Hamo 2011: Day 3 - 1,000m Sprints and some time out

Today was another chance for our Sprint sqaud to get out on the water. This time to tackle the 1,000m sprints with not one, but THREE turns to negotiate.

PD's were quick out of the blocks and flew down to the first turn. The swung around the flag and pushed their way into the wind and current back up the course. Another turn down and they were half way. I could see Kerry urging the crew forward, and everyone responding with a bit more each stroke. One more turn to go! I could see Amanda in seat 1 launch herself out to the left as she helped Janine draw the nose of the Dungara around to face the final leg. Seat 5 was reaching so far out to draw the back to the right that they disappeared from view. At last, the Home stretch! YAY! A really great race from everyone! And a great achievement to be out there with some top Australian crews.

The rest of the day was spent checking out the island, taking a SUP for a test run and preparing for tomorrow. There was some time for reflection, so I asked Ian for his thoughts so far...


From Ian
It started back just after the novice course when I heard about and read about Hamo on the PD website. Well that was me! I was in and I had no idea what to expect as a novice. I just booked my ticket and bullied some others in to it.

So months went by, lots of training and being selected for the Mens changes team was a big but welcome surprise and after the Port Stephens race I was confident about the distance.

But I thought hey I can do a 16km as well and what a place to do it, so I was drafted in to our Mens B team along with Christophe for that which was made up of other paddlers from Lake Macquarie, Darwin and Sydney. We had a great race and while we were not in contention for line honours we certainly passed people and gained some valuable experience. And for me a great setting and achievement in my first 16km and in a respectable time – this is a great setting to soak all this up paddling with other clubs, the camaraderie of all the paddlers from around Australia as well as the International teams is what it is all about.

There has been a lot of fun as well as the paddling from our run around the Island in PJ’s and PD Hamo shirts, making new friends and cementing others.

Having early morning visitors to balconies and the colourful bludgers while trying to eat ice cream.

Relaxing on non paddling days and just taking in the stunning scenery, it is something I will definitely do again and I would recommend it to anyone, don’t think about it, just go hard….Now bring on the 42km changes tomorrow – GO PD’s!