Just another DW? Caroline & Alison 2013

The start to DW was fairly average along the canal to the 1st portage at Wooton Rivers.

It was a bit weedy, a cold head wind and all the normal features of Easter weekend on the Kennet and Avon Canal. The support crews arrived at the scheduled places and the paddlers made good time on their planned schedule. The usual feeding and other support tasks happened when needed.

Abbie helped her mum sort out her clothing after the 14.8 miles.

It got dark just before leaving the canal and arriving at Dreadnaught Reach near Reading. Caroline and Alison had made better time than expected. The feeding and addition of clothes went smoothly.

Having Dave and Taal pick up the "difficult to reach" Sonning Lock made the support a little more complete than is sometimes possible, so everything was looking good for the run down the Thames, especially as there was still strong flow.

Don't ever relax and think how well it all seems to be going ... they were late at Marsh lock ... from 20 minutes up on schedule, to 15 minutes down is the kind of late that brings a big tight knot to the stomach of supporters ...

Much later, at Boulters Lock a supporter for another crew doing their first DW asked, "So how are your crew doing?"

Hmmm better sound optimistic, but non-committal.

"Yeah OK! Yours?"

Phew changed the subject!

Well it would have taken too long to explain the detail to someone who hasn't been around DW for a few years and there really wasn't the time. We both had our jobs to do.

Standing there in the dark, straining my eyes to spot them, with that big knot of worry still in my stomach, it hit me!

"OK? What was I talking about OK?"  They were doing far better than OK! They were amazing!

How can you describe it when the two paddlers you are supporting have been cold all day despite more layers of clothing than most of us possess; have been very sick, probably due to the disgusting things they were encouraged to eat; have endured the head wind, sub-zero temperatures and strong currents all DW paddlers had faced this weekend; are out there on the dark, swirly river having swum in the Thames in the dark ...?

.... Oh yes! Better not mention, that in the process of avoiding another boat being swept across the river by the incoming weir stream just below the islands at Sonning, "my crew" had swum! Thanks to Howard and  Warren (crew 345) two passing canoe paddlers, who came to their aid, they were soon on their way to be met by us at Marsh Lock ... late! Did they pack in after the swim? Did they even suggest it? No! A bit of a delay for few more clothes and slightly lower seats saw them on their way with the determination that had got them that far. "My crew" were doing OK.

"Your crew .../my crew ...," now those are strange things to say! They've done the punishing training. They are out in conditions most people would consider part of a nightmare and despite setbacks that would have added many people's names to the "retired" list in the results, are carrying on at the same pace they started. No, I am most definitely "their support." They are most definitely better than OK ... and this was by no means just another DW!

Did I mention the rudder? No? That broke at Shepperton after 97.3 miles. It needed a cup of coffee from an official to unfreeze the wingnut that released the remains of old one, but Dave had still changed it for the spare one from the boat it in less than 5 minutes.

After a minor confusion over GMT/BST (why do cars and phones have to automatically update?) they sprinted from East Molesy to Teddington and caught the tide only 41 minutes later than planned. That was after swimming, changing seats, adding clothes, stopping to be sick, changing a rudder, coping with icy portages, having a thick layer of ice on the deck ... they are amazing ...

... and they crossed the finish line in 24 hours 33 minutes 12 seconds. The time doesn't tell the story, the words don't and nor do the pictures.

Thanks to Ollie Harding for this picture just before the finish line

Let's just say that I will be honoured to be allowed to support them should they think of doing it again.

Juniors in print

Funny how the media think that Paddling and rowing are the same thing. The Shape Up Nottingham fitness campaign comes to watersports, or perhaps it is the other way round. So far the weather has not encouraged anyone to try paddling on a Sunday or Friday. Perhaps when the weather picks up a few more people will give it a go.

Good quotes from Richard and Harriet ... not sure about the other one!!

Lincoln 2008

Perhaps because Lincoln is in a northern corner of the Midlands region, there seems to be a myth that the weather for the Lincon marathon is cold, wet and windy. A quick look at the photos from 2007 shows that this was not the case then and apart from a steady breeze, not the case in 2008 either, as you can see from pictures from this year's race.

This made for a near perfect start for some of our newer Lightning paddlers to venture into their first race away from the club. Like other canal races, it's a good course for Lightnings, with tow-path access for the entire length, plus a excellent vantage point at the end of the Brayford Pool.

