A record 72 crafts including 12 surf skis took to the waters last Saturday to compete in the fifth Marlin Coast Challenge Outrigger event.
 
The 38km race, catering for single/double canoes and surf skis, started at Ellis Beach with the first leg ending at Wangetti followed by stages to Oak Beach and South Four Mile Beach and finishing in front of Rex Smeal Park.
 
Leading the first leg, Chris Maynard (Outrigger Australia), while surfing down a swell hit some debris and broke a part of his canoe leaving the door open for Rhys Davies (Mooloolaba) to take out the overall OC1 Men event. Lee Senent (Coral Sea) took out line honours on his surf ski.

Pictured above: Danielle Bellero and Jan Ward come into Four Mile Beach

Novice Kim St. Pierre and Kelly King teamed up with the experienced Danielle Bellero and Jan Ward to form the Open OC2 Changeover team who finished third. Lilli Jansen, paddling with a crew from Mission Beach won silver in the Open Mixed Changeover division.

Mia Messinger and Glen Thorp took silver in the Open OC2 Mixed Iron race, Faye Lilly and Grant Davis (Hekili) placed second in the OC1 Mixed Changeover event, Monique Matthews and Karen McClure placed second in the OC1 Women’s Division.



Pictured above: Ingrid Juchem and Peter Beitz flip near Oak Beach.

The growing event attracts top paddlers from all over the country and has become a real test of water skills for the competitors.

“I have only been paddling for 10 months so I was very happy to finish an event like this,” competitor Lee Foster said. Lee had teamed up with Ross Watson (Hekili) to finish sixth in the Open Men Changeover Division.

In 15 to 20 knots winds and swell up to 1.7 meters, entering and exiting the water became a real challenge but created perfect surfing conditions along the way.

“I did not think we would make it off the beach at Wangetti to start the second leg, it was that rough, but when we got our there we caught some cool swells to surf on it“ participant Kelly King said.  

Kim St. Pierre agreed: “All I could think of was 'now is not a good time to fall off the canoe. A lot of the experienced paddlers had trouble getting out and a few canoes got washed back up onto the beach and got damaged.“

The race is the club's main annual event and has grown from its humble beginnings with 23 crafts.

Pictured below: Mia Messinger and Glen Thorp took silver in the Open OC2 Mixed Iron race



Other Results of Port Douglas Paddlers

Open Mixed OC2 Changeover - fifth Ingrid Juchem/Peter Beitz/Cecily and Bill Ridderhof
OC1 Open Men Changeover - fifth Cecil Casey (in his first ever race)/Rhys Dutton
Open Men OC1 Iron - seventh Steve Johnson (paddling for Hekili), tenth Justin Whyte
Open Men Surf Ski Iron - seventh Connor O’Sullivan