Algoa Bay Inflatable Boat Club had three teams travel to Gariep Dam last weekend to take part in the Nashua Gariep National Inflatable Powerboat Championship that was held in absolutely perfect weather conditions over three days. Included in the event was the revival of the inter-provincial championship as well as an inter-club championship where there were fifty boats that took part across the three internationally recognised classes, namely the standard class, pro-stock class and modified class.

Representing the club and all competing in East London built Aquarius hulls in the modified class were Christo Bezuidenhout and Craig Gardiner (Industrial Highway Carriers) and Elandre’ Human and Darryn du Preez (Aqaurius Inflatables)  with Terry Lantz and Jana Zittlau (Cooline Logistics/Shukuma Bricks) in the Pro-stock class. The event comprised of two days of flat-water circuit racing in the harbour area followed by a 150 kilometre long-haul endurance race across the dam to Oviston and back.

Day one of the circuit racing saw Bezuidenhout and Gardiner finish tenth overall in the modified class with Lantz and Zittlau in ninth in the pro-stock class. Due to work commitments Human and Du Preez didn’t compete on the opening day, but certainly arrived with a bang on day two, storming home to second place overall in the modified class in what was their first ever inland flat-water event. Bezuidenhout and Gardiner finished in eighth overall in the modified class with Lantz and Zittlau eighth in the pro-stock class.

In the long-haul race Bezuidenhout and Gardiner unfortunately were forced to withdraw after the first lap of 37 kilometres as their outboard motor was over-heating. Elandre’ Human and Darryn du Preez crossed the line in sixth place overall in the modified class with Terry Lantz and Jana Zittlau coming home sixth in the pro-stock class. The endurance race was won by the current world champions and flat-water specialists Renier le Roux and Jan Human (JJ le Roux Transport) who also took first place overall in the circuit racing with JP Hamman and Dane’ Kellerman winning the circuit pro-stock class and Jonathan Badenhorst and Abdul Benjamin winning the standard class. Wimpie Ackermann and new co-pilot Robbie Loots won the pro-stock endurance class putting in a masterful performance using the event as practice for the year ending Trans-Agulhas endurance race that Ackermann will compete in for the thirtieth time. 

False Bay Inflatable Boat Club were the dominant winners in the inter-club championship racking up a total of 1677 points with the F1 Inflatable Boat Club from the Potchefstroom area in second with 637 points and the Agulhas Inflatable Boat Club third with 618 points.