They obviously enjoyed themselves despite only a small number racing from a few clubs. Numbers this year mark an increase in the Lightnings entering Lincoln, so let's hope this is a trend. Well done to Max, Harvey & Olivia. Lincoln were generous in their allocation of prizes, so cups all round.

At the other end of the scale, Rex had a good race coming 2nd in Div 4.

Mick enjoyed the Div 5 race, coming ahead of Mark from Gailey for a change, but as can be seen from the photo, caught by Matthew, a young lad from Burton, who had started in the Div 6 race, a minute behind!

Lincoln is one of the marathons in the Midlands that incorporates real hazards as a challenge, rather than streams of red and white tape on false portages. This adds to the interest not only for the paddler, but the spectator. Of course you have to do the 8 or 12 mile course to enjoy the succession of low bridges, but long may races like Lincoln survive un-homogenised, with their own character.

In the combined divisions K2 race, Norman and Cathy managed to come both first and last, much to the distress of the finishers and the results compilers.

Not wanting to miss out on the low bridges and the extra 4 miles, they finished the short course, but then carried on to do the most interesting bit of the race and crossed the finish line for a second time! No extra points I'm afraid Norm, the Hasler Race Management system has difficulty in allocating points equitably anyway, without people attempting to get two lots. Nice try though!

Thanks to Julie for the photos. Maybe more to follow.

Full Results http://www.marathon-canoeing.org.uk/results/Lincoln2008.htm

Friday Night Round the Bridges

Considering that this was the first week for a while that the Trent has been back to normal summer levels for Round the Bridges, there was a "thin" turnout this evening. An added dimention of the Nottingham Water Festival offered a few extra hazards, with boats moored in odd places, a continual stream of narrow boats & rather too many little rubber boats wizzing round to make paddling above Trent Bridge a particularly pleasant option.
To add to the distractions of loud music & assorted boats, there was a noticable downstream breeze. Des, Tom, Tim & Shobhanaa were the main participants in the time trials, with Tim recording a PB of 6:18. Kath, Laura, Alice, Ricky & I did a steady paddle to the Sailing Club, with all the juniors showing the results of having trained with Beth C on Tuesday nights. Their technique & speed shows real progress & they have all made the transition from Lightnings into full size K1s without any difficulties.
Kath, Ricky & I opted to do a couple of times Round the Bridges when we got back from our "long warm up." Kath did a season's best, while Ricky & I managed a PB each. Ricky is now on 7:36, while I went 3 seconds faster than my PB set in 1984 with a 5:47!
Thanks as always to Dave for the timing.

Clifton & more high water

The weather looked & felt summery, but last night's Clifton Time Trial was done on winter level water again. Cathy & Martin, paddling together for the first time were the only PB, but Baggy & Alison deserve a mention for only being a couple of seconds short of theirs. Numbers were slightly depleted & most people opted for K2 or a White Water boat. Some turned at the Toll Bridge including Beth C who took Ricky, her one & only junior paddler in a K2.
The other juniors all turned in good times, with Shobhanaa & Lizzie doing a time that would have probably meant a PB at normal summer levels.
Well done to everyone for just being there.

Friday night

A stiff upstream breeze together with the rising river & persistant drizzle, made conditions more like those expected in November than July. NKC was almost deserted, apart from a brief appearance from Matt F, the only ones putting in a session in the absence of Dave to time Round the Bridges, were Wes, Mick, Kath, Sobhanaa, Beth, Sarah & Ricky who ploughed through the waves on the way to the Sluices & surfed back to the club!

Saturday - "The Expedition"

Shobhanaa & Beth steered excellent courses despite the extremely high water & the weather was the best we have had for several days. I can't add anything else, except the evidence!




Photos Sarah & Mick

Friday

A few people braved the conditions. After the violent thunder storm, it was only the real enthusiasts turned out for Round the Bridges. Beth, Shob, Rex, Alison, Norman & Tom started off, while Tadek & Zyggy paddled to the Toll Bridge before returning to join in. The river was full of debris & flowing fast. The new "cruising hotel" that has joined the Nottingham Princess, throws up a large wash & that just added to the general hazards. Beth seemed to enjoy it all, except for the weed that kept building up. Norman decided that discretion was the better part of valour & used a Trimmer, while Alison resorted to swimming at the downstream turn. However, she was the only one who managed a PB at 7:18. In view of the conditions, it won't be long before she is sub 7 minutes.

