Birkett eyes 14th Dusi Canoe Marathon title, Solms and Behn take advantage

Former World Champion and Dusi crown prince, Andy Birkett, put himself one stage away from his 14th title when he and Matthew Fenn won Day 2 of the Dusi Canoe Marathon on Friday and all but snuffed out the hopes of their challengers.

A mistake early on the second stage by Msawenkosi Mtolo and Sbonelo Khwela gave Birkett and Fenn the edge they needed to take control of the race. However, the manner in which the new leaders powered away over the closing kilometres of Day 2 from Mphaya Bridge to Inanda Dam, suggests the error at Gauging Weir simply pre-empted the inevitable.

Birkett and Fenn will take a five-minute advantage into Day 3 from Inanda Dam to Durban's Blue Lagoon on Saturday, and it seems only a big mistake is going to change the order over the final 36km stage.

In the see-saw battle for the final podium spot, Bongani Ntinga and Sandile Mtolo ended up losing some of their narrow four-second advantage over Banetse Nkhoesa and Siseko Ntondini. With the difference now just two seconds, it seems likely they will fight another cat-and-mouse battle for the third day in a row on Saturday.

Currently, leading U23 paddlers Scott Little and Jeremy Maher are sitting fifth, but with just a two-second advantage over Thulani Mbanjwa and Kwandokuhle Mzolo, the struggle for a top-five finish is wide open.

In the women's race, there was almost no drama or intrigue as former champion Abby Solms and her young Pietermaritzburg schoolgirl partner, Jessica Behn, had a clean run and paddle for the second day in succession, and they added another minute to their already substantial lead. They will set off for Durban on Saturday with an advantage of more than 10 minutes over Bridgitte Hartley and Hilary Bruss.

Jenna Nisbet and Nix Birkett's