Just like clockwork, the heavens opened and a chilly wind whipped across Germiston Lake, last Tuesday, just in time for Victoria Lake Canoe Club\u2019s (VLC) annual Night Race.<\/p>\n
However, the rain dissipated in time for 90 paddlers competing in this year\u2019s event to take to the water.<\/p>
\u201cConditions were great,\u201d said Wayne Saunders, on behalf of VLC.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were fortunate with the weather and really had excellent conditions to race in.<\/p>
\u201cThe only small challenge was the cloud cover which made the evening a lot darker, so paddlers battled to see the buoys as it got darker quicker.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something we will address with better lighting next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
VLC also happily reported an increase in the number of entrants to the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, our entry numbers were up on the previous two years,\u201d said Saunders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we planned for 70 but had 90 paddlers on the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
The race, which started in 2002 as the FHM Night Race, once again served as one of the last opportunities for canoeists to refine their racing and portaging (running with boat) techniques before the world\u2019s toughest endurance canoeing event, the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon, which will be held from February 27 to 29 in Pietermaritzburg.<\/p>\n
The FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon was started in 1951 and remains one of the biggest canoe races on the canoeing calendar, covering a distance of 120km and including a minimum of 15km of portaging over the three days.<\/p>\n
The Night Race saw paddlers doing five laps around the lake, a total of 15km, with a short 50m portage splitting the laps.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe race was an official K2 event, to coincide with this year\u2019s Dusi format,\u201d explained Saunders.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery year the Dusi swops between a K1 and K2 format and we align our race to this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The K2 racers set off first, followed by the K1 and K3 paddlers five minutes later.<\/p>\n