If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn about the folk around here is that nothing seems to be much of mission. Maybe it’s just Tamassa staff and the organising crew for The Island Shamaal, but I am tres impressed by their work ethic. And this is still Africa, on top of being an island in the tropics- yet there’s no such thing as idle. There’s certainly no frantic panic or rushing around, heaven’s forbid, but at the same time, there’s almost nothing that cannot be done, accommodated or achieved. Going to try taking some more of that home with me…

Today was a postcard-typical day on the island. Hot. Windless. B.E.A. Youtiful. A little too hot for this paddler who melted under the sun, but that at least gave me ample opportunity to stop and look into the depths of the blue, blue sea and what do you know: I could see the bottom! Torquoise blue; and this at about 1-2kms other side the outside reef!

The race, like everything else here, was well organised and went off perfectly. A couple folk paddled all the way inside the reef to Le Morne, the rest, in the deep blue, negotiating the reefs going out at Tamassa and in at Le Morne. A couple of war stories and swimmers amongst us, but all in all, safe and sound. When you have close to 100 paddlers stretched over miles across the Indian Ocean, and they all get home in one piece, you’ve had a great race!

And don’t be fooled by all the paddling stories from the Island Shamaal. This place is the quintessential family getaway. Of course, the ocean paddling bit is a major drawcard for some of the more athletic (and I use that term very liberally) dads and moms out there. Not all of us will paddle every day, let alone once a week, but we can paddle and if we get the chance to, we’ll jump on any excuse to spend time in the sun on a downwind. And there’s no place like Mauritius. And if you’re South African, you can proudly come and visit our own piece of tropical paradise here in Africa.

So, pre-race done, and tomorrow’s a rest day (for most) with the main race on Saturday, it’s time to go and explore the island a little with the family. Should have booked 10 days…

Oh and don’t forget, a small sample of photos here and a GPS track of the paddle here