For more information on the Blue-Fin click here

Fenn Blue-Fin Review

One of the traits of being a paddling tragic is my somewhat obscene predisposition to sit in/on all types of kayaks or surf skis and paddle them in various water conditions, locations and extreme weather. Technically I fancy myself as a reasonable paddler and enjoy the seclusion of paddling a meandering coastal river or the gut wrenching extremes of paddling in a heavy ocean swell. Something I do reasonably well in a sea kayak or on my fishing ski.

Thing is, at around the 25kg to 28kg mark these boats are pretty hefty. While I can catch runners it takes a lot of effort and energy. This being the case I have had an inclination to try a number of so-called beginner / intermediate surf skis over the past twelve months. The outcome of these experiments has resulted in my getting to know on a first name basis, Ollie the Octopus and Maurice the Mullet in Sydney’s Rose Bay and Barry the Bream and Fred the Flathead in theMinnamurraRiver.

Recently I read a very informative review on the Epic V8 Series 2 surf ski which tickled my fancy. Having paddled a few of the previous model V8s over the Summer I could attest for their “Beginner” moniker. This being the case I began to ask questions of the local ski fraternity on what they believe is the best beginner surf-ski to paddle. One person asked if I had heard of the Fenn Blue-Fin, as it has been getting some excellent word-of-mouth reviews from those who had paddled it. In particular, how super-stable it was, its 5.9m length and two layouts of 11kg or 14kg.

A beginner surf ski that was 5.9m long, 14kg or less in weight and super-stable, yeah right! A bit or web searching and research showed that;

1. It did exist
2. It was that light
3. It was that length

But was it super-stable?

After contacting Fenn’s Australian partner, Ocean Paddler in Sydney, they put me on to Ian Timbrell who is their local dealer in the Illawarra. A quick phone call was made to Ian. “Yes I have a demo Blue-Fin. Come down and pick it up. You can have it for week and see what you think”. And so I did.

Picking the ski up on a Friday evening I decided to take it for its first paddle the following morning on my favourite flat water paddling location, theMinnamurraRiveron theNSWSouthCoast, just north of Kiama. The Minnamurra is a tidal river with a very strong flow in parts, especially at the entrance. Conditions were good with an incoming tide and a bit of swell. Most importantly, two good mates, Kevin and Steve were coming down with me in their Seaward sea kayaks.

On arrival at our usual launch point I had the opportunity to have a good long look at the Blue-Fin for the first time in the bright light of day. I liked what I saw.

What immediately struck me was that from the bow to the back of the cockpit it was pure surf ski. From the cockpit to the fin housing it was almost kayak-like. From the fin housing to the stern it tapered much the same as a “normal” ski. It did not take a rocket scientist to work out the 1.5m behind the cockpit is where the stability is going to come from.

Flipping the boat over confirmed it’s hybrid surf ski/kayak heritage, particularly from the venturis back.

This came as no surprise to me as Fenn are marketing this boat as “The” transition craft from a sea kayak to surf ski. Whereby the paddler can immediately paddle the ski and learn balance later on. That is a pretty big call in my books. That phrase usually equates to getting constantly wet!

Anyway, down to the water I go. At 14kg the glass vacuum boat is a breeze to carry under your arm or on your shoulders. Just don’t try to carry it past the cockpit unless you have the arms of a gorilla as it is 53cm at its widest point.

After plonking it down in the water I began to look at the adjustment for the foot board and pedals. A friendly Fenn paddler came over and showed me how to do it (got to love the fellowship of the paddle!). It was a simple matter of twisting a cord to release the adjusting pins and pulling on the foot strap… too easy.

After adjusting the foot board/pedal assembly… the moment of truth. Now those that know me know that I am a big boned, exRugbyscrum half that graduated to the front row and therefore a fine specimen of Team Fat Paddler. Well I plopped my bum into the seat and was absolutely gobsmacked. I lifted my feet into the boat, slipped them under the strap, adjusted my position and started to paddle.

Stability… the Blue-Fin has it in spades and not once did I feel the need to brace. Paddled out into the middle of the river and just sat there. Rocked the boat from side to side using my hips and did not look like tipping out at all. Must have had a grin a mile wide on my face as a couple of K1 paddlers came flying past with a cheery “gidday mate” and “good looking ski”.

Paddling back to the launch point and I told my mates Kevin and Steve that I will wait for them down at the entrance and off I went.

