Waterside A Race Report

Twenty one Richmond paddlers represented Richmond on Sundays Waterside A race going from Great Bedwyn to Newbury, covering 14 miles and 21 portages. In the junior race, Freddy Purcell surprised everyone by not crashing out half way down and just missed out on a bronze by 27 seconds in a time of 2:08:13, finishing just in front of Michael Laverack 2:08:13 (6th) and Nick Romain 2:18:03 (8th). A good effort by the junior contingent. The mixed race also saw Will and Poppy Flanagan miss out on a bronze finishing 4th in a time of 2:06:01.

The men’s K1, Gert Van Deventer finished 10th with a very respectable time of 1:59:22 while fellow South African, though Richmond bred, Paul Hayes finished 15th in 2:16:06. The senior men’s double race saw Richard Hendron and James King take an unexpected swim but still finish 2nd in a time of :1:43:09 beaten to 1st position by Elmbridge paddler and current world champion Ben Brown paddling with 6th times former world champion Ivan Lawler. Further down the field brothers and newcomers to paddling, James and William Bakewell stormed home in 2:24:43, a very respectable time considering their boat and limited paddling experience. Well done to all those attended a great effort by all.

(Picture below from www.paddlepics.co.uk where you can see and buy photos)

Pas-de-Calais International Regatta 30th January 2011

Rebecca and Alison - 1st and 2nd in Girls 2000m!

DW Umpires/Marshalls needed!

We're had a request.

Interested in helping out over Easter? We're looking for umpires/marshalls to help with the Devizes to Westminster Canoe race over Easter - on the Stages (4 day) event and the straight through race. This year we may have crews doing a 'daylight run' on the Sunday as well so we're very keen to have more help. Please let me know if you are available and interested. Contact Guy Dresser dwchiefumpire@hotmail.co.uk or via Facebook.

Luzmore Race 9th January 2011

Race Results here.

Adult Improvers Group

Jim Mullany and Gary Coulton have set up an Adult Improvers Group starting at 9.30 on Saturdays. This group draws on the Saturday Adult Beginners group (Coach Peter Barnes) as well as anyone else with confidence on the water The Improvers Group offers the faster and more stable developing paddler the opportunity to learn the techniques they will need to improve and achieve their personal objectives, whether this be racing or just improving. There will be a monthly programme of three weeks where we will mix various race exercises (intervals/pyramids and races to places) with a range of technique routines. A maximum of 12 paddlers will be taken each week and the group split into speed sub-groups as appropriate. On the fourth week Gary will take a maximum of three paddlers for dedicated paddling technique coaching. As a guide you will need to be in Div 7/8/9. National Handicap: 28-36 or Glovers time: 6.50 - 7.30.

Any changes to the schedule will be noted on the Club Site.

Richmond Marathon Results

Thanks to everyone who made the journey to Richmond for our Hasler Series Marathon. Full results or try the scrolling results. Look forward to seeing some of you at the Luzmore on 9 January.

Hasler Final Report

We were a ‘dignified’ 12th out of 29 clubs at the Hasler Finals on Sunday 10 October.

To put it in perspective we had 20 paddlers - 12 singles and four doubles across 11 different classes. We were 5th last year with 35 paddlers and 14th in 2008 with about 15. For a few years before that we only had a handful of paddlers at the Final.

Two of the clubs placed below us in our regional qualification were in the top four yesterday [Elmbridge 2nd and Wey 4th]. That proves that we have a very strong racing region. But it also suggests that if we could more of the paddlers who took us to top place in the regional table willing to commit to the Hasler Final we could get a top three finish.

There were some great performances yesterday – including Lizzie’s 3rd place, Sean and Paul coming 3rd in Div 3 K2, Marco in C1 and Alison & Rebecca [until they broke the rudder]. But to succeed we need the volume of paddlers that Banbury, Norwich and Elmbridge can field.

Membership Renewals Starting Saturday 16th October.

Our new club membership year starts on 1st November 2010 and I have now completed all the renewal forms (amounts are calculated pro-rata for those who joined the club between November 2009 and September 2010).

I'll be handing them out at the club on Saturday morning (16 October) and if you bring your cheque book with you on that day you'll be able to get your next year of happy paddling sorted there and then.

It's also a great opportunity for me to put faces to the names and answer any query you may have.

