Nixon and Rice secure early season victories in Lanzarote ocean race

Nixon and Rice Dominate Lanzarote Ocean Race Opener

The 2019 ICF Ocean Racing season commenced with a thrilling event in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, where South Africa's Sean Rice and Hayley Nixon emerged victorious at the Atlantic Ocean Surf Ski Open. Both athletes, renowned in the sport, showcased exceptional skill against a strong international contingent.

Race Highlights and Champions

Hayley Nixon, the reigning ICF ocean racing world champion, and Sean Rice, a 2013 world champion, demonstrated their prowess in favorable conditions. Lanzarote is also set to host the 2021 ICF Ocean Racing World Championships.

In the men's competition, Rice secured his win by finishing just over a minute ahead of Germany's Gordan Harbrecht. Spain's Esteban Medina took third place, approximately five minutes behind Harbrecht.

For the women's race, Nixon delivered a consistently strong performance, leveraging her experience to fend off a persistent challenge from Spain's Judit Verges, finishing over two minutes clear. France's Angie Le Roux secured third place, less than a minute behind Verges.

Multi-Stage Format and Victories

The competition was structured into three distinct stages, with overall champions determined by combining results from each leg. The initial and longest segment covered 17 kilometers. The second stage was 10 kilometers, and the final leg spanned 13 kilometers.

Rice won two of the three men's stages, though Harbrecht claimed victory in the final leg. Nixon, however, achieved a clean sweep in the women's event, winning all three stages convincingly.

[go to the magazine: paddleworldwide]

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