CAPE TOWN – The young crew of Matt Coetzer and Luke le Roux caused something of an upset by winning the 27km Prescient Freedom Paddle around Robben Island on Monday, but the U23 combination needed a bit of help from a wily old veteran to secure their victory.
Coetzer and Le Roux followed veteran Dawid Mocke’s tighter and somewhat risky “tiger line” around Robben Island to catch and pass early leaders Josh Fenn and Andy Birkett. The two youngsters then powered away in the race back to the start/finish at Oceana Power Boat Club. They claimed the win by nearly two minutes over Fenn and Birkett, with Mocke and his 16-year-old son Sam finishing third, another minute further back.
Kira & Melanie
In the women’s race, pre-race favourites and defending champions Kira Bester and Melanie van Niekerk once again proved too strong for their opposition, although the pair had to dig deep to see off the challenge of UK’s U23 World Champion Rosie Edwards and KZN’s Saskia Hockly.
In the men’s race Birkett and Fenn set the early pace and must have been confident arriving at Robben Island with a solid gap on the chasing crews, but their conservative line around the famous landmark allowed the chasers back into the race.
“On the way to the island Andy and Josh broke away and we ended up going around the island in second with Dawid and Sam,” said Coetzer after the race. “Dawid took quite a tiger line and we followed him.
“We thought we were racing for second, but we paddled quite a bit shorter and then looked right and Andy and Josh were suddenly right there.
“Luke just kept shouting at me ‘I’m strong, I’m strong – keep going, keep going.’ But I was like ‘I’m in so much pain!’ Then all of a sudden we found ourselves in front,” added an elated Coetzer.
Coetzer described the win as “a breakthrough result,” while a beaming Le Roux described it as his “biggest result”, made even sweeter by the fact he has just come back from a layoff for injury.
“I’ve just come off two years of being injured with serious tendinitis in both my shoulders, and I was completely out from racing and paddling,” said Le Roux.
“Josh and Andy got away at about eight or nine kays in. We were fighting all the way to the island but then Dawid and Sam caught us and we ended up taking quite a narrow, tight line around the island while Josh and Andy went a bit wider.
Close Calls
“We had a few close calls – we definitely took a chance, but we had such a good line and we started putting a few runs together. We looked over and there was Andy and Josh, and I thought ‘We’re actually back in this race.’ “
“A bit later I said to Matt that we were in front and he said to me: ‘Stop talking and put your head down – we have not won yet.’ “
Sam Mocke enjoyed seeing up close how his dad was considered to be one of the world’s best a decade ago.
“Me and my dad combined pretty well,” said the 16 year old. “Andy and Josh went pretty wide because they were in first place and could play it safe, but we decided to go close to the backline at Robben Island and zig-zag between the waves.
“It paid off, but was a little bit scary in the beginning, but I trusted my dad!”
An exhausted Bester said after the race that they thought they had everything under control until Hockly and Edwards “suddenly popped up on our inside”.
“We got to the island first and we thought we had dropped them, but at about kilometre 18 they suddenly popped up on our inside. They had taken a shorter line around the island.
“We then just had to put down the hammer and it was a hard grind … and I’m a bit sick at the moment so I’m feeling a bit broken now,” said Bester.
In the mixed doubles race, four-time winner and multiple canoe marathon world champion Hank McGregor and his wife Pippa were in a league of their own, However, despite winning their category by almost 14 minutes, it was no cruise to victory and they finished seventh overall after racing with some of the pre-race favourites for much of the event.
Selected Results
Men
1 Matt Coetzer & Luke Le Roux (1st U23) 1:59:49
2 Josh Fenn & Andy Birkett 2:01:35
3 Sam Mocke & Dawid Mocke 2:02:40
4 Kenny Rice & Nick Notten 2:05:21
5 Keegan Vogt & Ryley Smith (1st Junior) 2:06:50
6 Uli Hart & Clint Cook 2:07:15
7 Pippa McGregor & Hank McGregor (1st mixed double) 2:07:25
8 Phillip Smith & Tyde Malherbe 2:12:02
9 Riccardo Talevi & Shaun Rubenstein 2:12:58
10 Stefaans Erlank & Armand van Nikerk 2:15:35
Women
1 Kira Bester & Melanie van Niekerk 2:20:20
2 Rosie Edwards & Saskia Hockly 2:21:39
3 Holly Smith & Jade Wilson 2:27:00
Mixed Doubles
1 Pippa McGregor & Hank McGregor 2:07:25
2 Matthew Coetzer & Nicola Harcus 2:21:11
3 Stephanie von der Hyde & Ian Trautman 2:22:44
