coast.

If you already like Paddling SUP you would love this stuff!

teatrea said...

How do you get into it , ive been thinking of taking this sport up for a while.

Thanks

Hey Teatree, I think you live in Currumbin right? There are clubs at Tweed, Currumbin Creek and Burleigh (my club).

It's as easy as coming down to a training session with a pair of boardies and a water bottle. There are club paddles etc. Burleigh trains Tues and Thurs 5pm, Sat 6:30am except for tomorrow obviously. I am not too sure about the other clubs.

Mission completed.....

Without doubt in the top 5 days of my life!

The whole experience with so many boats in the water canoes and supports from rubber duckies to 60 foot Luxury cruisers.

The race was intense, i got some details wrong above with changes etc but one thing I really underestimated was how challenging and fun this would be. Not sure of the final placings, Outrigger (Currumbin) won, Mooloolaba 2nd. We got off the line OK and passed 17 boats on the way to the spit, not sure what that means in the final ratings. Not too bad for a boat full of people that have hardly raced together as a full team and 3 borrowed paddlers from another club. Presentation was huge, DJ's beer and food, about a 1000 people!

I am just stoked that I could do this race, biggest outrigger race in Australia. I need to do it again.