Doctor Blows and The Brothers Mocke Fly Hign in Finn Kayaks Coastal Challenge

January 22, 2012 Written by Hanson Media Group. Photos by Sherene LaGasse Oceanpaddler.

The famed Fremantle sea breeze delivered on the second day of the Doctor Festival of Paddle Sports in Perth today and it was the South African flag that flew high.

The brothers Mocke, Jasper and Dawid, from Fish Hoek in Capetown, wrapped up a dominant week in Western Australia.

They produced a commanding victory in the two-man Finn Kayaks  Coastal Challenge from Fremantle’s Port Beach to Sorrento via City Beach.

The Mocke’s left the high profile Australian teams  of Clint Robinson and Tim Jacobs and Bruce Taylor and Jeremy Cotter in their wake.

Robinson led the field on the first 12km leg form Fremantle’s Port Beach to City Beach, finishing ahead of Jasper Mocke.

It was then left to Tim Jacobs, the winner of yesterday’s Doctor Ocean Ski paddle, to try and hold off Dawid Mocke in the paddle to the finish at Sorrento.

But a determined Dawid took a line closer to the shore and proved too strong in one of his most dominant performances in what has already been a stellar career for the 34-year-old reigning world champion.

Fifteen-knot winds and small, consistent swells, made the downwind course just that much more interesting for competitors.

Jasper and Dawid had finished second and third respectively behind Jacobs in yesterday’s 27.5km Doctor.

And it was 26-year-old Jasper who had to take on the likes of Australia’s five-time Olympian Robinson, yesterday’s fourth pace getter Michael Booth and his fellow Gold Coaster Taylor in the opening leg.

Robinson, seventh yesterday, was determined to hit City Beach in the lead and that’s just what the 39-year-old did.

“It didn’t matter who I was racing, there was no way I was going to let Jasper get in front of me at any stage,” said Robinson.

“I was determined to stay in front of him and hit the beach and give Tim a lead for his paddle to Sorrento.”

Dawid knew what he had to do and produced the paddle of his life, revelling in the blowy conditions that saw increased swells powering into Sorrento.

He made the most of every stroke and linked up swell after swell to maximize his lead and no matter what Jacobs tried he couldn’t match the power and the precision of Dawid Mocke.

“I am just so stoked to win the Finn Coastal Challenge with my younger brother and finish off our tour down under on a winning note,” said Dawid.

“But I knew we were in for a race against the Australian boys. It doesn’t matter what kind of race you have in Australia – if there is a start line and a finish line then it’s game on.

“And that’s what it’s like in these kind of races. The competition is always fierce and the Australians are never beaten.

“But I certainly made the most of the conditions and I knew I had to paddle hard on every runner.”

In the end it was Jasper and Dawid Mocke first, ahead of the team of Robinson and Jacobs with Taylor and Cotter third and Ash Nesbit and the Manly legend and popular race organiser Dean Gardiner combining for fourth.

The Mocke boys will now return home tomorrow with a quinella in last week’s Mandurah Duel, second and third in the Doctor Ocean Ski and a win in the Finn Coastal Challenge.