YMCA Weir |
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Distance from start of the stage : 3.2km Lat -29.611645 Lon 30.387535 |
Spectators/Seconds: Yes Portage option: Left or right hand bank |
Under Chief Albert Lithuli Road and alongside the Pmb YMCA – with guaranteed crowds on raceday – lies this old and much modified weir. It can only be shot down the fish chute on the river right which angles in back towards the centre of the river. This chute has been repeatedly rebuilt and is now a lot more boat friendly than its predecessors.
There is normally a lifesaver/diver on duty to show you a line down the chute, which can be tricky to spot in a full river as the wall sides of the chute are small. Take it slowly, right of centre of the chute, after which you need to work positively to move left and into the main flow of water. There is a 100m long rapid below the weir that has numerous rocks in play. Move positively, pick and line and stick to it, keeping your boat straight. Even if you get the lines a bit wrong you will be able to ramp over the rocks safely. This is not a tricky weir and much faster than the slow awkward portage on either bank.
As you approach Ernie you have to take a bit of a right turn at the top so look to align your nose with the middle pillar of College Road bridge. Go down right of centre and, whilst you can use your paddle to brace, by the time you get to the bottom make sure you have your paddle at head height because you need your paddle to get through the big hole at the bottom. | |
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Shoot middle right angling your nose of boat to the right of centre |
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This is a lot easier now than what it used to be because the gradient is lot less than in years gone by. Go down right of middle and try gather some speed when approaching the weir. Whilst you’re going down tap your left rudder lightly because the water washes quite strongly from the left at the bottom. |
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Right of middle whilst going down and then head left as quickly as possible when you get to the bottom to avoid the clumps of grass on the right. |