The next thing that surprised me was the turn of speed I was able to get up to against an incoming tide. As stated earlier I have paddled a couple of V8s, one on this same river, and I can safely state that the Blue-Fin is faster. In my opinion, the Blue-Fin’s 0.5m extra length and the 14kg weight of the glass vacuum layout will have a lot to do with this.

Down at the entrance it was a full-on run in tide, helped along by a small 0.5 to 1m swell at the Bar. Paddled pretty hard into it and managed to get to the first line of breakers. While conditions were not good for surfing due to the tidal flow, I did manage to get onto one small wave, surf down its face and cross the Bar back into the river.

This is where the only failing I came across with the Blue-Fin…its actual “Fin”. The fin it comes with is great for flat water or inshore chop but is not confidence inspiring in waves. Stability is not an issue, but it doesn’t “dig in” on directional changes in rougher water and needs to be longer and a bit thicker. It is something I believe will cause the boat to broach more often than not in the surf zone.

Enquiries were made with Dean Gardiner of Ocean Paddler and Dean informed me that Fenn actually make a surf fin for the Blue Finn. Problem solved!

The paddle back up the river from the entrance to the launch point with the run in tide was the fastest transit that I have ever done. Knocked nearly 3 minutes off my previous best and that was at a cruising paddling pace, no sprinting undertaken.

When I got back to the launch point I waited for my mates to arrive and gave them a go at paddling the Blue-Fin. Now these blokes are reasonable sea kayak paddlers, one of which is an advanced paddler, but neither of them had ever sat in, or paddled a surf ski in their lives.

The following pictures tell the story. First go, no tip outs, happy as. Possible converts to the “Dark Side of Surfskidom”. And no… Kevin did not see that swimmer!

Kevin

Steve

The following day I took the Blue-Fin offshore out of Wollongong Harbour to get a feel for its capabilities in a small north east ground swell. No real surprises here, head-on into the swell and with its 34cm height hardly any water entered the cockpit. Any water that did was quickly dispatched by the venturis. Bit sloppy on the runners due to the small fin, as discussed previously and should be fixed with the installation of the surf fin.

Tested its characteristics in the rebound off the harbour break walls and encountered no issues there. Even came to a dead stop and simply braced when I felt the need. Try doing that with a high-end surf ski and the odds are you will get wet.

Overall impressions; an awesome surf ski, not only for beginners but I reckon it will be an absolute hoot on runners and riding big swells. With its surf ski front end and its 53cm width at its widest point it will probably handle just about anything you could expect offshore within reason.

However, this ski also has the makings of an excellent long distance boat. With a generous 44cm cockpit, comfortable foot-well, inherent stability and a reasonably flat deck behind the cockpit, this ski can go places and distances comfortably at a reasonable and if need be, competitive pace.

In conclusion, I have mentioned the term super stable a couple of times. Well I tested that out by paddling at speed towards the shore and leaned it over to the left with no brace to find its secondary stability and tip point. Didn’t happen, had water pouring over the side at the cut-out and into the cockpit as I cruised into the beach. By rights should have gone over several metres out. Yep… the Blue-Fin is super-stable alright… in spades!

Will I buy one?

My oath! Going to do exactly that because I am an older and wiser paddler who wants to enjoy paddling a surf-ski in all conditions and not having to concentrate on keeping upright! The Fenn Blue-Fin will enable me to do that.

Mick

The first across the line were the SUPs who raced over a shorter course. Local favourite Dave Kissane held off the fast finishing Jake Jensen from the Gold Coast and Wind Surf n Snow’s Sam Parker rounding out the top three. The ladies saw the Newcastle pair of Neelie Brown and Terrene Black finish in that order from local Di Morrison.

The skis saw one of the hottest fields of the year on the line at the Fisherman’s Beach start. Due to the relatively calm conditions competitors started ‘lifesaving’ style alongside their craft on the shore. The ASN Hotspot was 600 meters off shore with competitors making a hard right turn at this point. Kayaking star Billy Bain took the hotspot then stopped for rest causing havoc behind as the whole field converged on the narrow turning point.

From there it was a battle in three with Tim Jacobs, Jeremy Cotter and Murray Stewart sharing the lead down to Manly. On the turn at Manly Jacobs and Cotter moved away from the Olympic Gold Medallist (Stewart) and shared the lead in the upwind section back to Freshwater. Jacobs skipped ahead on the final turn to take the lead and show off to his brother (recently crowned World Ironman Triathlon Champion) Pete who was on the beach helping out his just as talented sibling.

