So now that sunday is looking way better then Saturday does anyone know if they might make a call to change the days?
Most people i know have booked sunday night flights so it would be fair to get best conditions.
Looking forward to it :)
x angie
Sunday looking the go for sure that's not even paddling just get blown there good luck on those skinny boards this could be smoken Think there's a option for the best day this year I am sure Deans onto it 
Interesting forecast for Sunday. 38 degrees and a 30 knot seabreeze followed by a 37 degree day monday. Sure you Wa guys will know best but sounds a bit odd. ( for an old poley that's spend many days up and down the west coast)!
I know what you mean Scotty, often when it gets up around the high 30's the breeze doesn't kick in very strong.
However Sunday certainly looks like the pick to me, I hope they are flexible, it was rather frustrating at the Nat's that they couldn't change days around.
I am sure they would like to get the race out of the way on Saturday and that's what things would be in place for, I guess it is just a case of how hard it is to change things with permits, barges etc.
Given Sunday is forecast to have more south in it and stronger than Saturday i don't know how much fun it would be for the first 11km, that would mean A LOT of left side paddling just to make the fairway buoy. Easy enough if they take the buoy out or even move the finish to Mullalloo!
Catch lots of right hand runs early let the lefts go or you will not make the midway mark Or put a rudder in your 14 before the weekend
I hope for all the crew racing that they actually take into consideration the forecast over the 2 day window this year to get the best conditions for the race, rather than advertising a 2 day window and then (like in 2012) running it in pitiful conditions on Saturday when the Sunday forecast was good, apparently because some people had booked to go home.
Select to expand quotestimo said..
Catch lots of right hand runs early let the lefts go or you will not make the midway mark Or put a rudder in your 14 before the weekend
Going right will be a nice change for once.
We didn't have to go around the Fairway Buoy last year, only the Centaur Marker which is much easier to make but yeah it still could mean a bit more LHS paddling on Sunday.
ww38.satelliteview.co/?e=-31.863958,115.71873:0:Centaur%20Reef,%20Australia:map:0
How good would it be if we could just go Rottnest to Mullaloo, it would make it over 30k's and the direction would be unreal.
The call for Sunday will be much easier to make this time Angie, Dean has been actively advising late Sunday nite fly outs and most people I know have booked late flights Sunday, so it's more likely to be a real option this year.
However, I think the option would only be taken if Sat was a complete dud and even a delayed start time wouldn't improve things. Calling a Sunday is very risky, then you have no other options if the forecast turns out to be wrong, the race then has to run in whatever conditions eventuate. At least the Fremantle Doctor is pretty consistent, unlike a lot of other race locations.
Even if Sunday turns out a big Southerly and you still race Saturday, think about the fun to be had running the coastline Sunday if you're up to it providing you didn't over do the beers Saturday nite. 
see ya there.
Select to expand quoterambooc1 said...
The call for Sunday will be much easier to make this time Angie, Dean has been actively advising late Sunday nite fly outs and most people I know have booked late flights Sunday, so it's more likely to be a real option this year.
However, I think the option would only be taken if Sat was a complete dud and even a delayed start time wouldn't improve things. Calling a Sunday is very risky, then you have no other options if the forecast turns out to be wrong, the race then has to run in whatever conditions eventuate. At least the Fremantle Doctor is pretty consistent, unlike a lot of other race locations.
Even if Sunday turns out a big Southerly and you still race Saturday, think about the fun to be had running the coastline Sunday if you're up to it providing you didn't over do the beers Saturday nite. see ya there.
Yes thats why we booked flights out sunday night as it was made clear that the race could be either day, hopefully the call is made for the day with the best chance of wind!! The joys of running a event hey!
going to be a super fun race either day but bring on the 30knots!!
And don't forget it's fundamentally a surfski race, still fun for the ski's in lighter wind and probably heaps less stressful to manage 400 people on the water in 20 knots than it would be in 30 knots. I'd love the stronger wind but completely understand if it ends up on Saturday despite Sunday being the better day from our perspective. There are heaps of local casual surfski paddlers out there that IMO, would be in all sorts of trouble if it was really full on. I'd be astonished if they made it Sunday...
Lucky Dean is calm, wouldn't wish organising the event on my worst enemy! Two times I've done it the organisation has been faultless from my perspective.
Just wish I'd started training before last weekend 
A question.
if the forecast was reversed and Saturday was the winder day and sunday was lighter would you still then say the same thing and switch it to sunday as It might be safer?
its all good either way but just would love to surf the whole way ruther than paddle.
Yeah, point taken Paul. Not enough experience with the surf ski scene to know what they would do. Just know that 30knots for support boats would be bloody difficult and any rescues from a ski very tricky.
