Course change announced for Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches as elite competitors arrive

Elite Paddlers Gather for Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Amidst Course Change

Sydney is set to host the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches this weekend, featuring the strongest field of Australian paddling talent this year. The event marks the return of several top athletes, including 2021 champion Jackson Collins, back in downwind racing after his Olympic silver medal, and two-time winner Danielle McKenzie, the 2019 ICF World Champion, making her series debut from New Zealand. McKenzie will face defending champion Jemma Smith, fresh from her Coolangatta Gold victory.

The men's field is equally strong, led by four-time winner Cory Hill, who recently earned a silver at the ICF World Championships. Other key competitors include Tom Norton, preparing for the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, local talent Oscar Jones (making his season debut with coach Michael Booth), Hawaiian Pat Dolan (Molokai Challenge runner-up), and surf lifesaving star Mitchell Trim.

30th Anniversary and Inaugural Championship

Celebrating its 30th anniversary as Australia's longest-running race, this year's event also serves as the inaugural Australian Championship for the Shaw and Partners Australian Ocean Racing Series, adding significant prestige.

Last-Minute Course Alteration

Organizers were forced into a late course change. The original Manly to Palm Beach route was abandoned due to a shift in weather forecasts from a strong westerly to a light southerly breeze. The race will now follow last year's course, from Fisherman’s Beach at Long Reef to Station Beach at Pittwater. This decision, explained by officials, ensures smoother logistics for competitors and optimal wind conditions, avoiding chaotic access to Manly on a busy weekend.

The Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches offers $45,000 in prize money and crucial series points.

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