Friday evening.

It was an evening for lolling around in an open canoe with a bottle of chilled wine & a few strawberries or something! George's course members seemed to find the cool Trent water inviting and swam instead of paddled around.
Surprisingly there was not a flood of casual paddlers, but there were still a few over energetic paddlers who did Round the Bridges with Norman, in the absence of Dave E, who is currently in Denmark with the National Marathon Team.
The river bank was ringing to the strident tones of Nigel as he tried to squeeze a millisecond or two faster time out of Michael, so The Lightning & Junior group paddled out of earshot to Wilford Church & back, before a few of them were infected with an excess of energy and had a go at Round the Bridges themselves.
The most notable performance was from Megan who took 3 minutes off her Personal Best without any shouting from Nigel. Tadek also gets a mention for a PB, which he managed in near silence!

Tuesday Night

There were 36 doing Clifton time trial last night plus 4 on Beth C's session. It was the best part of the day & conditions were nearly ideal.
Fastest was Matt F on 36:00 minutes & Hayleigh was only 2 seconds short of her PB. Marysh was on track for a PB, but opted instead for a swimming demo outside the rowing clubs on the way back! For the rest there were 10 PBs
Beth & I took 40 odd seconds off ours & moved into the fastest Vet/Junior slot for this year. Kat/Gilly improved theirs & are now the fastest Ladies K2 for 2007. Mark H from Leicester, going faster all the time did a PB & has the fastest Junior K1 time so far (36:27). The other PBs were from Alison, Nick/Phil, Craig/George, Norman/Cathy from NKC plus Matt/Tom & Alex from the Leicester juniors. It was good to see the Leicester lads down again.

The earlier races in the day were in pleasant conditions, so Beth & Sarah got the most benefit in the Girls D K1 500m.


After 10:00, conditions made photos impossible. Mentions need to go to Hayleigh, Ralph, Laurence & Pete. Good to see Pete back racing in Masters C after all these years. See http://www.weykayak.co.uk/Sprint_Frame.html for the results.

May Regatta - Saturday

Well it certainly made up for being a scorcher at the April regatta. The photos from this weekend were mainly taken during gaps in the rain or from the shelter of a coat, as the Girls D K1 1000 metres shows.

My weekend was dominated by coming 2nd to Howard in Masters B K1s, although I can blame the result in the 5km race on a snapped rudder line. The 2nd lap without a rudder was not quite so much fun as the first. All of them were enjoyable races though. Thanks to Beth for the photos.
Mine isn't the only repair needed though. Shobhanna's was slightly more out of the ordinary. It highlights the need for proper weights, as the splits in the bottom of her boat that opened like a gaping mouth, were the result of the bag of stones under the seat pushing through. She actually deserves credit for finishing 4th in her 1000 metre final carrying half a boat of water.




Alice fitted a few races into her busy life, before heading off to play football for Notts. She was probably most pleased with the Girls D K2 she did with Beth, but did the Girls Lightning A race as well.

May Regatta

Saturday - My first race on Saturday was a K2 which I paddled with Alice. The heat was definitely the worst conditions of all the races I did over the weekend, the wind made it very wavey. However, it was nothing I hadn't seen before and Alice didn't seem to mind either! She was great to paddle with, really up for it and I hope she enjoyed it and will race again. We came 4th in our heat and final.
K1 wasn't bad either, I can't actually remember where I finnished in the final, 6th or something, it seems like ages ago. At least I didn't crack a hole in the bottom of the boat like Shob with her stones to weigh her boat down(sorry Shob!).
Sunday - The most memorable thing about Sunday was the rain, you'd think that canoeists wouldn't mind getting a bit wet but it does make paddling less appealing.
Thanks Sarah for probably the most fun race of the weekend - we finnished 6th in final 1.
So overall, the weather did not dampen spirits, thanks for the cakes Kath, they were fab as ever, hope you had a good birthday Mick.
Next weekend is Nottingham Marathon so cross your fingers and it will brighten up a bit :)...
Beth x

Clifton Time Trial

Although it was sunny, the strong upstream wind made the water fairly choppy for tonight's time trial. It was cold on the fingers too. With Beth C away, all the juniors paddled in K2, either with us old fogies, or together, with the exception of Craig. The 6 minute group seemed to be where the action was, with most of them finishing within seconds of each other.

