Australia’s women ocean paddlers have impressed at the 2018 Ocean Racing World Cup – Nelo Summer Challenge 2018 in Portugal (31 August – 2 September) with member of Paddle Australia’s Ocean Racing Technical Committee Julie Jenkinson taking home the win in the SS1 Master Women 50-54 age group. Jenkinson finished 19th overall in the Women’s category in a time of 1:45:42.88.
In the downwind race of 19.5Km, connecting Viana do Castelo to Ofir’s beach in Esposende, Portugal Fiona Tschaut finished fifth in the Master Women’s 35-39 category and with a 17th place finish was the highest ranked Australian in the women’s field and crossed the finish line 17:53:35 behind the winner in 1:44:34.
Sari Bone finished sixth in the women’s U23 category and 29th overall.
South African Hayley-jo Nixon won the women’s event in a time of 1:26:37.83.
James Ekins was the highest ranked Australian in the men’s field finishing 50th in a time of 1:29:05. He also finished 10th in the SS1 Men’s U23 category, followed by Benjamin Walker in 12th (55th overall).
Highest ranked in his age group was Chair of our PA Ocean Racing Technical Committee and a member of the ICF Ocean Racing Technical Committee Rob Jenkinson, who finished second in the SS1 Men’s Masters 55-59 and 68th overall.
Mario Vesely was 12th (73 overall) in the men’s Masters 45-49, while Huw Morgan was was 18th in the 35-39 group (116 overall) and Ken Wallace 20th (178).
The men’s race was won by Sean Rice (GB) in 1:14:50.
The 2018 ICF Ocean Racing World Cup was a ranking point event for qualification for the 2019 ICF Ocean Racing World Championships to be held in France in October 2019.
Up next will be the 2018 ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Cup with racing of the two day event starting in Portugal tonight. See full schedule here https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/schedule_-_2018_icf_canoe_marathon_masters_world_cup.pdf
Paddle Australia will be represented with a team of 22 paddlers. Follow the event here and see the full team below.
2018 Nelo Summer Challenge Australian Results
| WOMEN SS1 | Overall Result | Age Group Result | Time |
| Fiona Tschaut (35-39) | 17 | 5 | 1:44:34 |
| Julie Jenkinson (50-54) | 19 | 1 | 1:45:42 |
| Sari Bone (U23) | 29 | 6 | 2:01:52 |
| MEN SS1 | |||
| James Ekins (U23) | 50 | 10 | 1:29:05 |
| Benjamin Walker | 55 | 12 | 1:29:45 |
| Rob Jenkinson (55-59) | 68 | 2 | 1:31:53 |
| Mario Vesely (45-49) | 73 | 12 | 1:31:36 |
| Huw Morgan (35-39) | 116 | 18 | 1:41:30 |
| Jeremy Heys (U23) | 148 | 20 | 1:51:08 |
| Ken Wallace 35-39 | 178 | 20 | 2:20:44 |
Results: http://summerchallenge.nelo.eu/results
Paddle Australia Team 2018 ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Cup
Women
BATEMAN Jenni
FINDLAY Pauline
GIRDLER Chris
HARPER-HORAK Lorraine
LEE Laura
LLOYD-GREEN Ann
NEWMAN Dallas
TORRE Daniela
VENNING Cathy
MEN
BAGGETT Geoff
BRYSON Stuart
CLARKE Ronald
CL YNE Peter
CURRIE Peter
GREENWOOD Brett
HAGAN Bradley
LAWSON Mark
LEE Darren
LITTLE David
SCARFE Dominic
TYE Darren
VESELY Mario
