Season’s first a success

The BASF Novice River race hosted by Watuni Canoe Club on the banks of the Vaal River kicked off the new river racing season on 18 April. While the weather dawned gloomy with a chilly wind, the paddlers basked in the warm sun, which gradually cleared the clouds. Weltevreden Park residents Attie Schutte and Kurt Loggerenburg were among a number of paddlers participating for Florida Lake Canoe Club.

This was their first canoe race, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. The pair finished 34th, in a time of 01:34:00. The race was shorter than usual to accommodate a number of learner paddlers. It started at Henley On Klip, off the R59, and finished in Meyerton, with a distance of nearly 15km. While there were a number of new paddlers from all over Gauteng, some experienced paddlers also enjoyed the opportunity to get back on to the river after a few months’ layoff, in some cases even a few years.