I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Your membership secretary, Coralie

Canoe Training Day - 16 October 2010

Marcus Gohar will be hosting another Canoe Training Day on 16 October 2010 at the Club. It's an excellent opportunity to try and improve your canoe skills. More details. .

Exercise & Nutrition Masterclass

The Exercise and Nutrition Masterclass with Dr Graeme Close will be at 19.30hrs on Thursday 14th Oct. No need to book. Just turn up and enjoy.

A Great River Race Success

Congratulations to the mainly Richmond CC ITN London Tonight - Donal McIntyre / ITN London Tonight who came 50th, and the Richmond Paddlers / Red Ten (entirely Richmond CC), who were the first Bell Boat in the Great River Race on Saturday 26th September. Great to see the club out on the water.

Forward Paddling Technique Course

Gary Coulton is running another Forward Paddling Technique Course starting on this coming Saturday Sept 25th for four Saturdays. E-mail gcoulto@yahoo.co.uk

Limited places left. Course classes start at 09.00 sharp!

Royal CC Paddling Challenge - 2nd October. New Format - Details Here

Women in Canadian Canoe Training Days

Marcus wants to spread news about a Women in Canoe Training Day on Saturday 18 September at Longridge Canoe Club. It's sure to be a very useful day with a group for novices and a group for intermediates / advanced. See the poster with full details including booking information.

Racing Roundup 4th and 5th September

National Sprint Championships, Nottingham: Medalists

Brendon Stead, 2nd Men's Senior A K1 200m

Rebecca Killip, Girl's Under 14 - 1st K1 1km, 1st K2 1km, 1st K4 1km, 3rd K1 500m, 1st K2 500m, 1st K4 500m

Alison Martin, Girl's Under 14 - 1st K2 1km, 1st K4 1km, 1st K1 500m, 1st K2 500m, 1st K4 500m

Emily Romain, Girls Under 16, - 3rd K1 1km

Harry Wells, 1st Under 10 K1, 3rd Under 12 K2, , 3rd Under 12 K4

Joe Killip, 3rd Under 12 K2, 3rd Under 12 K4

and...

Liffey Descent, Dublin Ireland: Richmond podiums - Brett Irvine and Kenlea Murray, 3rd place Senior K2,

Gert Van Deventer, 3rd place Senior K1, Sean Martin, 1st C1.

Corrections / additions / amends - wjmartin@mac.com

Richmond Qualify for Hasler Finals

The club has qualified for the Hasler Finals to be staged in Worcester on Sunday 10 October.

To date, 36 Richmond paddlers have qualified to race, having competed in the minimum 3 races required. Another 28 members need one just more race to be able to represent the club in these National Finals. And another 53 could still qualify to take part if they do two races by the end of August.

The only races left in the Hasler qualifying season:

• Tonbridge, Sunday 22 August
• Longridge, Sunday 29 August

Details for both races will be on the notice boards and around the clubhouse on Saturday and a list of all paddlers who have qualified or could still represent us will be on the Marathon Racing notice board.

The National Marathon Championships - Richmond padders power to success!

The National Marathon Championships were held this weekend at Chester. What can we say? Six Gold medals. Four National Champions!;

Richmond's 2010 National Champions:

Lizzie Broughton - Senior K2 and Under-23 Ladies K1

Ben Killip - Under-16 Boys K2 (with Jack Childerstone of Wey)

Rebecca Killip - Under-14 Girls K1 and Under-14 K2 (a spectacular double)

Alison Martin - Under-14 Girls K2 (with Rebecca)

It is particularly exciting is that all of our new Champions are 'home grown' talent who have risen up through the Richmond ranks

of coaching with Trevor, Tim Middlehurst, Roxanne, Alex, Liz, Zosha and co.

Other podium finishes - Richard Hendron and Lizzie Broughton, 2nd Mixed K2, Joe Killip, 3rd Under-10.

Double Double: Rebecca Killip savors victory in K1 before racing to retain the K2 title that she won last year!

Ben Killip whoops on the line. A risky early break at a portage paid off as this pair maintained their solo break to win.

Double Gold in the ladies was not enough for Lizzie who joined Team Hendron to take silver in the mixed.

Tactical pack racing - these girls are thirteen years old and can probably out-manoeuvre most seniors!

The outside wash was was not a problem at the last turn, Rebecca and Alison made advantage from disadvantage and exited the turn with a clear water lead.

Sprint and Marathon Canadian Canoe Training Days

We've got some Sprint and Marathon Canadian Canoe Training Days coming up in the next couple of weeks. Sessions are open to all so whatever your ability or goal, please come along on Sunday 11 July starting at 10am. Full details.

Sella and Liffey

As per last year, there will be a team of paddlers heading down, and then up to take part in the Sella and Liffey descent races. If you are heading down and would like to arrange transport for your boats (and possibly a small amount of kit which Ryanair would charge you your left arm to carry), email Paul Hayes. for those who have tentatively booked a spot, please could you confirm with an email.

Richmond at Royal

Richmond paddlers had more paddlers than any other club at the Royal Marathon on Sunday 13 June and performed brilliantly with first places for Lizzie Broughton (Div 4); Will Abson (Div 6); Marko Csokasi (C1) (Div 7); Dennis Houston (Div 9) Oliver Waszkiewicz (U12 Lightning); Joe Killip (U10 Lightning).

In K2 we had Andy Ferris/Michael Lavarack (Div 5) and Neil Camp/Martin Fitzimons (Div 6).

Other notable performances include Sam Hyman (3rd in Div 2); Dylan Todd (3rd in Div 4); Rebecca Killip (7th in Div 5, and highest placed junior female).

Given rough water, there were some capsizes - Emily Romain, Frances Merry and Richard Melik - but in the best Richmond tradition no retirements!

Other paddlers - Rob/ Paul (with broken T bar); Peter/Andrea; Coralie/Ian; Maggie/Oliver; Kim/Tracey; Mike/Alison; Ian; Rob; Liam.

Next race is Wey Marathon on Sunday 27 June. Narrow and winding, but just as rough in places because of the large number of boats. Options for all abilities. Contact Peter B or Trevor at the club if you want details or would like to coordinate on transport.

(Thanks to Peter B for the report)

Launching the new Alexis Gohar Club boat

Our training boat, the Alexis Gohar, was damaged in an accident last year and had to be written off. The boat was donated by Ramsey Gohar and his family in memory of his dear son and club member Alexis.

We're pleased to say that the club boat has now been replaced and we would like to re-launch the new Alexis Gohar.

We would like to invite all club members to join in a small ‘hand over’ presentation at the club on Saturday 26th June at 13:30 at the clubhouse. Ramsey and some members of the family will be attending. There will be light refreshments and drinks and of course free motorboat trips around the island.

Please do come if you can.

Adult Beginner's Course Bookings Open

The next Adult Beginners Course starts on Saturday 3rd July. Bookings open on Monday 14th June. To find further details and booking forms visit Adult Beginners Course.

Royal Marathon

it's the Royal Marathon this weekend. If you only race twice a year this is the second race you have to do (the first being our own race in the Autumn). For those that don't know Royal is just above Teddington lock so very easy regarding transport. If you haven't raced yet, ask Peter B, Trevor or any other old faces around the clubhouse how the division system works.. Full marathon at www.royalcanoeclub.com.

London Youth Games 2010: Richmond win Canoe Sprint Regatta!

Pictures: HERE

Sunday 20 June - Tour 23 - Pulborough to Pullingham Quay – River Arun

The Tour Group's next trip is a picturesque paddle along the River Arun, which in addition to including fine paddling has a stop at a pub on the way back. Sounds excellent. Full details.

Saturday 29 May - Twickenham Regatta - Be Careful and Considerate

On Saturday 29 May it is the Twickenham Rowing Club Regatta. The event timetable has races scheduled from 8:15 through to 15:00. It is going to be very busy. Please be considerate to the event and the boats racing on the day. And please be careful when crossing the river from one side to the next. Based on the advice of your coach, it would be sensible to carry out training outside of the course of the race.

New Launch Spotted

See the sleek lines, the carefully crafted bodywork, the hidden power... that's a new launch boat your admiring. Official launch boat launch party coming soon. Meanwhile enjoy this fine image.

Basingstoke Canal Canoe Race

It was Basingstoke Canal Canoe Club Race on Sunday 15th May with large numbers on all start lines, creating a great atmosphere in the choppy water.

A few results to ponder.

• Neil Camp - Div 7 K1; 6th out of 25; promoted to Div 6
• Kerry lewis (junior) - Div 9 K1; 11th out of 36
• Sean & Alison Martin - Div 4 K2; 5th out of 7
• Elizabeth Sangouard/ Valentin Balaschenko- Div 8 K2; 5th out of 9; first race for both
• Jorg Herwanger/ Peter Barnes - Div 6 K2; 5th out of 12
• Oliver & Maggie Berchtold - Div 6 K2; 9th out of 12

Jemima and Justas/ Angela also paddled.

Next marathon race: Royal Canoe Club, June 13th.

Thanks to Peter B for the report. Keep sending them through.

BCU Sprint Regatta Nottingham

Despite the less than ideal conditions, Richmond paddlers had a successful weekend at the May Regatta on the 8 & 9 May. Congratulations to the following who achieved promotions.

• J Henman to Boys A
• A Martin to Girls C
• S Martin to Masters B
• B Soregi to Mens B

A full list of results at www.weykayak.co.uk

Adult Beginner's Course

The 29th May - 26th June course is now full. Bookings for the next course will open in mid June, the exact dates of the course will be published on this website in early June, together with the date that bookings open.

Bedford Hasler Success

Emily and Nick Romain were competing at the Bedford Hasler event yesterday. Emily came 1st in K2 with Marthe de Ferrer and Nick came 4th. Congratulations to all.

Marathon Effort - New Champions

While many of the club celebrated our phenomenal DW performance, several juniors were taking part in the London Marathon as juniors.

• Jack Killip – 13th, boys 15-17
• Tom Daborn – 48th, boys 15 – 17
• Florence Taylor – 53rd, girls 15 – 17
• Rebecca Killip – 1st, girls 11 – 12

Impressive performances as ever, and another national champion at the club.

First Tour of the Season - Guildford-Godalming

First tour of the season is heading out on the River Wey from Guildford to the picturesque town of Godalming. Sixteen miles in total, with great paddling and fine company too - what more could you wish for.

Full details, alongwith trip dates for the rest of the year, and if you want to join the group get in touch with Jim Mullany.

DW Success Celebrations

After the great success of our DW squads, it's time to celebrate. 7:30 at the Clubhouse on Saturday 24 April. See you there.

Richmond CC in DW

In addition to the fantastic Senior Doubles performance (from first place all the way through the field), Richmond also bagged a few other class victories.

Lizzie Broughton won the Senior Ladies prize in the Singles. Ian Lavarack won the Masters prize (over 50) in the Singles and Sean Martin won the C1 prize in the Singles.
Richmond also won the Singles team prize.

And finally, see Richard Hadron (sic) on ITV London Tonight. Richard Hadron - our very own particle accelerator!

DW - 1-3-5, and great results in all classes

Congratulations to Richard Hendron and Jim King for winning this year's Devizes Westminster Senior Doubles with a time of 16 hours 20 minutes and 24 seconds. Richmond paddlers bagged third (Piran Shelley and Russ Dawkins, 17 hrs 46 mins) and fifth (Rob Stainsby and Paul Hayes, 18 hrs 24 mins and 20 secs) in a very impressive club display.

Congratulations to everyone else who took part and to those that made the finish line. And of course to the support crews (both before, during and after the race).

Some great results in the Stages race as well.

Fifteen boats finishing in total. Incredible performance. Frances Wetherall has mined the DW results page to get a full list of Richmond's Club results (thanks Frances). If you've got picture links send them out through the Yahoo Group.

See www.dwrace.org.uk and click on Race Progress if you want to look at the results in more detail..

Easter Sprints Results

Thanks to everyone who made it to the Richmond Sprints. The weather was cold, wet and windy, but a great day of racing. Here are the results.

Easter Weekend - No Junior Session

There will not be a midday Junior Session on Easter Saturday due to the club's involvement in the annual Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon. There will be a Junior Session the following weekend as normal.

Adult Beginner's Session - Bookings Open

The first Adult Beginner's Course of the summer is starting on Saturday 17th April. Bookings are open from Monday 29th March. See Adult Beginner's Course for more details.

Summer 2010 Tour Group Schedule

The Tour group have been scouring the maps looking for a summer of entertaining trips. Take a look at the RCC 2010 Tours, and get in touch with the organising team if you want more information or to join a trip.

Cleaning the Clubhouse

Due to personal reasons our cleaner was not able to clean the Club today (Friday 19 March) as usual. Normal service will be resumed next week. In the meantime, if you'd like to pick up a broom, mop, or any other cleaning device, feel free.

Devizes Westminster Looking for Officials

Are you a senior canoeist? Parent of a canoeist? An ex-DW paddler?  The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race organisers need help umpiring the event over the Easter weekend. Help is needed on both the Senior (straight through) and stages (4-day) race. Familiarity with the race and a calm but authoritative manner is what matters. Please contact Guy Dresser if you're interested and available - gacd (@) hotmail.com

Waterside C - Brrrr!

Perhaps it was the fact that the canal had frozen in large parts that a hardcore of just 12 Richmond paddlers made it to Waterside C. Twenty three miles and 35 portages is normally enough of a challenge especially when that includes the 500 metre pitch black Savernake Tunnel and the mile-long Crofton flight to portage.

On seeing the canal at Pewsey Wharf frozen, many of the more technically minded paddlers held back, starting later hoping that the earlier boats would clear a path through the ice. No such luck and the ice remained firmly in tact for all of those at C to enjoy. The thickness and resilience of the ice meant a very long portage of over 5 miles, from Pewsey Wharf to Crofton flight with the ice only clearing in between for the tunnel! Paddlers were left with no choice but to don running shoes and incur sore shoulders.

Lizzy Broughton showed she was built of tough stuff winning the K1 ladies in a excellent time of 4:02:25 - a full 43 minutes ahead of the second place female K1.

In the senior K2 race, four Richmond doubles competed the fastest being Russ Dawkins and Piren in a time of 3:39:34 finishing 3rd. Henry Hendron paddling K2 with Freddy showed his true metal by not wearing shoes, which probably explains why he was seen limping round Richmond the following day! They finished 5th in a time of 3:49:12. Paul Stainsby & Rob Hayes finished 7th in a time of 3:54:56 and broke the habit of the last few weeks by not swimming. Ed Higgins and David Woodcock cruised home in 21st position in a time of 4:28:25. In the mixed K2 Robert Hall and Hannah Moore-Barton finished 15th in 4:42:41 while in the senior mens K1 Richard Hendron finished 4th in a time of 3:26:25.

Two weeks from now, 21 March, it's Waterside D - a snip at 35 miles. See you there.

(From R Hendron - thanks Richard)

Richmond Canoe Club AGM

The 2010 Annual General Meeting will be held at 13:30 on Saturday 27th March 2009 in the Clubhouse.

All members are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there. Many thanks.

Richmond Easter Sprints 2010

The popular Richmond Easter Sprints will be going ahead as usual on Friday 2 April. Full day's racing with seasonal prizes awarded. Full details and entry form.

First Aid Course at Richmond CC

This is to advise you that there will be a FIRST AID course at the club on MONDAY 8 MARCH  &  MONDAY  15 MARCH, and will start at 6.15pm and finish at 10.30pm. The gym area will NOT be available for use, on both these days. If you can arrange your training before 6.00pm, that’s fine, but we will need all the space and  a quiet room to complete this course.  

This course is for club members and there are some place still available, please contact Liz Pearce for further information.

Waterside C:

This weekend's action is the slightly stinging Waterside C, the 23 miler with 35 portages - Pewsey to Newbury. Easy compared to the final 34 mile monster that is Waterside D. Have fun out there!

Rob and Paul in action at Waterside B on sunday - Picture from Paddlepics

WATERSIDE SERIES Race Info and Results HERE

Thameside 1

Over 30 Richmond paddlers turned out in force for Thameside 1 on Sunday. Racing from Aldermaston Warf on the Kennett and Avon Canal finishing 12 miles and 13 portages later on the Thames at Reading. Notable finishes included R Hendron & R. Dawkins 2nd in the senior men’s K2, in a time of 01:35:20 followed by Paul Hayes & Rob Stainsby 3rd in a time of 01:40:04. Finishing 9th in the men’s K2 was Richard. Melik and Terry Sunderland in a time of 02:00:32. The veteran K1 saw Ian Lavarack finish in 6th position in a time of 02:00:38. In the Veteran K2 field Steve Farleigh and Roger Crawford stormed home in 6th position in a time of 01:53:56. Will Abson and Klaydia Galuka finish in 7th position in the mixed K2 in the time of 01:50:53. The casualties of the race were Tamlyn Quibell and Neil Camp race who were forced to retire due to ruder failure.

Next week is Waterside B, Newbury to Aldermaston and back, 17 miles and 19 Portages.

Richmond Paddlers back on the international scene!

Three of our Juniors were recently selected for the GB Development Squad and last week they travelled to France for an international regatta at St. Laurent-Blangy. The Richmond trio were Josh Henman - the big lad, Ben Killip - the frighteningly fast 14 year old and Emily Romain, who almost shares a surname with her boat. It is a great credit to the serious development work being done with our club juniors that our lot were right up there with some of Europe's best. Emily was powerful in the 800m final, taking third place. A short race with a turn half way, her result shows that Richmond paddlers can take a bit of rough and tumble in their stride. Josh was the fastest, taking 6th place in the U16 2000m final, while young Killip ripped the under-15 field to shreds, winning by a huge margin. Well done to all three!

Ben Killip receives his medal, and some flowers!!! Those French, eh!

Saturday Afternoons / Adult beginners sessions

As planned, these sessions have now stopped until April. Those remaining Adult beginners/improvers who have been attending regularly can join Peter Barnes' sessions at 9.30am on Saturday mornings. If you have not been attending regularly, or recently, you may not be at a sufficient skill level to join the Saturday morning group. For more information, please speak to Jemima and/or Peter on a Saturday morning or e-mail lovekayaking@googlemail.com.

LUZMORE K2 Race - Race went ahead as planned, over a revised course due to flooded rollers at Molesey. Results HERE

Well done to all who braved the terrible river conditions, and also to all those who had the wisdom to know the conditions were not for them.

No incidents, no swimmers or accidental weir-shooters - proving that canoeists are both tough and clever!

Click Picture for Race Details

LONDON TO BRIGHTON BIKE RIDE

Sonia is entering a 'team Richmond' into the London to Brighton Bike Ride. The ride is aimed at raising money for British Heart Foundation, so ideally you should try to collect some sponsorship. It is approx a 52 mile ride down to Brighton. Some of us will cycle back as well. The ride is on Sunday 20th June, so you have plenty of time to get some serious training in.

Please contact Sonia asap if you are interested in coming along. This ride is hugely popular and places go very quickly. She is only able to get entries in this month as she has priority entry.

Here is the website for more info: London to Brighton

2010 Racing Calendar

We've got the 2010 Racing Calendar so you can fill your diary with unmissable race dates for the year ahead. It's at the top of the home page for reference throughout the year.

Christmas Training

Trevor has provided a training plan for the junior groups that runs up until the 23rd December staring at 10am daily. There will be no training from 24th to 1 January, wiht the first session of 2010 being at the normal time of 9.30am ON THE WATER on Saturday 2nd January.

Normal club training sessions will not be running on Saturday 26th December unless your normal coach has specifically organised something.

For Juniors in particular Trevor is recommending running once a day over the Christmas break, to  keep ‘ticking over’.

Happy Christmas and here's to a competitive 2010.

Galley - Steve Bedford, and request for more volunteers

Steve Bedford will now be volunteering in the Galley on the 3rd Saturday of the month (see rota board), cooking food from his organic Devon farm. The usual cakes, drinks and salads will be available. Menu ideas so far are; cottage pie, venison or beef sausage casserole, chilli & jacket spud. Happy to accommodate requests. You can also purchase meat from him on the day, or best to order in advance. Email steve@higherfursdon.co.uk for a pricelist, or check the notice board.

For the weekends that Steve isn't on the Galley, we need volunteers. It's super simple to do - just sandwiches if you can. Contact Karen Q for details.

Think Before Going Out on the River

With Strong Flow boards posted all the way down the River Thames by the Environment Agency (see http://riverconditions.visitthames.co.uk/), please be very cautious about going out on the river if you are any less than 100% confident in your ability on the river. You can have a perfectly good session in the gym.

Luzmore K2 Race - 3rd January - RACE DETAILS

The New Year will be starting with the traditional Luzmore K2 race from Elmbridge down to Richmond Canoe Club on Sunday 3rd January. RACE DETAILS HERE

Do remember to check here before travelling, if conditions are bad we may postpone.

All entries on the day, no need for pre-entries, race organiser Sean Martin

Click Picture for Race Details

Richmond Christmas Party - Tickets Going Fast

If you're hoping to go to the Club Christmas party please get in touch with by email Kim asap. Tickets are running out and we won't be able to sell any on the door.