I do downwind in a ski and when it's all going well in big conditions its an absolute blast but in short steep stuff in strong wind if you fall in its very hard to control 6+m of boat to align it with the waves and get back in. Obviously a breeze for the pro guys but for the mom and pop weekend ski paddlers that Im sure make up a large part of the group out there a potential nightmare. A ski taking off and tumbling through the air in big wind is a whole lot scarier than a sup. On a sup even if you lose your paddle you can lie or kneel on the board and prone paddle, there just aren't those options on a ski.
Not trying to suggest it should be a 'nanny' race and I'd much rather 30knots too, just trying to put myself in the race directors shoes, um thongs...
Let's hope they clarify it's the south cardinal marker you have to go around or the next one up?Last year they were calling it the centur marker & some people missed it . Might be easier to identify by using the marine marking sign to avoid confusion.
Select to expand quotestimo said...
Sunday looking the go for sure that's not even paddling just get blown there good luck on those skinny boards this could be smoken Think there's a option for the best day this year I am sure Deans onto
Go for the day it's hottest early at rotto[ as the breeze kicks in hard at Rotto on those days. Don't bet against the forecast changing !
Select to expand quotePhatboy said..
Let's hope they clarify it's the south cardinal marker you have to go around or the next one up?Last year they were calling it the centur marker & some people missed it . Might be easier to identify by using the marine marking sign to avoid confusion.
Last year we had to go around the South Cardinal Marker that is a few K's off Trigg (and often referred to as the Centaur Marker as it marks the South end of Centaur reef), I think a few guys had a bit of trouble making it last year but as long as you didn't allow yourself to head to far North early on it was fairly easy.
I only did the race for the first time last year so only had to go around the South Cardinal and didn't have a problem, but I believe in previous years you had to go around the Fairway Landfall which is more like halfway between Rottnest and Scarborough and requires quite a lot of LHS paddling early if the seabreeze is in fairly strong.
Good luck everybody. Down south so not at beach this year. Sat looks a better call.
Forecast for Saturday 18 January
Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots tending east to southeasterly during the
morning then tending southerly 15 to 25 knots during the day. Seas: 1 to 1.5
metres, increasing to 2 metres during the afternoon or evening. Swell:
Southwesterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning.
Forecast for Sunday 19 January
Winds: East to southeasterly 15 to 20 knots turning southerly 20 to 30 knots
during the morning then tending southeasterly 20 to 25 knots during the
evening. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 2 to 3 metres during the
afternoon. Swell: Southwesterly 1 to 1.5 metres, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres
along the coastal fringe during the evening.
Just saw on the ocean paddler website that the race has been confirmed for Saturday.
Good luck and have fun one and all!
Anyone have any updates on the SUP start time? All's quiet on the OceanPaddler site....
We'll have a few mid-race updates on SUPracer.com. I'm not in Perth so I'll just be getting updates phoned in from the lead boats.
www.SUPracer.com/2014-doctor-results/
Jake and Beau took an early lead round the first marker followed by Jacko and Sam.
Pic from Ocean Paddler right before the start...
My money is on Beau and Terrene for the win but I reckon local paddler Will Lee will surprise a few people. He's only been paddling a few months but there's hardly anyone fitter or who paddles as hard. Hope all have a safe and fun race.
Just got a few mid race updates. Still Beau in the lead while Karla is out front for the women.
More details here:
www.SUPracer.com/2014-doctor-results/
Karla and Ang in a tight battle, Karla has a slight gap (maybe 50 metres) but they're going on the same pace.
Beau and Jake are virtually even, however Jake is on a line much closer to shore. Jacko on his own in third, while Marcus Tardrew is only 50 metres behind Sam Parker in the battle for 4th.
Probably 3-4kms to the finish.
More updates here: www.SUPracer.com/2014-doctor-results/
Jake Jensen WINS The Doctor 2014
Just crossed the line about 300 metres ahead of Beau, after pulling away in the closing stages.
More updates: www.SUPracer.com/2014-doctor-results/
Karla just won the women's race. Sounds like it was a pretty good battle most of the way between her and Ang.
Tight battle in both the men's and women's races. In the end Jake pulled away and won by just over two minutes, while Karla by just under one.
1st: Jake Jensen (2:17:02)
2nd: Beau O'Brian (2:19:06)
3rd: Paul Jackson (2:20:26)
4th: Sam Parker (2:25:52)
5th: Marcus Tardrew (2:27:04)
1st: Karla Gilbert (2:39:49)
2nd: Angela Jackson (2:40:38)
Posting the times as they happen right here: www.SUPracer.com/2014-doctor-results/
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