The large crowd that flocked to the Bloubergstrand esplanade to watch the Six Gun Grill King of the Waves Regional Inflatable Powerboat Championships this past weekend were treated to a thrill a minute adrenalin packed event where the competing teams were pushed to the ultimate limit in the large surf conditions. The event, that comprised of a full day of surf circuit racing on Saturday followed by a 50 kilometre long-haul endurance race on Sunday and then another full surf event, was the last opportunity for many of the teams to gauge their race pace before heading into the season ending Trans-Agulhas that starts in Plettenberg Bay on the 28th December and ends on the beach at the Strand four days later.
Picture credit: Francois Zwiegers – Epikku Productions
Wimpie Ackermann and Stefan Lindeque running in the pro-stock class and both with multiple world titles to their names turned back the clock using their wealth of experience in the surf to provide a stunning display of race-craft in the pounding waves, often running side by side with the lead changing many times during the heats. It was Ackermann and his co-pilot Odette Maytham who ultimately walked away with the R10 000 winners cheque compliments of Poker who have joined the sport as a new sponsor by putting up a total prize pool of R50 000.
The modified class was a tough three way battle but with consistency and reliability coming to the fore it was Johan Lodewyks and Nico le Roux who walked away with the overall honours and Elandre’ Scherman and Robbie Jacobs who won the closely contested standard class that comprised of sixteen boats.
Picture credit: Francois Zwiegers, Epikku Productions
The current overall world champions Renier le Roux and Jan Human who normally compete in the modified class have decided to run in the standard class for the upcoming Trans-Agulhas race so used this event as a training run and took part on the agreement that they would not score points or be in contention for the prize money and ultimately went on to win every heat and final including the endurance race in a dominant performance.
The King of the Waves and Endurance results per class were as follows –
Stock Class day 1 – 1st Renier Cronje & Francois van Rooyen, 2nd Elandre Scherman & Robbie Jacobs, 3rd Dieter Blignaut & Max van der Walt
Pro-stock Class day 1 – 1st Wimpie Ackermann & Odette Maytham, 2nd Stefan Lindeque & Luke Myburgh, 3rd Jacques Matthee & Rynhardt Koekemoer
Modified Class day 1 – 1st Ruben Scholtz & Zander Pheiffer, 2nd Johann Lodewyks & Nico le Roux, 3rd Eben de Bod & Henco Nel
Stock Class day 2 – 1st Elandre’ Scherman & Robbie Jacobs, 2nd Renier Cronje & Francois van Rooyen, 3rd Danie Spamer & Franco de Waal
Pro-stock Class day 2 – 1st Ayrton Martinengo & Corne Geldenhuys, 2nd Wimpie Ackermann & Odette Maytham, 3rd Stefan Lindeque & Luke Myburgh
Modified Class day 2 – 1st Ben Viljoen & Nathan Els, 2nd Johan Lodewyks & Nico le Roux, 3rd Rocco Erasmus & Hayden Botha
Stock Class 50km Long Haul – 1st Renier Cronje & Francois van Rooyen 2nd Elandre’ Scherman & Robbie Jacobs, 3rd Jan-Harm Swanepoel & Dylan Lloyd
Pro-stock Class 50km Long Haul – 1st Wehan Malan & Harry Erasmus, 2nd Ayrton Martinengo & Corne’ Geldenhuys, 3rd Jacques Matthee & Rynhardt Koekemoer
Modified Class 50km Long Haul – 1st Johan Lodewyks & Nico le Roux, 2nd Ruben Scholtz & Zander Pheiffer, 3rd Ben Viljoen & Nathan Els
Pokerbet prize winners for combined results per class
Stock class – 1st Elandre’ Scherman & Robbie Jacobs, 2nd Renier Cronje & Francois van Rooyen, 3rd Dieter Blignaut & Mav van der Walt
Pro-Stock class – 1st Wimpie Ackermann & Odette Maytham, 2nd Stephan Lindeque & Luke Myburgh, 3rd Ayrton Martinengo & Corne’ Geldenhuys
Modified class – 1st Johann Lodewyks & Nico le Roux, 2nd Ruben Scholtz & Zander Pheiffer, 3rd Ben Viljoen & Nathan Els