Kayaking champ Jo Brigden Jones had a comfortable win in the ladies with local Sarah Knapman and ‘Kiwi’ Tracy Wilson filling the minors. Mandy Shannon and Trevor Groenweld took out their respective OC1 categories.

Full results – King of the Harbour

The series then moved the West Coast for the next three events. The Alcoa Mandurah Duel was next on the agenda and organizers had been spruiking a nice downwind run. On this particular occasion the wind didn’t show and competitors battled a solid north for the 14 kilometres.

Jasper Mocke landed the day before the race and any hint of jet lag was quickly forgotten as he moved away from the pack to win the ski race from Tasmania’s Sam Norton and local David ‘noodle ‘Graham. Ruth Highman maintained her unblemished record by taking out the ladies in the tough conditions.

 Full results Mandurah Duel

Over the next week the world’s best ocean paddlers starting arriving in WA for the biggest event on the international calendar. The 27 kilometre Doctor would once again see the most competitive field of the year and the event was well and truly due for a downwind.

The SUP line-up was especially impressive with a host of interstate and international competitors making the trip. Favourite for the race was Travis Grant and he did exactly what he had come to do taking the Starboard SUP event in a very tight race with fellow Queenslanders Beau O’Brian and Lincoln Dews taking the top sports.

The race started a little slow as competitors cleared the lee of Rottnest Island into the open water. As the race moved out into the channel the boards starting picking up the two to three foot chop with the leaders doing what they do best, surfing open ocean runs.

The ladies saw a similar battle up front with Angela Jackson and Michelle England dicing for the lead. Jackson edged ahead to win following in the footsteps of her ‘hubbie’ Paul who won the race a few years before.

The usual ‘saffa’ V ‘aussie’ rivalry surfaced prior to the start of the ski event with SA hotshots Jasper Mocke and Hank Macgregor leading the ‘springbok’ charge. The pair didn’t disappoint finishing in that order with Mocke having and especially good race taking control early then building on his lead through the entire race. First of the ‘aussies was Sam Norton followed by Jeremy Cotter and Tim Jacobs.

Ruth Highman had an impressive race against Wollongong’s Hannah Minogue and Manly’s Sarah Knapman.

Ulladulla’s Paul Watkins kept the locals at bay taking out the OC1 race.

Full results The Doctor

The next day saw the WA Coastal Challenge. A relay event that throws a twist into the way the points work for the national series. In what would be an ominous decision for the other competitors in the series, Tim Jacobs paired with Sam Norton. For Sam this had the potential to really thrust him into one of the top spots in the series after solid placing’s in previous events. The other hot teams were Mocke / Macgregor, Ken Wallace / Cotter, Brendon Sarson /Reece Baker and Bruce Taylor/Michael Booth.

Jacobs started for that pair as did Mocke for team. Unfortunately for the effervesent South African a broken paddle ended any chances of taking the relay with Macgregor and as luck would have it the series. Mocke was two from two starts and only needed a win here to secure the series.

Jacobs and Norton won convincingly from Cotter and Wallace with local pair Sarson and Baker taking third.

Full results WA Coastal Challenge

This left one more event on the program with four in the running to become National Champions. Tim Jacobs, Jeremy Cotter, Jasper Mocke and Sam Norton. Most of the other categories had already been decided.

The Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach is an 11km harbour race with little help from wind or waves only the fastest on the day would win. Over the next few weeks a series of circumstance would help decide the series outcome.

Unfortunately for Mocke the very sad loss of his father Godfrey would see him return to South Africa to be with his family before the Bridge to Beach.

Cyclonic conditions on race day caused a postponement of the event forcing Tim Jacobs out of the race due to prior commitments. This left only Norton and Cotter to decide the champ. Cotter had to win and Norton had to finish worse than 4th for Cotter to win. The series was Norton’s to lose.

Race day and there was wind albeit from completely the wrong direction but definitely the best wind we experienced for the whole series. SUPs in particular had a very hard day with strong headwind for one third of the race and strong sidewinds for the remaining two thirds. Steve ‘the machine’ Morrison held off a strong field and persevered the best for his first win of the season. Morrison beat home Pete Meyer and Charles ‘chucky’ Domin for the win.

Terrene Black was back on the Dias taking out the ladies in what was a day that a few would like to forget.

In the double bladed categories Cotter did win but Norton came in a close second giving the Tassie Champ the National Title. Reece Baker rounded out the three and Trudi Barnes took out the ladies.

Full results Bridge to Beach

The full results of the THORZT AORS are listed here.

Congratulations to the National champions (in red) in the respective categories and for all those that earned a National Ranking.

