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False Bay Inflatable Boat Club members, Marc Gleed (pilot) and Chris Vos (co-pilot) both from Somerset West, excelled at this year's Rat Race Media Trans Agulhas Inflatable Boat Race from Plettenberg Bay to Strand, winning the Best Team Award and finishing second in the modified class and second overall in the race. An ecstatic Marc Gleed told DistrictMail on Tuesday that this was the third year he had competed in this gruelling 700 km race and the first time he had finished.

"In the 2004/2005 race I had to quit at Glentana due to chest injuries and in 2006/2007 I was again forced to withdraw due to neck injuries in Stilbaai.

"I was taking no chances this year and in preparation we completed the entire trip during October and November, checking out the beaches and stops along the way and this helped a lot," Marc said.

Before turning his hand to inflatable boat racing, Marc raced Formula Fords both locally and in the UK for about eight years. He won the SA Championships in 1996 and received his WP and SA colours in the sport.

In 2001 he switched to inflatable boat racing looking for a new sport and an exciting new challenge and in 2006 received his WP colours for inflatable boat racing.

Marc and co-pilot Chris Vos (who competed in his first race this year) are sponsored by PSPG Property Development with co-sponsors FNB and Bond Choice.

"Everything went very well in this year's race except for the last day from Hermanus to Strand, when we had electrical problems and could not go flat out, but by then we had done enough to secure second place in our class and second place overall."

When asked what the toughest leg of the race was, he immediately said from Mossel Bay to Stilbaai, despite the fact that they won that section. He added that the most enjoyable section was the night race in Struisbaai.

Marc's brief description of the race is: Day 1: (Plettenberg Bay to Mossel Bay - 182 km) Third - good run without problems; Day 2: (Mossel Bay to Stilbaai - 81 km) Winners - but toughest section of the race; Day 3: (Stilbaai to Struisbaai - 178 km) Second, but only two beach stops on long, monotonous stretch; Day 4: (Struisbaai to Hermanus - 136 km) Third overall, but big surf at Pearly Beach and Uilenkraalsmond and Day 5 (Hermanus to Strand 126 km) Third. Water flat until Hangklip then choppy all the way to Strand.

Another local team from the False Bay Inflatable Boat Club who excelled in the race was the team of Eugene Vorster (pilot) and Bobby Torr (co-pilot) in their Wild Africa Cream Boat who were second in the Standard Class Blueprint.

Another all Strand team of Francois van Wyk and Brandon Thirion, sponsored by Marlow Trio Transport/Java Cafe, were first in the Blueprint Class.

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