We had a few surprises starting out, and a few bumps and bruises (literally) along the way, but I couldn't have asked for a better outcome :)
The day started very early, and the ladies were getting used to the canvas, when we were called to get ready for the race. As I mentioned previously, the start involved our steers running from the beach into the boat. We were set up perfectly for the race though, as we were positioned at the very end of the line of boats making it easier to get away from the fray.
The ladies started out strong, and our first change went well, but we got a bit of a surprise eating into the support boat after the first change. Our support boat driver lost his ladder, meaning we had to pull the "beached whale" to get back into the boat, hoping that the props were not spinning. A few of us ended up with gashed shins and forearms, but, men dig scars right?? ;)
Meanwhile, the boys were having their own adventures during the first shift - as they huli'd (flipped their boat) about ten minutes in. Thankfully they were able to get back into the race quickly, but we lost about 5 or 6 positions in the race.
From there on out, the rest of the race literally flew by. The scenery was awesome to watch during the rest periods on the support boat, and each paddling shift seemed to get shorter and shorter.
In the end, it was the boys who were in the boat when they passed the two mile "no change" bouy so they took it home for us.
We finished sixth out of all the boats, with a time of 5 hours and 8 minutes.
All in all, I would do this over again in a heartbeat. It was such an adrenaline rush and such an awesome experience!!!
Here is a photo of the women starting the race, and a photo of my view of Waikiki Beach on my final night in paradise.
I leave for Canada at 8:30 pm tomorrow, and return to Ottawa at 6:30 pm on Tuesday. Work on Wednesday morning will e interesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment