5 JULY 2016, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – Canoe king, Hank McGregor (Jeep Team), continued his world-class reign of legendary back-to-back victories to claim his fourth Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic title on Saturday, 2 July 2016. The 26km event, which took place near Black River, Mauritius, also doubled as Round 1 of the 2016 ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, which is a new, three-part series on the world surfski calendar. Paddlers faced rough 25-knot downwind conditions at Saturday’s race, with McGregor commenting that “conditions were pretty wild out there, it was super cool! There were some wide-eyed paddlers.” It was a close race against McGregor (Jeep Team), with Australia’s Cory Hill and Michael Booth, and South Africa’s Jasper Mocké and Barry Lewin (Jeep Team), all battling it out for the title until the final two kilometres where McGregor edged ahead to claim the win in 1h08. Hill finished 2nd in 1h09, followed by Booth in 3rd (1h10), Mocké 4th (1h11m30) and Lewin 5th (1h11m57).

Said McGregor, “The final 2km saw us head into the notorious Le Morne Pass, where it’s a hard slog against strong headwinds to the end. I was able to get the lead going into this point, managing to keep it at three hundred metres all the way to the finish. I’m stoked with my fourth win here in a top-class field. The Mauritius Ocean Classic is one of my favourite surfski events as it is a very family-orientated race. This year, my wife Pippa and son Thorsten were here with me, and it was awesome to have their support!” Said Lewin, “I’m stoked with my 5th place finish in Mauritius. Love racing the top guys in the world, and the challenge of a wild ocean. Can't wait for next year.” Round 2 of the ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, the Nelo Summer Challenge, takes place in Portugal this weekend, 8 - 10 July 2016. The third and final event is happening in Tahiti in September 2016. It’s turning into another remarkable year for canoe king McGregor as he proves an unbeatable force in world surfski. At the end of May, he conquered the world’s toughest surfski ultra marathon, the 53km Maui Jim Molokai Surfski Challenge in Hawaii, for a third time. Just a few days later, he won the world’s oldest surfski event, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race, in Durban. Then on 29 June, McGregor claimed victory at the FNB Durban Downwind, which is a 2016 World Surfski Series title event. In-between these surfski races, he also won the K1 title at the 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championships in Cape Town, a result which has qualified him for the 2016 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships taking place in Germany later this year.

2016 INVESTEC MAURITIUS OCEAN CLASSIC RESULTS:

1. Hank McGregor (SA) - 1:08:46
2. Cory Hill (AUS) - 1:09:43
3. Michael Booth (AUS) - 1:10:18
4. Jasper Mocké (SA) - 1:11:30
5. Barry Lewin (SA) - 1:11:57

Other Jeep Team Results: BMX Jeep Team’s 16-year-old BMX athlete, Alex Dolman, took on riders much older than himself this weekend, as he competed in the Elite category at Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2016 SA BMX National Age Group Series, which took place at the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Gauteng. Dolman managed to place 8th overall. OCR On Saturday, Jeep Team’s OCR champion, Thomas van Tonder, completed the Wolf Pack Challenge, an extreme, but fun, trail running event in Gauteng where there are no winners or losers. Started by Herman Mulder, the event has been designed for trail runners looking for a hard-core, no frills, back-to-basics physical challenge. The challenge comprised of five ascents of the Magaliesburg to the beacon above the Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway. This equalled 1600m ascent over 21km.

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

• Website: www.jeepteam.co.za
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa
• Twitter: @jeepteamsa Instagram: JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PIETERMARITZBURG, 31 May 2016 – South African surfski paddlers dominated the 40th annual Maui Jim Molokai Challenge in Hawaii on Sunday, 29 May 2016, with Jeep Team’s Hank McGregor leading the charge to claim his third Maui Jim title in relentlessly flat and windless ocean conditions.

McGregor finished the 53km surfski ultra marathon in 3h45, with fellow South Africans Sean Rice and Jasper Mocke finishing 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in 3h47 and 3h48.

The Maui Jim Molokai Challenge is the world’s oldest surfski race, and also one of the longest and toughest marathons, set across the Kaiwi Channel, between the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu. Called the ‘Channel of Bones’ by Hawaiians, the channel is renowned for unpredictable, and often extreme, weather conditions that can change in seconds.

2016 was one of the toughest Maui Jim Molokai Challenges in recent years, with paddlers competing in uncomfortably hot and humid conditions, with no downwind to speak of, which saw the race turn into a strategic test of physical strength and endurance.

A few kilometres into the race, a group of five paddlers surged ahead of the pack. This included the South African trio of McGregor, Rice and Mocke, plus Australia’s defending champion Cory Hill and his compatriot, Clint Robinson.

The race soon turned into an individual battle of endurance with each paddler seeking his own line across the channel that was offering no swell, runs or downwind assistance. In these conditions, McGregor’s experience gave him the edge he needed to find quicker lines and to finish at Maunalua Beach Park a minute and a half clear of second-placed Rice.

Said McGregor, “Last year I came so close to winning, so to come back and win now is awesome, and everything that I had hoped for. It was hot and brutal out there – probably one of the toughest surfski races I’ve ever done, and yet again living up to its name. Congrats to all my fellow countrymen that did so well!”

McGregor first won the race in 2009, followed by a second victory in 2014. In 2015, he led the field until the final two kilometres when Australians Cory Hill and Clint Robinson pipped him to the finish line.

2016 MAUI JIM MOLOKAI CHALLENGE RESULTS

1. Hank McGregor (RSA) 3:45:34
2. Sean Rice (RSA) 3:47:01
3. Jasper Mocké (RSA) 3:48:19
4. Clint Robinson (Aus) 3:49:20
5. Joey Hall (Aus) 4:01:02 

Other Jeep Team results…

Surfski

In Durban, Jeep Team’s Barry Lewin claimed 3^rd place in the 15km Winkle SLC Surfski Race, which took place on Sunday, 29 May.

The Winkle Race was one of the preliminary events leading up to the FNB Durban Downwind on 25 June 2016, which also doubles as a World Surfski Series event.

MTB

In the North West province, Jeep Team’s Pierre Smith competed in the season-opening event of the 2016 Gauteng Nissan Trailseeker MTB Series, which took place on Saturday, 28 May.

Smith finished the 70km marathon through the Mabalingwe Game Reserve in 8^th overall in 2h37. Max Knox won the Men’s race in 1h51, followed by Martien Venter in 2^nd (2h07) and Heine Engelbrecht in 3^rd (2h29).

Said Smith, “I had some great fun at the 1st Nissan Trailseeker race. I’m happy with a solid 8th overall after some tough races thus far. Thanks for all the support from everyone.”

On Sunday, Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys competed in the 54km Hollard Jozi Urban MTB Adventure.

The unusual race, in partnership with City Parks and Johannesburg Zoo, took riders on an urban adventure through Johannesburg’s parks and outdoor recreation facilities, with the route passing through interesting features that included storm water drains, underground tunnels and floating bridges.

Redelinghuys finished 5^th overall and 1^st Senior in 2h09.

#JeepTeamSA 

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

Website: www.jeepteam.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa
Twitter: @jeepteamsa
Instagram: JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes
Photo credits to Anthony Grote / Gameplan Media.
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..