2011 Photos
Watch this space....
Thanks to everyone involved in the inaugeral Stellenbosch River Festival. Many lessons were learned and we will be back next year with a bigger, better event.
Photo's of this year's event will be uploaded on this site soon.
Photo's of this year's event will be uploaded on this site soon.
Tube Race Update
Tube race entries will be accepted on Saturday morning!!
There are a limited number of tubes and lifejackets available so a place cannot be guaranteed unless you have your own.
Info for spectators
The Eerste River winds its way through Stellenbosch and the surrounding winelands and provides excellent view points for spectators along most of the K1 and tube race routes.
Please take note of the following:
Please take note of the following:
- No spectators are allowed in the Brummer Park Reserve immediately downstream of the start.
- The first spectator view point is the Coetzenberg Road bridge (see the map). Here you will be able to watch the competitors for a while as they come down the river and pass below you.
- From the Coetzenberg Road bridge there is ample opportunity to view the participants all the way to the R44 bridge as you move along Die Laan, which runs along the banks of the river.
- The Piet Retief Street bridge marks the end point for the tube race as well as the prize giving venue for both the tube and K1 races.
- You will not be able to see the paddlers for a while once they pass the R44 bridge but can go Stay Main Rapid (see the map for directions) to watch them shoot the largest obstacle on the route. Getting there requires driving out of Stellenbosch towards Spier (take the R310 out of town and then turn left onto Baden Powell) and turning left to Van Ryn's Brandy distillery (immediately after the bridge over the railway - if you reach Spier you have gone too far). Follow the road to the river where you can park and walk a short distance upstream to the view point.
- After Stay Main you can go straight to the finish at Spier.
- After meeting your paddler at Spier please join us at the Piet Retief Street bridge to watch the tube racers arrive and for prize giving which will take place at 13:30.
K1 Starting Procedure
The K1 race will start again at the Hangbrug in Stellenbosch (See Map page for directions).
Registrations will be done here from 8.30 - 9.30.
(All paddlers must register before 9.30 to give officials time to draw up the start list)
The start will done in a timetrial format with a 20 - 30 second gap between each paddler. The order will be based on the CSA ladder, with the fastest starting first. The first paddler will start at 10:00.
The race will end at Spier Wine estate, and will be approximately 14km long.
See posts below for info on the rapids, and the Map page for the best spectator points.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Registrations will be done here from 8.30 - 9.30.
(All paddlers must register before 9.30 to give officials time to draw up the start list)
The start will done in a timetrial format with a 20 - 30 second gap between each paddler. The order will be based on the CSA ladder, with the fastest starting first. The first paddler will start at 10:00.
The race will end at Spier Wine estate, and will be approximately 14km long.
See posts below for info on the rapids, and the Map page for the best spectator points.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Event write-up
Stellenbosch River Festival 24 September
Students and Stellenbosch residents can look forward to some great Eerste River fun on 24 September when an official Interkoshuis and Corporate Tube Race will take place as part of the first-ever Stellenbosch River Festival.
Host of the event, the US Canoe Club, has come up with the idea as part of their annual canoe race on the Eerste River. While the canoe race will be from Jonkershoek to Spier Estate over a distance of 20 km the tube race will be from Hangbrug to Piet Retief Bridge over a distance of 3 km only. Fierce competition is expected in the Interkoshuis event while prizes will be awarded to corporate teams for best corporate image, spirit and originality. The prize giving ceremony will be at the Piet Retief Bridge site.
The organizers, however, want to make sure that the major part of the income generated by the festival is channeled back into the society via charitable projects. Most of the funds therefore will go towards the Adopt-the-River partnership between the Stellenbosch Municipality and the Department of Water Affairs. This partnership is responsible for environmental education and cleaning up the Plankenbrug, Krom and Eerste Rivers. Their main challenge is to remove the evils which threaten our water resources such as lack of adequate basic services for informal settlements on river banks, illegal dumping, alien vegetation and industrial affluent while creating job opportunities for the unemployed. This year alone 50 tons of waste was removed from the Plankenbrug River and 90 jobs created for unemployed people. A smaller part of the funds will go toward the US Canoe Club's developmental paddling project.
