KNYSNA NEWS -  The annual Knysna Summer Splash Festival was back in full force this year on Friday 30 December with their second edition since having to take a break due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020.

Held every year in late December and organised by the Knysna Rotary Club, the Knysna Summer Splash Festival comprises two events – the Knysna Rotary Open Water Swim and the Quack Attack Duck Race. 

The former consists of three different swimming race distances in the estuary, all beginning at the Knysna Yacht Club, while the latter is a race between 1 000 rubber ducks in the channel to the Knysna Quays from the Knysna Waterfront.

The swimming race is co-organised by the Knysna Aquatics Club, and each distance (450m, 1,65km, 3km) had a different start time. 

The 3km went first and Christiaan Hattingh was first to finish in a time of 37:26:17; Stefan Steyn was second (37:33:25) and Louis Woodgate was third (37:56:30). Keila Manthe was the first lady, finishing in a time of 39:51:19 and sixth overall; Carina Bruwer was the second lady (41:54:11) and eighth overall and Amelia Manning third (43:30:15) and ninth overall.

Next was the 1,65km race and Manfred Lambrechts was the overall winner there, finishing in a time of 20:53. Stefan Swart was second overall with a time of 21:37 while third man to finish was Luke Scott (21:37) who was fifth overall.

 First lady was Carina Bruwer, competing in her second race, and she finished third overall in a time of 21:09. Ane Meier was the second lady and fourth overall (21:18) and third lady Maric de Roubaix was 10th overall (22:00).

In the 450m race the results weren't split by gender, and Emma Hunter was first to finish in a time of 08:52; Mickayle Boshoff was second (08:58) and Le Roux Heunis was third (09:20).

In the duck race, members of the public are able to 'adopt' a rubber duck for the race and if their duck wins the race then they win a prize of R2 500. The ducks are split into two heats of 500 ducks, where the top 20 are collected to compete in the final of top 40 ducks. First prize went to duck number 897 that belonged to Daniel Coetsee; second was duck 931 adopted by Rob Carlisle; third was duck 594 belonging to Juleah Reiner; and fourth was Maria Mani's duck 457.

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