By Kyle Terwilliger
Variety News Staff

THIS Saturday Guam’s best OC1 and OC2 paddlers will put their skills to the test. Saturday will feature the longest race of the year and will test the paddlers’ deep water skills and paddling fitness as they make their way from Matapang Beach in Tumon to Nimitz Beach in Agat. Teams of two or four will attempt the 30 mile race in the brutal West Side Relay.
The course features beach change points along the way, eliminating the need for chase or escort boats for each team. The first leg will run from Tumon to the Hagatna Basin, this 4.3 mile leg is familiar territory for most of the paddlers as they train in these waters daily.
From there the two best surfing runs take off going from Paseo to the beach at USO in Piti. After another change the 3rd leg will race past Magundes to the tip of the Glass Breakwater at Apra Harbor. Slipping around the point, the paddlers usually have to pay for their fun by heading upwind to Family Beach.
New for 2007, a leg inside the harbor will go from Family Beach across the harbor to the Marianas Yacht Club beach and back again. The penultimate leg is the longest and usually the toughest, depending on conditions. After getting pushed out the harbor mouth, the paddlers turn left at Orote Point and head towards Agat and the 5th change point at Inn on the Bay. The paddling along the cliffs and deep water swells at Orote is breathtaking, the line taken from there on is crucial as the wind and swell conditions can vary greatly and open water experience will make the difference if the races are still close. After Inn on the Bay, the last leg will finish at Nimitz Beach, Agat.
Show time in Tumon is 7:00 am, with race day registration at Matapang Beach; the races will start at 8:00 am sharp. There will be medals awarded to the paddlers who finish in the top 3 in each division, based on the 3 OC1 events held and all paddlers who completed all the events will receive a special completion award.
For further information contact race Director Rick Appleton via e-mail at svcmgr@carsplusguam.com.