Congratulations to the category winners who have each collected the following cash prizes.

Men Overall 

• 1. Sam Norton – $2,000
• 2. Jeremy Cotter – $1,000
• 3. Reece Baker – $750
• 4. Brendon Sarson – $500
• 5. Tom Norton – $250
• 6. Nick Taylor – $150

Women Overall

• 1. Dee Calversbert – $1000
• 2. Ruth Highman – $500
• 3. Sarah Knapman – $250

Over 40 Men

• 1. Brett Greenwood – $1000
• 2. Tristan Wearne – $500
• 3. Bruce Daily – $250

Over 40 Women

• 1. Dee Calversbert- $200

Over 50 Men

• 1. Nick Taylor – $500

Under 20 Men

• 1. Tom Norton – $500

Mixed Double

• 1. Kerry Devenport & Linda Ng – $200

The series was well supported by many great sponsors and a big thank you to all of you. http://www.oceanpaddler.com/events/australian-ocean-racing-series/

The series is already deep in planning for next year with a some new venues coming online.

Thanks to all the competitors for taking part in the AORS. See you next year!

K2O Trip of a Lifetime III Highlights from Charles Stewart on Vimeo.

To register you interest for the 2014 TOAL please email contact@oceanpaddler.com

The Manly Whalf Bridge to Beach will take place on Sunday 3rd March 2013. 

Please note that if you have registered on Saturday and collected your timing chip and decide not to race on Sunday you MUST call the race director Dean Gardiner on 0427 171 403 to advise so we know  you have withdrawn from the race. 

Registration – Opening Saturday March 2nd between 12-5pm at Oceanpaddler store in North Manly

Registration will be open on Saturday March 2nd from 12-5pm at the Oceanpaddler store where you will collect your TIMING CHIP, RACE SHIRT and REGO BAG.

Registration will also be open on race day from 6 – 7.15am at Blues Point, however to avoid the crowds we recommend registering on Saturday.

Oceanpaddler is located at 410 Pittwater Rd, North Manly. Ph 02 8065 0385.

The Course

The forecast for this weekend looks favourable for a run from the Bridge to Manly. For competitors the forecast below will mean a head/sidewind for the first 3 kilometers. A side/tailwind from Bradleys Head to Middle Head, then a nice tail wind to the finish. The area around Middle Head to Dobroyd Head will be quite rough but moving in the right direction. It is important that all competitors follow the race course.

The tide will be coming in meaning that competitors will be pushing against it the entire way. This will have tendency to push competitors towards Middle Harbour when crossing the heads. To minimize the effect of the tide stay close to the Headlands from Bradleys Head to Middle Head.

There are only 2 buoys on the course and all competitors must keep these to their right.

The first turning buoy is a flat white disc shape buoy approximately 1.5 meters wide. This is in Athol Bay immediately offshore from Taronga Zoo.

The second buoy is a black and yellow buoy over one meter high East off Dobroyd Head.

By going to these buoys you will stay clear of the ferry channels.

Competitors must keep well clear of the channel from Bradleys Head to Middle Head. This means keeping all Green Channel markers in this area on your right hand side.

Please follow the direction of safety and official boats.

Pull Outs

If you pull out of the event after the start or are withdrawn from the event you will be put ashore at the closest accessible beach. We will take your number and timing ID and relay it back to the finish. This information will be announced over the PA. to make your handlers aware of this and they may be required to come and get you.

If you register and collect your timing chip then decide not to race you must call the event director on 0427 171 403. If you pull out before the finish you must also call the event director to advise.

Event Times on Race Day

6.00am – Registration opens at Blues Point Park, North Sydney

All competitors must sign off their name and collect their timing chip at registration prior to the start of race. You may also do this on Saturday afternoon at Oceanpaddler between 12 and 5pm.

7.15am – Race Briefing (Compulsory). 
Following the briefing competitors  can then get on the water and make their way to Lavender Bay ready to be called out to the start line.

All competitors must remain in Lavender Bay until called to the start. SUPs and Paddleboards will be called out first at 7. 40am. The rest of the field will not be called out until after 7.50am. Any competitors outside of Lavender Bay prior to race start will be disqualified from the event.

As there is limited areas to enter the water please do this quickly to allow all competitors ample time to make it to the start.

