Hank Mcgregor Wins 7Th Umko Title
KWAZULU-NATAL, 23 MARCH 2016 – Defending champion Hank McGregor (Jeep Team) reinforced his status as South Africa’s greatest big water paddler after winning his 7th STIHL Umkomaas Canoe Marathon title on Sunday, 20 March.
McGregor partnered with seasoned
paddler but Umko first-timer, Jasper Mocke, to take on the 50th
edition of what’s considered the world’s roughest and wildest K1/K2 river canoe
marathon.
The duo finished the 2-day race in a total time of 4h13m. Dave Hamilton-Brown and Wayne Jacobs finished 2nd in 4h15m, with Murray Starr and Owen Gandar in 3rd in 4h22m.
The Umkomaas Canoe Marathon is
notorious for its unpredictability and boat-breaking rapids. Paddlers never
know what they’re in for as there are no dams to govern the water releases.
Through the Umkomaas Valley, near Richmond, KZN, the river flows fast and
strong, providing superb excitement for white water rafters and massive
challenges for fragile fibreglass K1 and K2 racing boats.
This year, little rain fall in the
days leading up to the race meant paddlers were faced with a low 1.3m water
level, requiring immense technical skill and concentration to navigate
successfully through the ragged rocky river.
The race started on a more manageable
section of the Umkomaas River, with paddlers racing 35km from Josephine’s
Bridge to Riverside. McGregor and Mocke were the first boat through Number One
rapid. They held onto the lead, finishing Day 1 in 2h11m, three minutes ahead
of second-placed Hamilton-Brown/Jacobs team.
Day 2, 32km from Hella Hella to
Josephine’s Bridge, was the toughest, presenting the real test of big rapids
and leading to the most broken boats. The experienced McGregor and strong Mocke
expertly navigated the low level river, with the duo finishing Day 2 in 2h01m,
just one minute behind Hamilton-Brown/Jacobs who finished in 2h00m but the
McGregor/Mocke team’s 3-minute lead on Day 1 saw them claim the overall title.
Said
McGregor,
“The Umko is the only race in the world
where paddlers don’t sprint off the start line because they’re actually scared
of what’s up ahead. Everyone is nervous on the course. I’m stoked to win my 7th
title with Jasper Mocke, who was paddling his first. It was an awesome fun day
out!”
Remembering
the first Umko
The first Umkomaas Canoe Marathon
took place on 16 December 1966. Fifty years ago, it was a very different event,
with 40 paddlers setting off on a three-day, 112-km adventure that started at
Josephine’s Bridge and ended on the south coast where the river meets the
Indian Ocean.
In those days, there were no seconds,
sponsorship or spectators - just a solitary timekeeper driving a World War 2
Jeep backed up by a vintage short-base Land Rover and other vehicles carrying
paddlers’ tents, dry clothes and food provisions. In these days, before life
jackets and helmets were made compulsory, and before cell phones had been
invented, single canoes were required to paddle in pairs for safety reasons.
Most of the entries were singles with a few doubles.
The inaugural race was won by legendary
KwaZulu-Natal paddler, Charles Mason.
TOP 10
RESULTS – 2016 STIHL UMKOMAAS CANOE MARATHON
1. Hank McGregor / Jasper Mocke - 4:13:11
2. Dave Hamilton-Brown / Wayne
Jacobs - 4:15:24 – 1st Sub-vet
3. Murray Starr / Owen
Gandar - 4:22:01
4. Mark Perrow / Piers
Cruickshanks - 4:22:44 – 1st Vet
5. Don Wewege / Kevin
Musgrave - 4:23:32
6. Lee Furby / Grant Van
der Walt - 4:25:40
7. Emanuel Zaloumis /
Hamish Lovemore - 4:27:56 – 1st U18
8. Jacques Theron / Jen
Theron - 4:28:04 – 1st Mixed Double
9. Warren Valentine / Marc
Germiquet - 4:30:16
10. Andrew Neal / Stuart
Waterworth - 4:36:26
Other Jeep
Team results
MTB
Jeep Team’s MTB athlete, Pierre Smith, teamed up with GD Kotzee
to take on the 4-day MTB stage race, the 3-Mountains MTB Challenge near
Clocolan in the Free State, which took place from 18 – 21st March
2016.
The duo won the 17km prologue and the
80km Stage 1, placed 2nd in Stage 2 (75km) and then won the final
60km Stage 3 on Monday, 21 March, leading to their overall victory.
In the Western Cape, Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys completed his first
Absa Cape Epic, racing with his Team Rwanda partner Nathan Byukuseng. After
eight days of racing covering a total distance of 654km and 15 000m of
accumulated climbing, the duo finished the race on Sunday, 20 March, in 18th
overall and 3rd African team.
Said
Redelinghuys, “It was an amazing journey ‪of #8DayOfCourage. Nathan and I took on one
of the toughest mountain bike races in the world only meeting each other 2 days
before the race and the outcome was mind-blowing! Third overall in Africa
jersey and 18th on GC. Thanks to everyone involved. It was magical!”
Lifesaving
Over the weekend, Jeep Team’s surfski
athlete, Barry Lewin, captained the
KwaZulu-Natal team at the 2016 Lifesaving South Africa Surf Nationals, which
took place in Port Elizabeth from 17 – 20 March.
The Lifesaving South Africa Surf
Nationals is the most prestigious event on the Lifesaving South Africa
calendar, drawing top lifesaving clubs from across South Africa to compete in
the Masters, Interprovincial, Senior and Junior Divisions.
On Saturday, Lewin claimed 2nd
in the Ski Relay and 6th in the Single Ski event. On Sunday, he then
finished 2nd in Double Surfski.
#JeepTeamSA
Editors’ Notes
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email bronblun@gmail.com.
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