Organisers of The Unlimited Non Stop Dusi Canoe Marathon, which gets under way on Friday, have added a second cut-off designed to eliminate paddlers that are clearly not going to make the infamous final one at Inanda Dam.
The estimated 150 boats will have to make a new cut-off point at the 31km mark at Finger Neck by 9:30am, four hours after the start at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg.
Race committee chairman Kevin Goddard said the cut-off was fair and designed to identify boats that stood no realistic chance of making the day’s second cut-off at the dam wall at 2:30pm.
“This is a tough race, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else,” said Goddard. “The cut-offs are there to ensure the safety and well-being of every paddler in the field, and they are strictly enforced.”
Goddard said the race is targeted at the calibre of paddler capable of finishing in the top 150 of The Unlimited Dusi, but there was no rule that prevented a qualified, competent paddler from trying to finish the non-stop version of the race.