7.45am – SUPs and Paddleboards start (Approximate time only. Time may be slightly altered due to Maritime NSW shipping schedule)

8.00-8.10am – Event start (Approximate time only. Time may be slightly altered due to Maritime NSW shipping schedule)

8.45am – Expected first finishers at the western side of Manly Wharf

11.00am – Presentations for all categories at the Bavarian Bier Cafe

Safety Equipment Requirement

PFDs/Lifejackets: Competitors are required to wear Type 2/3 Australian Standard PFD/Lifejackets to comply with Maritime. Prone Paddleboard competitors are exempt from wearing a PFD.

Leashes: These are required by competitors to maintain contact with their craft, which can be particularly difficult during high winds, or if someone should fall from their craft. The leash can be anything long as it keeps the competitor in contact with their craft. For example a Safety Leg Leash used commonly in skis.

Presentations at Bavarian Bier Café

The Bavarian Bier Café will be hosting the Bridge to Beach awards presentation on its outdoor deck at the end of the event. The friendly team at Bavarian Bier Café Manly Wharf will be serving up a hearty breakfast for all family and friends, plus a sausage sizzle for participants and their family and friends who want to sit back and relax with their supporters after a hard morning’s work. All competitors will receive a free drink voucher.

Special Menu includes

Big Bavarian Breakfast - 2 Eggs any Style, Home-made Sausages, Bacon, and Tomato $16.50

Roast Pork Knuckle - Creamy Mash, Sauerkraut, Lowenbrau Bier Jus – Whole $33/Half $16.50

Homemade Sausage Sizzle! - Pretzels $3.50    - Sausages or Frankfurter $9.50

Five Skis to be given away

Thanks to the generous support of our craft sponsors for this years THORZT Australian Ocean Racing Series, 5 lucky people will walk away with either a new NELO, VADJA, CARBONOLOGY, STELLAR or FENN surf ski. The draw for these will happen straight after the Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach.

Every competitor that enters two or more events in the THORZT AORS goes into the draw for a new ski. Do all five races and you get four entries into the draw.

NOTE: You must have pre-entered online for the Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach for your entry to be included.

We would like to thank Manly Council for their ongoing support of the Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach event. In additional a special thank you to all our sponsors; Manly Wharf, Bavarian Bier Café, Thorzt, Pro-Choice Safety Gear, Australian Geographic Outdoor Magazine, Nelo, Fenn, Stellar, Vadja, Carbonology, BIC Kayaks, Stand Up Paddle Gear, Jamieson Park Paddle, Gill, Magellan, Adrenalin, Kani Paddling Gear & Unleash Compression.

Good luck to all competitors.

The Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach is Australia’s largest open water paddling event and is regarded as one of the most spectacular in the world. Starting under the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunrise, you will paddle down the harbour taking in the sights of Taronga Zoo, Bradley’s Head, Clifton Gardens, North Harbour Reserve and both South and North Head before arriving at beautiful Manly Wharf where the finish is.

Click here for event information.

Online Entries Open: 

Early Bird entries close this Friday 15th February, with final online entries closing on Friday 22nd February. You can also enter the event on Saturday 23rd at Oceanpaddler between 12-5pm or on the morning of the event.

Click here to enter.

Registration: Opening on Saturday 23rd Feb at Oceanpaddler

For the first time registration will be open on Saturday 23rd Feb from 12-5pm at the Oceanpaddler store where you will collect your TIMING CHIP, RACE SHIRT and REGO BAG. Registration will also be open on race day from 6 – 7.30am, however to avoid the crowds we recommend registering on Saturday.

Oceanpaddler is located at 410 Pittwater Rd, North Manly. Ph 02 8065 0385.

Win a ski as part of the THORZT AORS Series

Thanks to the generous support of our craft sponsors for this years THORZT AORS, 5 lucky people will walk away with either a new NELO, VADJA, CARBONOLOGY, STELLAR OR FENN surf ski. The draw for these will happen straight after the Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach.

Every competitor that enters two or more events in the THORZT AORS goes into the draw for a new ski. Do all five races and you get 4 entries into the draw.

NOTE: You must have pre-entered online for the Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach for your entry to be included.

Presentations

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsor Bavarian Bier Cafe, all competitors will receive a FREE DRINK VOUCHER. Enjoy a nice cold well-earned drink after the race!

Presentations will take place at the Bavarian Bier Cafe where you will also be able to enjoy a sausage sizzle and a bite to eat.

If your a supporter come on down and enjoy breakfast whilst you wait for the paddlers to finish.

www.wanakikamoocow.smugmug.com/Sports/Ocean-Paddling/2013-Doctor

www.wanakikamoocow.smugmug.com/Sports/Ocean-Paddling/Fenn-Nelo-Coastal-Challenge