South Africa’s national ocean racing squad departs this week for La Vila Joiosa in Spain, carrying a clear institutional mandate: defend the country’s status as the world’s leading ocean-paddling nation at the ICF Ocean Racing World Championships from October 9 to 11. Responsibility for that assignment rests with team captain Dawid Mocke, the veteran surfski figure whose stated objective is to return the team trophy to South African hands for a fourth consecutive championship, alongside a collection of individual titles.
The stakes for the national programme are considerable. At the 2025 World Championships in Durban, the South African team retained its team title on home waters, and the squad now travels to Alicante province with a roster loaded with current and former world champions. Mocke, a household name in international surfski paddling, brings an almost unmatched depth of international racing experience to the leadership role, having served as a long-standing competitor, coach and ambassador for the sport. Despite that stature, he has never won an individual world championship title, though he is a four-time World Series champion.
The composition of the team reflects a deliberate blend of established champions and emerging talent, nowhere more visible than within the Mocke family itself. In what is believed to be a first for the South African team, Dawid Mocke will compete in Spain alongside his son Samuel, who lines up as the defending Junior World Champion.
The senior men’s team carries extraordinary championship pedigree. Nicholas Notten and Kenny Rice are both former senior world champions, while Uli Hart is a former U23 and mixed doubles world champion. Hank McGregor, whose career ranks among the most decorated in South African paddle sport, arrives with the ambition of adding an ocean paddling crown to his multiple World Championship marathon titles.
The women’s squad is equally formidable on paper. Reigning world champion Kira Bester arrives in exceptional form and will be joined by Jade Wilson, a former U23 world champion, and Melanie van Niekerk. The depth extends through the younger age-group categories: Saskia Hockly is a former U23 and current Mixed Doubles world champion, and Holly Smith is also a former Mixed Doubles world champion. Together with a potent group of emerging junior paddlers, they underline the breadth of talent within the South African programme.
The competitive environment, however, has shifted. Emerging European nations, most notably Spain, Portugal, France and Germany, are all investing significantly in the development of their ocean racing programmes, a trend that raises the bar for any defending nation. Host nation Spain will be among the most motivated challengers. Australia, led by current men’s world champion Cory Hill, remain perennially strong, while New Zealand and the United States will contend for medals.
The full South African delegation spans six categories. The senior men’s team comprises Nicholas Notten, Kenneth Rice, Ulvard Hart, Hank McGregor and Dawid Mocke. The U23 men are Matthew Rory Coetzer, Luke Le Roux and Matthew Coetzer, while the U18 men are Samuel Mocke, Ryley Smith and Keegan Vogt. In the women’s events, the senior team consists of Kira Bester, Jade Wilson and Melanie van Niekerk; the U23 women are Saskia Hockly, Holly Smith and Nicola Harcus; and the junior women are Isabella Strydom, Alayah Krogscheepers and Hanna Solomon.
For the sport’s national structures, the championships in La Vila Joiosa represent both a test of continuity and a measure of whether South Africa’s development pipeline can sustain its dominance against increasingly well-resourced international rivals. The answer will be settled over three days of racing on Spanish waters.