Paddle Australia, in partnership with Paddle Queensland, is pleased to announce that the Vaikobi 14 Beaches Ocean Race will be the Australian Ocean Racing Championships in 2024.
Set to be held on the Gold Coast on 2-4 August 2024, the Vaikobi 14 Beaches Ocean Race will also crown the 2024 Paddle Australia Canoe Ocean Racing champions.
In 2023, more than 200 paddlers took part in the 14 Beaches Ocean Race, with the 2024 event set to be bigger than ever.
The course spans the length of the Gold Coast, with the start slated for Snapper Rocks heading north across an 18 kilometre course, set to finish at the iconic Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club. If conditions are northerly, the race will start from Pelican Beach on the Gold Coast Broadwater with a 16 kilometre downwind paddle to finish at Kurrawa SLSC.
Paddle Australia CEO Phil Jones said: “Paddle Australia has a key role to play in the development of ocean paddling and ensuring that there is an appropriate pathway in place for all paddlers,” Jones said. “We recognise that this needs to remain a focus to ensure the discipline continues to grow. We welcome the active role that our State Paddle Associations, including Paddle Queensland, are taking in supporting this development.
“We have received strong support, both during the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships, which Paddle Australia hosted in Perth, and more generally, for a single event Australian Championships, consistent with what is on offer in the other disciplines for which Paddle Australia has responsibility. We recognise that the Australian Ocean Racing Series (AORS) meets the needs of those wishing to participate in a series of events.
“We are excited to announce that in 2024, we will be working closely with Paddle Queensland to deliver the PA Canoe Ocean Racing Championships as part of the Vaikobi 14 Beaches Ocean Race on the Gold Coast. In recent years, this event has grown to become a staple on the ocean racing calendar, and we look forward to crowning the Australian Champions at this year’s event,” he said.
Paddle Queensland Chair Julian Norton-Smith said: “Paddle Queensland is looking forward to continuing its investment in Ocean Racing and crowning the Paddle Australia Ocean Racing Champions in August!”
For more information on the Vaikobi 14 Beaches Ocean Race – click here