Robinson, Chesney top Maritime kayak race

Nicholas Robinson took the top honours at the The Maritime 10th anniversary kayak race, hosted recently by the Trinidad Kayak Club (TKC) in conjunction with the TT Canoeing & Rowing Federation (TTCRF), in Williams Bay, Chaguaramas.

Three practice races were held within a five-week period leading up to the main event.

Annually, until covid19, the races were held on the Ortoire River in Mayaro, but post pandemic, with the unpredictable weather and the temporary Manzanilla Road, the TKC was forced to shift the venue to West Trinidad.

There were two main races: the short course, 6K; and the long course, 12K, which featured the seasoned paddlers.

The short course saw 40 competitors and it consisted of three laps (each lap was 2K) within Williams Bay and the long course included a paddle out to the Five Islands and three laps within the bay.

Robinson showed his class in the 12K to prevail in one hour, eight minutes and 49 seconds. He will be representing TT at the CAC Games next month and Pan Am Games later this year.

In second place, was Stanley Brooker from Barbados, the previous champion, in 1:14:20, followed by Matthew Robinson, Nicholas’ brother, who will also be attending the CAC Games, in 1:18:32.

Stephano Polo placed fourth in 1:24:17 and 18-year-old Justin Chin Lee, who took up the long-course challenge although he had only been training for a few months, was fifth among the seven paddlers in 1:26:17.

In the short-course race, the winner was Akeem Chesney in 44 minutes and 14 seconds. In second place was Rahsaan Hazelwood, who clocked 47 minutes. Terrence Rampersadsingh, who timed 49 minutes, was third. Medals and prizes were also awarded to various categories including Youth Recreational, Women’s Recreational and Double Kayaks.

There was keen competition among the three Sea Scout troops (6th Trinidad from Port of Spain, 3rd Trinidad from San Fernando and 1st Naparima) that participated.

The event was sponsored by the Maritime Financial Group, Kia Trinidad & Tobago and Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd.