Well, here we are at the start of another decade with bright prospects ahead despite the cold weather. In fact a brass monkey popped his head round the door and asked if anyone had a brazing torch. Already the weather has had the effect of cancelling a Marathon Team training weekend but no doubt there will be a replacement in the planning. Please keep a watch on the marathon web site.

Anna Hemmings MBE

I suppose the really good news at this moment as I write in early January is that Anna Hemmings has been awarded the MBE. Anna’s fantastic performances started back when she was just 15 and raced so memorably to 5^th place at the World Marathon Championships at Amsterdam in 1996. Since then there have been six Marathon World Championships and two Olympic performances to say nothing of many others in senior World competition. Her place on the ICF website as the epitome of Marathon paddlers says it all. Congratulations to her with this well deserved recognition of greatness.

Dean Terry

Congratulations to Dean for being voted Junior Canoeist of the Year 2009. His trophy will be presented to him at the April regatta at HPP.

2012 Olympics

The Olympic Games in London are now only two and a half years away and as you will know the Slalom course is already under way. For the sprints the upgrading of the Eton course is also starting. It is a pity that British Canoeing will see little or no legacy from this site despite the strength of this aspect in the original bid to the IOC. It is expected that the slalom course will however bring added benefits to canoeing with a world class course closer to the enormous centre of population that is Greater London and its surrounding area.

Sprint Committee Meeting

The sprint committee has met recently and there has been much discussion about the inclusion of the mini sprints in the HPP programme. The programme has become increasingly congested with a real problem of timing. Hence a reminder of minimum standards for all classes at national regattas will be made at each Team leaders meeting. These standards only reinforce the need for more regional regattas to prepare paddlers for national regattas.

A review of the Mini Sprints to be undertaken end of 2010 season and one proposal to be considered for the Mini Sprint series is that it will be reduced to crew boats only in 2011.

The original and current plan for these National Regattas is that only paddlers of a suitable speed standard should be taking part. Hence the standards set out in the yearbook. There should be regional regattas put on by clubs or regional organisations to develop the beginners paddling skills to the point where they can meet the standards and compete at the correct level for a national regatta. The balance between providing the correct amount of races for all club and GB squad paddlers is a difficult one to reach. There are many different opinions as to what is correct. At the end of the day the SRC must make a decision. However nothing is cast in stone and if there is a good reason for change and it becomes obvious that arrangements are not working then more changes will be considered. We have only two days for these regattas and with the changes that the ICF has made to the Olympic and World Championship programmes incorporating all the events is not easy.

ICF Board Meeting in London December 2009

Below you can see the announcement that the BCU made following the ICF Board meeting held in Windsor at the beginning of December.

“This weekend the British Canoe Union hosted the International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) Board of Directors meeting, which was held in Windsor.

One of the key issues were changes to the Olympic Programme, where the Men’s C2 (canoe double) 500m event has been replaced by the women’s K1 (kayak single) 200m.

In Canoe Sprint, the World Championships will follow the same programme as the 2008 and 2012 Olympic programme with the addition of three 200m relay races, the 5000m races totaling 27 events.

The Women’s C1 (Canoe Single) has been added as an official full medal event. The Women’s C2 (Canoe Double) 500m will be kept as a demonstration event, just as it was in the 2009 World Championships in Dartmouth Canada.

Para-canoeing will have 12 events in next year’s canoe sprint world championships. The application to include Para-canoeing into the 2016 Paralympics will continue.

Also in Canoe Sprint, the board approved a new compulsory world cup format that reflects the new world championship programme. Within that organisers can have optional events such as long distance races, Para-canoe races and relays.

In Canoe Slalom, the Women’s C1 individual and team events will be added to the World Championships as full medal status. The World Cup Series has been extended from three competitions per year to four, plus a World Cup final and this will start in 2011.

In the non Olympic side of the sport, there is the potential of Surf ski joining the ICF umbrella. 
2010 will see exciting developments in the sport, including bidding for three ICF world cup events (with the development of universal rules).

 The Board approved a Classic Canoe Marathon Series and in Dragon Boat, the ICF Board ratified the inclusion of the ten seater Dragon Boat in the ICF World Championships. 

Paul Owen commented,

“ These changes will help canoeing continue to move forward. Making the women’s C1 a full medal event is a good step towards making our sport equitable.”

No doubt you will have your own opinions on the various changes that are quite far reaching. Well if you have then please put fingers to keyboard and let the rest of us know what those opinions are.

Part of the package as you can see is the effective deletion of 500M in the Olympic programme putting 200m in their place. This will increase the emphasis on this event that has not been one of the strongest here. That is all set to change and this should be interesting to see.

Marathon Items

The Classic Marathon series is in formation with the principle approved. The rules will be completed at the ICF Canoe Marathon Meeting in February and no doubt will be issued soon after the ICF Board meeting in April. At this stage the intention is to have a series of “old fashioned” classic long distance races like the Dusi, DW, Sella and the Gudena. It will be for individuals and not national federations. More later after the ICF meeting.

The inclusion of 5K racing in international Sprints has raised something of a problem as this again makes inroads into the time available at the regattas. It is unlikely that these events will be included in the regatta programme. However the BCU Marathon Committee is organising a 5K series. The plan is to have two such events in each region over the course of the 2010 season. However the reason behind the marathon 5K series is quite different to the sprint programme. The intention is to help paddlers deal with the bumpy water off the start and get to the front of the pack. In addition it will deal with the techniques of group racing. All of this is to raise the standard of marathon paddling for the major internationals and from there down through all the divisions.

Anne Ferguson

Ross Warland Canal Challenge

Now in its ninth year, The Ross Warland Canal Challenge was set up in memory of 21-year old Ross, a dedicated young paddler from Banbury and District Canoe Club, who tragically died of bone cancer in 2000.

In its first few years, the race was a 26-mile, one-way race, from Thrupp (near Oxford) to Banbury, and was largely supported by members of the club and ‘enthusiasts’. However, in recent years, the race has become a 20-mile, there-and-back race, paddled either straight through or in two, or four ‘legs’ as a relay – and it has begun to attract a loyal following, from all over the country.

Paddlers come from as far afield as Norwich, Maidstone and Fowey, to take part in a race with a unique atmosphere. Some are top, distance paddlers who complete the course in under 3 hours; others, often almost total novices, just want to take part, and work in teams of up to four boats, struggling to finish within the 5-hour race ‘window’. Few seem to be there to win prizes – focussing rather on beating personal bests and settling old scores (!) – and the mood on the water is one of encouragement and banter, rather than cut-throat competition!

Equally unusual is the fact that the race fee, of £5, is only there to cover costs and encourage participation, refreshments for paddlers and their supporters are provided free; and donations are invited for CLIC Sargent, the charity that gives such wonderful support to families living in the shadow of cancer.  

This year’s race, on 29^th November 2009, saw 175 paddlers, of all ages and abilities, brave the horrendous early-morning rain, to turn out and race. The K1 straight-through honours went to Aaron Jordan of Maidstone, in a record-breaking time of 2.41.20, while the winning K2 team of Jean Watson and Richard Lovell (independent) completed the 20-mile course in just over 3 hours. In the K1 relay, first prize went to Mark and Jack Childerstone of Wey, who finished in 2.48.56; and the K2 relay winners were Albert Hicks (Norwich) and Matt Robinson (Cardiff) with Oliver Rix (Norwich) and Tom Deacon (Addlestone), in a time of 2.46.57. The mixed K1/K2 race was won, in 2.41.35, by James Webster (K1 – Bradford on Avon) and Vicky and Adrian Croucher (K2 – Wey).

Banbury would like to thank all those that have supported the race, this year and in the past, and to extend an invitation, for next year, to anyone who fancies having a go! We can’t promise good weather, but we can promise a bacon butty and a warm welcome!

You May Be a Racing Paddler if... (2009 edition)

1. You have a Pavlovian response to phrases such as "Are you ready?" and "

    Attention!"

2. Your feet have year round “flip flop” tan.

3. You can identify the make and model of a kayak on top of a car from a quarter

    of a mile away.

4. You are utterly unable to find your car in a car park if you have removed the

     v-bars.

5.  When you go swimming you get changed in the car park.

6. You have a pathological hatred of anglers and rowers.

7. When teaching your young children road safety, you refer to the pavement

     as "the bank".

