Knysna SPLASH, the annual water festival presented by Knysna Rotary, was a great success and has grown considerably since its inception four years ago, says coordinator Mick Furman, the Rotarian tasked with making it all happen.
Furman said that a record number of swimmers registered for the Lagoon Mile Swim on Saturday, 19 December. “The swim is proving to be a very popular event, and perfect weather on the day ensured an excellent turnout.”
The Quack Attack duck race on Saturday afternoon was also a hit, with all 1,000 ducks sold out before the race and hundreds of people lining the quays to watch their yellow plastic ducks ‘race’. After four heats, there was a clear winner – first duck home belonged to Steven Naude from Knysna, who won a cash prize of R2,500.
Sunday, 20 December featured two new Canoe Races: the Family Fun Canoe Race with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme, and the 10km Canoe Race for more proficient paddlers.
“The conditions were not great for paddling, but we had locals and visitors competing in both events,” said Furman. “In total we had nearly 60 boats and over 80 competitors, so we are very pleased with the way it went and are certain that this event will grow next year.
“We would like to thank the Thesen Islands residents for their cooperation and understanding while the event was in progress, SANParks for cleaning up the launching area and helping to make this a safe event, and our major sponsor, Sanlam Private Wealth, for the prizes and financial support.”
Knysna SPLASH is an important fundraiser for Rotary, which donates all proceeds from the entry fees to local charities.
RESULTS
Lagoon Mile Swim:
Girls U/16: 1st Tatiana Kleiner; 2nd Jamie Hattingh; 3rd Aimee Canny
Boys U/16: 1st Deorge Lategan; 2nd Benno van der Merwe; 3rd Bernard Becker
Ladies 17-27: 1st Alex Bantock; 2nd Jessie Nielle; 3rd Melissa Schultze
Ladies Under 40: 1st Klippie Bishop; 2nd Robyn Taylor; 3rd Christine
Ladies 40+: 1st Tania Osborne; 2nd Carol Hampshire; 3rd Janet Michaelides
Men 17-27: 1st Liam Fourie; 2nd Bradley Rothschild; 3rd Justin Besrick
Men 40+: 1st Royden Tustin; 2nd Brendan Locke; 3rd Roland Imstra
Junior Swim:
Girls Under 11: 1st Adelia dos Santos; 2nd Kate Tanner; 3rd Kelly Paton
Boys Under 11: 3rd Nicholas Cheeseman
Canoe Race 10km:
K1: 1st Martin Fraser Mackenzie; 2nd Gavin White; 3rd Hans van der Veen
K2: 1st Pierre van der Merwe & Ronald; 2nd Greg Vogt & Danie van Wyk; 3rd Neil & Di Steenkamp
Quack Attack Duck Race:
1st prize – R 2500 – Steven Naude from Knysna
2nd prize – R 1000 – Eoin Ivory from Welkom
3rd prize – R 500 – Paul Whitehead from UK
4th prize – R 500 – Ivan from Knysna
5th prize – R 500 – Henning von Ribbeck from Knysna
Save the dates for next year’s Knysna SPLASH Festival: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 December 2016.
For more information visit www.knysnaSPLASH.co.za. Follow Knysna SPLASH (https://www.facebook.com/KnysnaSPLASH) on Facebook and Twitter (https://twitter.com/KnysnaSPLASH) for regular updates.•