The Doctor Race 2017 - Extreme Downwind Paddling 25/11/17

[@tommatthews6266]

Excellent video Daz - I don't remember it being as easy as you made it look !

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Thanks Tom. Haha, it was good fun out there. Pretty tricky, but yeah some great runs when you nailed it.

[@stewartcollingwood4657]

Great Video Daz, captured the day really well.

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Thanks Stewart.

[@desdeallado6290]

Awesome video thanks for sharing. 👍

[@Kijanashenzi]

Love your videos!

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Thanks Kijana. I'm glad you enjoy them. I love showing the world our sport!!

[@joeextraknow2854]

Wow, omg. This is the sport I want to get into in my next life. It is too later now. I am too old.

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Are we ever too old Joe 😉

[@Alastair510]

How do you navigate for a race of this length? Depending on wave direction, there is going to be an advantage to heading one way or another - almost certainly not just in a straight line for the finish. Plus there is tide to take into account.

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Hi Alastair. The Doctor course has two fixed turn points that all paddlers' must navigate around. One is after a flat stretch of water in the lee of Rottnest Island at the 1km mark and the other is 3km off the mainland at the 22km mark. So to answer your question, with regard to this race, navigating your line correctly between the first and second turn marker's is the key to your race result. The ideal prevailing wind for this course is SW or SSW and the swell is generally WSW. Between the markers we cut right and roll left into the runs. If we run with the swell too much, we end up too far north when it comes to rounding the second marker and we lose alot of time cutting back to get around it (I made that mistake in this race and the last one in 2019). Ideally, we maintain a line which takes us south of the second turn marker and we can then surf around it and into the last 6km's with the wind and swell directly behind which is where the fun happens (if we have any energy left in the tank). Many of the paddlers have a second Garmin set up with the co-ordinates for the second marker logged into it. They simply follow the arrow rather than relying on landmarks which are hard to see clearly from so far out to sea - this is what I think I'll need to do in future to avoid losing a couple of minutes and many race positions.

[@Alastair510]

That makes sense. Balancing the fastest surfing line vs the shortest route between markers must be absolutely key to doing well in the race. A bit like choosing course when sailing; fastest point of sail or shortest route?

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

@@Alastair510 Definitely........if you get your line wrong, you lose so much time in average speed having to cut back to the turn marker rarther than just surfing with the runs on the right line..........it's a very technical course and a real challenge even for us locals.

[@ianthompson9800]

... and to be honest the video doesn't reflect the extreme conditions. It was reeeeaally blowing the waves were HUGE! Great shots. Thanks.

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

You're right Ian. The camera rarely catches it as it was. I did miss alot of runs unfortunately as I made a mistake in going too far north shortly after turning the first marker and had to cut across for about 18k, which was a big mistake that I won't make this year!!

[@maximusdecimusmeridiusmaximus]

Hi everyone! Is there a more specific type of race-kayak you are using, to catch waves easier and get gliding faster? Or "just" races kayaks?

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Philip. The craft used for downwind paddling are surfski's. They are basically long, sleek, sit on top kayaks designed to catch the wind generated ocean chop. My surfski is a Fenn Elite S.

[@HEKOT77]

Your Fenn 3lite looks very like Carbonology Pulse ;)

[@Anthony-ix3rp]

Great paddling clip..can I ask which Fenn you are paddling ? Is the orange stripes a custom request or stock colours ? Looks great as the bow slices through the water .

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Thanks Anthony. I paddle the carbon vacuum Elite S. I had the stripes put on locally to make it easier to find my ski after a race.......and of course, they make the ski go faster!! :)

[@Anthony-ix3rp]

paint or tape ?

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

'Laser cut, vinyl'..........I think was the way it was described.Very durable.

[@Anthony-ix3rp]

Thanks..have fun ! I have a Carbon Think Evo and am looking at a Epic V8 PRO Ultra for rough stuff.Epics are a bit boring without some stripes IMO !

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Haha Anthony...........the other reason I got the stripes was that I love the colours of the THINK's and Nelo's..........apparently you can order the EPIC's in any colour you want......something to consider :)

[@tonyshort4648]

Talk about reeling em in!

[@vintagejake]

That’s a local race for you,right? We’re the conditions typical? Great video, by the way. 👍

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Thanks Paul. Yep, it is a local race for me. The conditions are typical in that we had a strong SSW wind blowing, however with our usual course being along the mainland coast, The Doctor is a real challenge as instead of cutting left and rolling right into the skates you have to cut right and roll left........the total opposite!! Added to that, with the amount of south in the wind and an oil rig and its tender being anchored in the middle of the course causing the field to navigate further north than usual, it was quite difficult. With the strength of the wind I expected alot more surfing than paddling, but by making a bit of a mistake by being one of the few paddlers who went on an even more northerly line I ended up having to cut right for around 18k, turning onto skates as often as possible (but nowhere near as often as if I'd taken a more south line) to make it around the Trigg south cardinal marker. Still, I'm happy with where I finished and it was an awesome race with fantastic people from around the world.

[@guittadabe5214]

At the end while you were running to the finish line with your paddle, did you think of using the paddle to trip up your competitor running beside you? LOL!

[@daz-downwindpaddleactionz1551]

Haha............if we were racing for the podium..........maybe. Just joking, my approach is whoever hits the beach first deserves the position, so I actually tapped him on the shoulder as we were turning up the chute and said ''yours, well done mate'.

[@Igorcruzcanoagem079]

Incrível 😎