News & Events
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Scott: The Fremantle doctor is the name of the cooling seabreeze that brings relief to Perth in the summer months. Thus, the Doctor Paddle race is a down wind paddle race from Rottnest island of 22km's to Scarborough beach in Perth western Australia. Intertwined with one of the biggest paddle ski race's in the southern hemisphere, this year they threw in a stand up paddle division. Most of the people I traveled over with had never done anything like this before, with our own paddle experiences only being done in the waves or perhaps up a glassy river. So it was with a little apprehension that we talked about the race, the conditions and whether we had the stamina to pull something like this off. Myself especially who is prone to the odd bout of tendonitis after an hour or so of paddling, I didn't exactly look forward to being out in the middle of the ocean not being able to paddle anymore. A Doctor of 25knots was forecast to blow, but as the race loomed so did some trough clouds meaning the wind was never going to make it to that strength, thus less wind assistance and more paddling involved. So with life jackets, fluid packs and flares we lined up on the start line for a completely new experience. Like a bull at a gate Courtney Grey was off showing he meant business. Myself, Boujmaa and Mike Galvin were keeping pretty close quarters for most of the race with very little surfing of swells going on, so it was a long slow paddle out through gauge roads (Shipping lanes). Thankfully the old body hung in there and actually didn't find the distance or time paddling too bad. Boujmma slowly got away from me, and I thought I'd pulled away from Mike as after a few checks over my shoulder I wasn't able to see him any more. After 2.5 hours of paddling or so, the hotel at Scarborough beach was looking tantalizingly close. I wasn't going to catch the boys in front, and didn't think I had any pressure from the back, so I was just coasting along with my thoughts and the swells. But….. then I looked over to the right and I see a stand up peddler level with me. It was bloody Mike. (Our friendly rivalry dates back for over two decades) There was NO WAY I was going to let him beat me so all of sudden the hard strokes were going back in. Heart rate up, blood pressure pulsing I the temples. Thankfully, he didn't have much left after using energy to catch up, so I was able to pull slightly ahead before catching a wave into the finish line. So after three hours and 4 miutes of paddling, I was a few minutes behind the leaders and a minute and a half I front of Mike, absolutely knackered but strangely satisfied to have done it. Pretty keen to get myself a race board actually and have a proper go at something like this. Boujmaa: Since the first time Scott told me about this long distance race, I really was excited about doing it, it was time for me to challenge my strength and to see if really my healthy life makes difference between my mates and me. One of my sport's goals is to have really a strong endurance skill, this also makes me think about starting to do some triathlon events, maybe start with small ones, and see if really my body and mind can handle this kind of sport! I am pretty sure it can make difference in my sailing, I wasn't expecting my self to win or even to be close to it, but all I wanted is to finish and not to stop paddling for the whole way, no matter how fast or slow I was going to paddle, but just keep my body in action, I had no idea how I could make my boards go faster or how I could paddle for long with less effort, I am sure I've learned something trough this journey, and it is not going to be my last one, I'm very much looking forward to a new challenge and new race. I finished 2nd in this race even if my board wasn't a real race board, with a middle fin making it even slower, with better organization and off course a race board I am really keen for an other challenge. |
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