Had a great 5 days over there in Perth, thanks for the great hospitality from all the WA crew, top bunch of blokes. A special big thanks to Luke & Michelle Jenkins for their kind Hospitality with open arms. Didn’t I get looked after - it was full Five Star Treatment “too kind”
Also North Freo Stand Up Surf Shop - Big Thanks to Cameron McKay for letting me borrow the SIC 17’4’’ Bullet “Magic Board”
I enjoyed Downwinding the Sandtrax to City Beach - what a great short run 11.75 km ( it reminds me of my run I do on the Goldie, Bilinga to Nth Burleigh 11km) I did a 61 minute run on an average day. I wished I was there on the Monday the WA crew said it was all time.
I learned a valuable lesson from paddling over there in the WA ocean, you truly need a
WEED FIN. For the first 8 kilometres of the KoTC Race I was just pi##ing into the wind. I couldn’t get the Bullet up to speed, I couldn’t work it out. I was paddling as hard as I could going nowhere. My Garmin 310XT was telling me I was doing 6:30sec a km - I wasn’t catching anyone, I felt like I was standing still. Like WTF so I jump off the Bullet to have a look at the rudder and the fin was dragging this big trail of seaweed (you Labia Majora is all I could think of to say). Once I got rid of the seaweed and freed the rudder the Bullet just took off, I’d see paddlers 300 metres ahead and just mow’m down. By this time I was doing 5:00sec a km (about time), so every 2kms I’d jump off and check the fin, but it was too late - the race was half over and there was no way I could catch the paddlers up the front.
The weed shattered me a little bit but hey that’s racing. It happens to everybody. Looking forward to next years KoTC with my new WEED FIN so I can be more competitive.
iRONPHIL
Once again BIG THANKS to Greg Kerr the President of SUPWA and all the WA gang “Fun Times”
I believe the best prize should go to the NSW crew these blokes were just STYLING in their hire car or shall I say TRUCK .
