A week ago yesterday, the annual Cape Point Challenge took place on the waters I'll be paddling about a month from now.
The course varies some from year to year, depending on the wind and other conditions, but the map above shows what the racers did this year. The peninsula is south of the city of Cape Town; locals often refer to it as the "Deep South," not to be confused with our region here in the U.S. that includes states like Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana. The town of Fish Hoek, where the race finished, is where I'll be based during my participation in the downwind camp hosted by the brothers Dawid and Jasper Mocke.
The Cape Point Challenge is definitely a long-distance endeavor. The fastest boats finished this year's race just under four hours. Based on my experience competing against some of the people who completed the race, I'm guessing I would have taken the better part of six hours to finish. That makes me think this event is probably not for me, but surfski paddlers on the Western Cape of South Africa regard it with utmost reverence.
When I visited the area nearly four years ago, I had the opportunity to paddle from Platboom Bay to Buffels Bay. Though it's just a small portion of this year's Cape Point Challenge course, it felt like a good solid day of paddling to me.
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