8. When teaching your daughter to drive, you tell her to break in/out of the traffic.

9. You describe your house as being on road right.

10. You refer to non-paddlers as “civilians”.

11. Your choice of chocolate bar revolves around how waterproof the packaging is.

12. You watch a leaf bobbing down a stream and you start to pick out the best lines for it.

13. All career, personal, and financial decisions are judged by the criteria of 

     "How will this increase my paddling time?

14. "Waterproof" means "a little damp" or "might-float."

15. Red boards on the Thames are seen as  an invitation.

16. If you live in a town with a river running through it, you give street directions

      with descriptions like "upstream of the ..."

17. When adjusting the seat in your car, you automatically reach for the wing nut.

18. If someone mentions "First Aid Kit" you visualise a roll of duct tape.

Dom Murphy

National Sprint Regatta Changes

A brief outline of the main changes to the National Sprint Regattas programmes for 2010

The largest event of the year, the ‘Inter-Club National Competition’ for the MacGregor Paddler will, in 2010, be held over the weekend, 3^rd & 4^th July.  Closing date for entries, Wednesday 16^th July.

The ‘Open & National Championships’ has a changed of name and moved to the last regatta of the year,
4^th & 5^th September.  Closing date for entries, Wednesday 18^th August. 

All races are ‘Open’; regardless of nationality medals will be awarded up to the first 3 places, depending on a minimum number of competing boats.

The National Championship title and trophies will be awarded to the best placed British National competitor, as described in the BCU Sprint Racing rules. 

April, May & June National Regattas are the main selection events for our international teams. 

At these 3 regattas, for Men’s Kayak A/B, Canoes A/B & Women’s Kayak A/B, a 5Km race for single boats will be available and some 200m races will be run on both Saturday and again on Sunday.  In addition, Junior Kayak, Boys A & Girls A, will be offered a race over 200m in K1’s & K2’s.

New Classes for Women competitors:  Two new classes for Women’s Masters in additional to Women’s Canoes classes have been recognised; please refer to the Racing Standard chart for the required times for National Regattas. 

Men’s & Women’s Masters’ races at the ‘Open & National Championships’ (September) Regatta will be in age groups.

Race Entry fees:  £5 per seat, for everyone, Senior, Junior and the Mini Sprints.

Late entries for everyone will be an extra £1.50p

For the Mini Sprint Series:

The minimum times required have been increased; again please refer to the Racing Standards chart.     

Entry amendments and/or late entries will be made only by the Club’s Team Leader at the Team Leaders meeting, in the same manager as all other club entries; there will be no separate Mini Sprint meetings. 

Crew boats can either be entered as a complete boat or a seat as part of a composite crew boat.  

Some of the Coaching sessions will be noted on the regatta timetable.

A limit number of Hody K2’s are available at national regattas, seats in these boats should be booked at the time of making the entry or it will be assumed that your are bring a your own Hody to use.

Paddle-Ability: Entrants will race over 500m on both Saturday and again Sunday in both single and doubles. 

200m races will still be held on Saturday.  

Some of the above changes are as a direct result of suggestions from you the paddlers, others because of the recent changes made by the International Canoe Federation to the international Sprint Racing programmes for the World Championships and World Cup competitions. 

Essential reading for more details on these changes and all the necessary information, date, contact details etc. for sprint & marathon racing the ‘BCU Canoe Sprint & Marathon Racing Handbook for 2010’ is expected to be available at marathon events from early February, such as the 1^st Waterside 7^th Feb or it can be ordered by post.  Orders to Diane Bates, Lester, 11 Cranley Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 5BX:  cheques payable to BCU Sprint Racing Committee for £.6.50.

Best wishes for an enjoyable and successful year’s sprint racing in 2010.

Cathy Wynne

STANDARDS FOR RACING

K1 / C1 times on a fast course

Promotions (P) and demotions (D) are possible on 1000m, 500m, 200m and marathon results. The handicap (HC) is the number of seconds longer that it takes to paddle the distance a zero paddler covers in one minute.

Thanks to all the contributors for this issue - Cathy Wynne, Graham Warland, Lisa Stone, Dom Murphy

Happy New Year to you all

Alan & Christine Laws