In brief: Sonni Hönscheid has shown she’ll be very hard to stop in the hunt for The Paddle League World Title this season, taking out today’s Quiksilver Waterman Carolina Cup and recording her second straight victory after a similarly-dominant display in Tahiti two weeks ago.

Despite going up against one of the strongest women’s fields ever assembled, Sonni was in a class of her own today. She reeled in the fast-starting Fiona Wylde after the first mile before breaking away 30 minutes later and paddling the final eight miles solo. The German powerhouse crossed the line three minutes clear of impressive runner-up Olivia Piana while Fiona was all smiles in third.

There were fantastic performances right throughout the field, with most competitors describing the conditions as “fun” despite the grueling nature of the ‘Graveyard’ course. Strong north-east winds whipped up solid downwind bumps for the final three miles, with hometown hero April Zilg looking strong in fourth place and fast-finishing Seychelle rounding out the elite top five.

More to come…