The University of Stellenbosch Canoe Club is staging this year’s festival as a pilot project with the view of upgrading it to an international event, which could become a major tourist attraction very much in the same mould as the Sella Canoe Festival in Spain, that draws 300,000 spectators every year. Turning it into a huge festival eventually will generate an influx of a great number of visitors to Stellenbosch with obvious advantages to the local business fraternity.
This festival is only made possible by guaranteed water release from the Department of Water Affairs through the tunnel systems from Theewaterskloof and Berg River Dams. For more information the chief race official Mike Owen can be contacted at 072 210 8604 or stbriverfest@gmail.com. Entry forms for the Interkoshuis and Corporate Races can be downloaded from the blogspot www.stbriverfest.blogspot.com
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Stellenbosch Rivierfees op Erfenisdag 24 September
Stellenbossers kan hierdie maand uitsien na ‘n grootse ‘fees’ op die Eerste Rivier met die eerste amptelike binnebandresies vir koshuise wat saamval met die WP Kano-Unie se jaarlikse kanovaart op gewaarborgde water. Dit val hierdie jaar saam met Erfenisdag volgende Saterdag, 24 September.
Die WP se K1-wedvaart vir enkelkano’s trek vanaf 10:00 in Jonkershoek weg en eindig 20km later by die Spier landgoed. Die binnebandresies vir koshuise begin om 12:00 by die Hangbrug en eindig 3km verder by die Piet Retiefbrug net onderkant Paul Roos Gimnasium. Dit word om 12:30 gevolg deur ‘n korporatiewe plesiervaart wat oop is vir alle organisasies.
Afgesien van die eer om die eerste koshuis oor die eindstreep te wees, is baie pryse op die spel vir oorspronklikheid en ‘gees’ - veral in die korporatiewe afdeling. Kyk www.stbriverfest.blogspot.com vir die inskryfvorms. Die prysuitdelingsfunksie om 14:00 is ook by die Piet Retiefbrug. Die beste plek vir toeskouers tot hierdie kleuryke skouspel sal ongetwyfeld net onderkant die Adam Tasbrug langs Die Laan wees.
“Ons eerste poging tot ‘n Stellenbosch Rivierfees kan nie meer gepas wees as om met Erfenisdag saam te val hierdie jaar nie,” sê Anthony Penderis wat namens die US Kanoklub as hooforganiseerder optree. “ Die grootste deel van ons inkomste uit borge en inskrywingsgeld word geskenk aan die Adopt-the-River projek van die Stellenbosch Munisipaliteit en die Department Waterwese.
“Hulle is verantwoordelik vir die instandhouding van die Eerste, Plankenburg en Kromrivier en die bewaring van ons watererfenis. Hierdie jaar het hulle reeds 50 ton vullis uit die Plankenburg Rivier verwyder en in die proses werkgeleenthede vir 90 werkloses geskep.
“Ons konsep van ‘n Stellenbosch Rivierfees is gebasseer op die reeds beproefde Sella Wedvaart-model in Spanje. Hierdie wedvaart lok jaarliks inskrywings van meer as 40 lande en sowat 300,000 toeskouers en word voorafgegaan deur ‘n week se feestelikhede. Die potensiaal van ‘n suksesvolle Stellenbosch Rivierfees is voor die hand liggend met die bykomende voordeel dat dit tot bewaring van ons watererfenis aanwend kan word,’ sê Penderis.
Die hoof-wedvaartbeampte Mike Owen kan by 072 210 8604 of stbriverfest@gmail.com gekontak word vir meer inligting.
Essential Advice for Paddlers
Richard Fly ("Boss of the Eerste") is unfortunately going to miss this year's race as he is away in Canada, but he has sent his expert advice - a must read for all novices to this river! ...
The eerste river race is about rapids fast flow and the best opportunity to improve your river skills technically in the Western Cape. There is no better way to improve than getting yourself onto rivers like this. One of the most important rules when tackling a rapid is to pick a line and stay with it and on the Eerste you do not have a lot of time to pick that line, so when you are approaching the rapid look up look at all the rocks sticking out, look for tell tale signs of rocks lurking just below the surface (water being kicked up unnaturally) and try to work out where the majority of the flow is going, pick your line and stick to it. Learn to read the river because that is what will allow you to improve in rapids.
