Ocean series starts on Sunday

THE popular aQuellé Ocean Racing Series returns to Hobie Beach on Sunday for the second half of season 12, with five race days between now and March 26.

Unique to Nelson Mandela Bay, the Series offers seven simultaneous events and more than R20 000 worth of lucky draw prizes and medals each race day.

On each of the Series’ Sunday mornings at Hobie Beach, there are four swim events (400m, 1km, 2km and 3km) and three beach events (5km run, 5km walk and 1km beach run for children 12 years and under), all at 9am at Shark Rock pier.

At this halfway point in the series, triple Springbok Kevin Richards leads the overall standings in the 3km swim.

At 52, Richards has made a welcome return to swimming after coming home from the UK several years ago.

Young EP swimmer Hannah Haswell leads the overall standings for the women’s 3km race, while undefeated Daniel Jones looks to retain his overall title in the 2km swim this season with five wins from five races so far.

Liza Kingston leads the women’s 2km race while Kirsten Marriott has won five out of five for the women’s 1km swim, alongside men’s champion Ian Venter.

Jodi Wilson and Connor Craig are the Series leaders of the newly introduced 400m swim after the five rounds, while Rachel Venter, 11, heads the women’s 5km beach run, with Xolisa Tshona in the men’s run category.

Partners Taryn Ferreira and Juan Slabbert lead the 5km beach run.

In the popular children’s 1km beach run for children 12 and under, the overall Series leaders are Jamie Aukett and Kayleigh Marais (6 and under), Luqmaan Coetzee and Jessi Whitebooi (7 to 8), Daniel Richter and Hannah Charles (9 to 10) and Connor Roff and Kerri-Lee Barnard (11 to 12).

You can register for Sunday’s races on race day on the grass section in front of the Hobie Club from 7.30am; late entries accepted until 8.45am.

See www.oceanracingseries.com for further information.