Lightnings & Beginners

It was cool & blustery for the Friday evening session. Several Lightning paddlers again chose Round the Bridges, while the rest went for a paddle down past TS Orion. This week, going fast was on some people's minds & after shortening the downstream bit, Laura, Tadek, Ricky & Ben chose to have a go at Round the Bridges. It was the first time for some of them.
For a Friday, the river had been unusually busy with rowers. 2 eights going fairly fast, side by side, chose the same moment to pass under Trent Bridge, that the Lightnings plus a junior were trying to negociate the turn round the bridge. The result was increased times while they waited for the eights, with the exception of Ricky, who had already managed to turn. The rowers have obviously changed their routine, as this is a fairly rare occurence for Friday's.
It was good to have so many down despite slightly less than ideal conditions.

April Regatta 2007

Well, I've known regattas held up by a number of weather conditions over the years that HPP has been open - snow, high winds, thunder storms - but fog is unusual. The water conditions were perfect - glassy smooth, but not a race was to be seen for the first hour & a half of Sunday's racing. The hot sun later, more than made up for it & by 10:30 on Sunday, most people had forgotten the reason that racing was delayed so long! Go to http://nkcgallery.blogspot.com/ for a reminder.
Cathy Howell was one of the first Nottingham paddlers out on the corse for the Saturday events.

Over the 2 days there were some interesting results. Jonny Schofield, whoever he is, popped out of White Water & stirred up a storm in the 200 metres with a course record. Ed McKeever/Ed Cox in the K2 managed the same, but that was more expected. Tim Brabants did what was expected of him in the 1000 metres & replicated it in the 500 to the visible annoyance of Schofield. Most other paddlers in the world would have been fairly pleased to have been 2nd to Tim, given his form over the past few years.


Other Nottingham paddlers, such as Lucy Wainwright & Shuna Braithwaite returned good performances with Shuna promoted back to Women's A. Ralph Baker & Richard Winstanley managed a first & second in the K2s. What a pity that Ralph couldn't manage his heat time in the final! Get a full pdf copy of the results from http://www.weykayak.co.uk/Sprint_Frame.html

The junior Girls D results may seem a little disappointing till you look at the promotions, many of which should have happened at the September regatta, but for the weather, or been done by knowledgable team leaders during the winter as they were asked to.

Delete the promoted entries & the finals would have been more like a Girls D race than Girls C. The same was true for Boys C & D.

Rex Littlewood's Masters A K1 500 final was so close that the naked eye could not work it out. Sadly Rex was just 2nd. Although what's to be sad about a good result! I managed a 2nd in the 1000 and appeared to come 3rd in the 500 of Masters B until the Richmond paddler failed to turn up for boat weighing leaving me 2nd on the results. The most enjoyable race for me though, was the Masters K4 5Km National Champs, where good pace & tactics from Rex helped Norman, Baggy & myself cross the line 20 seconds or so ahead of Lincoln. Funny that we all thought that it would be the Reading boat that gave us a run for our money! Just shows how much energy the Olivers with Andy Grimwood & an imported paddler can still summon up!

Clifton & high winds

Strong winds yet again contributed to last night's time trial. Nobody did PBs, in fact most people were just glad to get it over & done with. The novelty of paddling in daylight has worn off, what we want is some warm sunny evenings with no wind. The juniors put in a good showing with 4 paddling & one timekeeping.
The highlight of the evening was the bellowed conversations after paddling. In fact the wind from the hair dryers was stronger than the one outside & twice as loud. No doubt Dave will add a few £s onto the membership fees for habitual culprits

Back to Winter!

Who said spring was on it's way? The lumpy bits near Clifton & The Flats say different! The girls, the old men, Cathy & Kath did the farmhouse session last night. The river was down, but there was a cold upstream wind. Geordie thought I was soft, wearing pogies. I thought Ralph was soft, doing a paddling machine session. Ralph probably thought all those who didn't turn up at all were soft! Michael, Norm etc. are really the only hard ones - they did Beeston!
A few others were out doing their own thing, but I expect it was winter where they were too.