This year’s Fishguard Bay Ocean Race (FBOR ) featured two days of action-packed racing from 80 entries, bringing the best British ocean ski paddlers plus competitors from Australia, South Africa and California to north Pembrokeshire.
Saturday was Elite day, incorporating the Welsh Ocean Ski National Championships and key selection races for Team GB at the Ocean Canoeing World Championships in Portugal this October.
The Elite course features arond 11 miles, of open sea paddling, from Goodwick to Pen Anglas then the long stretch to Cerrig Edrywy (Druid’s Rock) close under Cemaes Head before the final sprint into Newport Sands beach.
The hot, clear, clam weather was wonderful for spectators but not what ocean paddlers enjoy – they want wind and waves, movement and action.
As the athletes powered away to a spectacular start from Goodwick beach it soon became clear who had put in the work to stay in the lead, with eventual winner, Chris Carson taking point and last year’s Welsh champion Matt Rowlands (Rhoose) locked onto his wash.
In contrast to 2020, when there was only one elite lady, 15 women entered FBOR’22, 13 of them in the Under 18 and Under 23 categories, which shows the tremendous surge of interest in this exciting and inclusive sport.
Chris Carson was fastest finisher and winner of the magnificent Dolphin Wave trophy in 1:14:28. Fastest elite woman, Jane Swarbrek in 1:23:45, earning her the new First Lady trophy, sponsored by Canoe Wales.
Matt Rowlands in 1:18:00 who becomes Welsh National Champion for the second year running, and U 18 Olivia Geddes (Margam), claimed the new Dragon Girl trophy as Welsh National Ladies Champion in 1:27:00, also for the second time.
On Sunday as well as the standard open day of racings for skis SUPs and prone boards, FBOR’22 also hosted the first ladies-only ocean SUP race organised by #ShePaddles Cymru. This is an initiative by Canoe Wales to encourage women of all ages to participate in paddlesports. Over a 5km course in the shelter of Fishguard harbour the winner was Julie Kulacenoka.
The open race, 13km direct from Goodwick to Newport Sands, also attracted a brilliant 14 women out of 40 entries.
Any competitors who raced on Saturday are not eligible for Sunday prizes, so the official results were: First Male was U18 Drew Howells in 1:01:50, first lady: Sam Barlow in 1:11:05, first SUP Dave Ewer in 1:30:14.
The Double Ski event was new this year, a great opportunity for aspiring young athlete to race with top competitors - with Matt Rowlands and Connie Millar finishing first in one hour exactly.
“Many thanks to all our brilliant volunteers,” said race secretary Benjamin Edom.
“Including: the experienced support boat crews who kept a close watch on all competitors, the excellent timing team who carefully recorded finishing times and efficiently prepared well-ordered results for prize giving, all the paddlers who kindly helped out on the opposite day to their race and the race officers and behind the scenes support team, without whom there would be no race.”
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