Hangbrug will be your first obstacle and it is one that can be very straight forward if you keep a few things in mind. The flow here pushes from right to left so if you start dead center you are going to be washed to the left of the chute and end up going directly over the drop. Start right of center keeping track where the chute is (this is tough cause it’s not very visible) and when you are close enough to see the chute make your final adjustments to get down as straight as possible. Don’t panic if you appear to be slightly off line get your nose into the chute and the current will do the rest. (For the less brave there is also the option of a shallow slide on the right)
The rolling waves past Coetzenberg are tons of fun enjoy them and if you find you are getting swamped by them skirt slightly to the side of them. Keep your boat speed up here the current is exceptionally fast and you will be able to control your steering better with a greater boat speed. This is not somewhere you want spin out. A narrow channel, fast current and a sideways boat will never make for a pretty picture. If you fall out in this section turn your boat over as fast as possible get it as straight as possible and keep your legs downstream running along the boat till you can get to the side.
After Coetzenberg you will pass under the road to strand and then comes the first weir. It’s an easy drop, keep your paddle up as you go over with good speed and you will be fine. The marshals will direct you down the left hand side. A short paddle later and you come to the big drop at distel. This one has a nasty bark and no bite. Starting at the center you will drop down a big steep concrete slide. The current pushes left and forms a nice big standing wave very close to the bank on the left hand side. You will hit the wave and pass right through, keep your paddles up as you hit the wave so they don’t get caught in water and drag you over. Paddle a short while and you will hit the next weir which is a compulsory portage.
Soon you will come to a set of rapids which involves some nice big rocks with lots of water flowing over then. Find a nice line pick your way day and paddle confidently. After this there is the big drop at Vredenheim (broken-bridge) the drop looks very nasty but you will slide over very nicely, some of the heavier paddlers can expect to touch the bottom for a bit of a bump as they go over. This is best shot 1m from the left bank heading slightly right. 300m later and you will get to Stay Main the steep gradient here means you won’t see what the rapid is like until you are in it! Relax! Sit up straight and stay confident. There is a slide down a rock where a large wave forms at the bottom and the river kicks to the left. You are going to head straight for the huge rock on the right but the water will keep you away from it. As you hit the wave angle your rudder to the left and the water will do the rest of the work. There are a few drops below, paddle confidently and enjoy these. From Stay main to the finish is a bit of a grind with some small bubblies and a minor weir.
Enjoy the race and remember everybody has a turn to wrap a boat; it’s just a question of when it’s going happen. The eerste always claims a few victims and some of the biggest names in the cape have fallen to this little gem. Don’t miss out on the most exciting race of the season!
Need a tube?
Kenny @ The Tyre Shop
Fagan Street, Strand (next to the old Dutch Reform Church)
083 662 1065
082 809 2100
R10 for passenger car tubes (13/14/15 inch)
R30 for truck and tractor tubes
Entry procedure
Corporate tube race:
- Download the "Corporate entry form/Korporatiewe inskrywingvorm" by clicking on the link on the right of this page.
- Complete the form.
- Pay the entry fee into the bank account given on the form.
- Mail completed forms and proof of payment to stbriverfest@gmail.com.
- Deadline: 21 September.
- Team members report to the registration table between 10:30 and 11:30 on 24 September to sign indemnity and check in.
- Download the "Standard entry form/Standard inskrywingvorm" by clicking on the link on the right of this page.
- Complete the form.
- Mail the completed form to stbriverfest@gmail.com.
- Deadline: 21 September.
- Report to the registration table between 10:30 and 11:30 on 24 September to sign indemnity and check in. Payment of entry fees is done here in cash.
- Enter at registration (08:30 - 09:30) on race day.
- AR rated paddlers only.
What, when, where?
What: K1 and tube race on the Eerste River through Stellenbosch.
When: Saturday 24 September 2011 (K1 start at 10:00, Tubes start at 12:00).
Where: Stellenbosch (see map tab).
- K1 from Hangbrug (Coetzenberg) or higher to Spier Wine Estate.
- Tube race from Hangbrug to Piet Retief Street bridge (opposite Paul Roos HS).
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