Huon Series Race 4 - Franklin
10km
Kayak - Grafton Chrono
The forecast maximum temperature was only going
to be 10°C but it was zero at the start with frost on the sides of the
road, a cold wind and heavy rain showers.
No-one was looking forward to getting in the
water.
I didn't get in early enough and did a rushed
warm-up. My hands were freezing at the start. After some
good races in Div 2, I started in Div 1 this time. I lined up with
Trav, Ian C, Seb, Ben M.
Ben & Seb started hard over to my left and Ian
was trying to stay on their wash. Travis was to my right. We
headed up river to the large passage between Egg Islands (not the
canal). After 2km's I started to feel my hands again. On the
stretch up the eastern side of the northern Egg Island we started to
pass the Div 2 paddlers.
At the half way point I came up behind a group
of 4 paddlers. I was feeling a bit ordinary - possibly due to a
some hard training during the week and a terrible warm-up. At the
back of this group I paused briefly. Their 4 skis were making some
reasonable waves which would be fine if I was planning to stay there but
I needed to keep going past or Travis would catch up.
As I slowly moved past the group I could tell
that someone was on my wash but feeling weary I just tried to paddle a
steady pace & thought about my stroke. I counted down the distance
on my gps to the end and it was a relief to finish. I then
realised that it was Ian Parker who had come behind me and finished
strongly on his V10 sport.
