Start

Fish Hoek Bay

Finish

Buffels Bay, Cape Point National Park

The finish is inside the national park so your driver needs to have sufficient cash to get in!

The mobile signal at Buffels Bay is not strong, and in some parts of the park is non-existent.

The finish is on a launch ramp, to the left of the tidal pool, which is to the left of the beach looking from the sea.

As you come down the coast, you'll see a white building on shore; you're looking for a second white building a km or so further on.

Run Length

22 km

Shuttle Length

28 km

Weather & more

The ideal wind is a strong NNW.

The run can be done in a NW, but definitely not in anything west of that.

WNW is a total red flag.

VERY IMPORTANT: the wind is funneled by the mountains on the south side of Smitswinkel Bay and in strong wind conditions (ie a base strength of 30kt) gusts of up 50kt are not uncommon.

You need to be prepared for the squalls which lift whirlwinds of spray off the water. 

If you get hit, don't panic, keep paddles down and wait it out - they usually pass over in a couple of seconds.

However, if there is any West in the wind at Fish Hoek i.e. the wind is blowing WNW instead of NW, the squalls will be blowing directly offshore from Smitswinkel Bay onwards.

We aborted a run at Partridge Point for this reason - sheeting squalls and spray blowing offshore at Smits made it too dangerous to continue.

Having said all that, it's one of the best downwind runs in Cape Town in the right conditions. 

Contributor

Rob Mousley