Thrills, gasps as inflatable boats race along Kowie River

The adrenaline rush of the inflatable boat races at the weekend’s Royal St Andrews Hotel Amanzi Challenge on the Kowie was a huge drawcard for fans of the sport.

The roar of the engines as the boats raced from the main bridge to the marina, produced thrills and gasps aplenty from the many spectators who lined the banks of the Kowie River.

The race, moved by organisers from the surf to a flat water event on the Kowie due to difficult sea conditions, proved a spectacular attraction as the boats raced side by side and reached top speeds, spraying water high into the air as everyone jockeyed for position.

The marina and homes high up on the West Bank proved the perfect backdrop, as boat pilots and co-pilots went in to full throttle mode as the rubber ducks completed a 60km circuit loop from the main bridge to the river mouth.

Stefan Lindeque and pilot

Dave Barnett, who won the Martin Bekker floating trophy for accumulating the most points over two days of racing on the Kowie River, said they enjoyed their stay and would definitely be back to race again.

“We came expecting fun waves but it was too dangerous out at sea. We had some fast, exciting racing,” Lindeque said.

“Today [Sunday] we did a 60-100 km distance on the water and it went pretty quick. It was fun going so fast in the canals and seeing all the spectators on the side.”

Second to Lindeque and Barnett in the pro stock class were Dieter Blignaut and Egbertus van Rhyn and third, Terry and Monique Lantz.

In the modified class it was the Christo Bezuidenhout-Craig Gardiner combination who took the honours. In the stock class, it was Jan Human and Werner van Eeden who took first position.

Earlier, main organisers, the Algoa Bay Inflatable Boat Club (AIBC), determined that due to an encroaching sand bank across the entire beach it would have been impossible to navigate safely through the ocean. Unfortunately, due to a low spring tide, not enough water clearance could be obtained to ensure safe racing.

Despite the conditions, the racers must be commended for putting up a spectacle.

The course was changed to a long-haul (long distance) race over the two days whereby the participants had to complete a 60km course from the main bridge to the river mouth.

That meant the action would be close-up for the spectators and created quite a stir on the banks of the Kowie, especially West Beach and East Beach sides of the pier as spectators experienced the thrill and roar of the engines.

Sunday followed very much the same discipline as weather and tidal conditions once again forced flat water racing.

Teams from as far away as Cape Town, the Free State and Gauteng participated.