Thanks to those who have volunteered on the night. We'd still like a few more names so if you're able to help out, please drop me an email.

Thanks

Divisional Promotions

Following the autumn marathon races, these Richmond paddlers have been promoted by the BCU:

Congratulations to all – just four months until your first marathon in the new division. Before then, why not try some longer distances in the Watersides and Thamesides......

Membership Renewal - Bring your Cheque Book Saturday.

As we start a new club year this month, it is now time to renew your membership and rack fees*

To save the club a few stamps and envelopes, I'll be handing out the renewal forms on Saturday 21 November at the club after our group session. Even better, if you bring your cheque book on that day, you'll be able to renew on the spot and forget about it for another year of enjoyable paddling.

I'll e-mail or post any outstanding forms after that day so there is no escaping...

I look forward to seeing you Saturday

Kind regards

Coralie

*Pro rata for people who joined during the last 12 months, I've done all the calculations on your personal form so you don't have to.

Alexis Gohar Mega Session

Further to my previous circular; The Alexis Gohar Mega Session will be happening on Saturday, meet at 9am, faster paddlers in singles, the less speed-endowed in doubles or fours. On Marcus's professional advice, we will be doing Alexis's favourite session, 2km efforts, races to places.

The prize for spotting the error in my earlier tidal calculations goes to me! We will be two hours away from low water, not high. So it will be narrow and shallow, all the more dramatic for this 'event'!  It also means that there will be no other river traffic, not even the PLA patrol boats!

So meet at nine for a preliminary half hour of faffing with wingnuts!

Indoor Ergo Championships

Good luck to the 18 members taking part in the Indoor Ergo Championships at Brunel next weekened (28/9 November). Details of the event. Looking forward to hearing about the event.

Rack Renewal Forms

We have a new rack numbering system in place to help us improve the management of our club and private boat storage allocation. Those of you who come regularly will have spotted the form stuck on the private boats - thank you very much for all who have duly completed theirs.

There are still many racks for which we haven't received a completed form back. 

If you haven't been at the club since 5th October and have a private boat stored at the club then please contact me at  membership@richmondcanoeclub.com and I'll e-mail you a form to fill electronically.

If you come regularly please return your form in the membership box as a matter of urgency (deadline was last Saturday). 

Racks for which we haven't got receive a form back could potentially be reallocated and, eventually, any 'unidentified' boat may be moved to a different storage location

Thanks, Coralie.

Richmond Christmas Party - 12 December

Countdown to Christmas and the Club party will be on Saturday 12 December. We have a limit on the number of tickets we can sell, and they'll be sold on a first come first served basis. So if you want to come contact Queen of Ticket Sales Kim Wetherall as soon as possible.

As those who've attended before, the party is put together by a team of people, and we're looking for lots of people to help with organising the occasion. If you can, pleae email me asap. A slightly less onerous, but equally important is bar duty, and we're looking for people to take a shift on the bar. Again, please send me an email if you can do a shift.

Finally, if anyone can recommend a good DJ for the evening, please let me know.

Richmond Canoe Club – Winter Racing

Now the Richmond Marathon is over the Hasler racing season takes a break until Easter...but there are plenty of racing options for the winter. Hare & Hounds, Avon Descent, Ross Warland Canal Challenge, Luzmore (best way to start the New Year), Watersides, Thamesides and a cracking time to be had by all at Easter with Devizes Westminster. Bet you can't wait for dig out your pogies. Full details.

One Year On - Alexis Commemorative Paddle

On Saturday the 21st of November it will be one year since Alexis Gohar passed away. For Club members who have joined recently, or did not meet Alex he has been a very important person on and off the water to many, many people at the club for several decades.

To remember Alex we would like to combine all the Saturday morning race training groups; the 9 o clock big boys, Trevor's 9.30, Gary's 9.30 and Alex's 10 o clock, and anyone else who wants to join in. We do a proper session, an hour plus of long efforts, races to places or long intervals, Marcus to advise. It could be a massive group and a memorable occasion. We hoep you're up for joining in.

And in true Alex style, the session will be followed by consumption of large amounts of cake and tea.

Ask the coach of your group for the plan.

Avon Descent

If you enjoyed the Liffey, and want more of the same but colder, or perhaps you heard about the Liffey and would like to have a go? The Avon Descent is the thing for you. Full details and entry form.

Position Vacant

The DW Organising Team is looking for a Treasurer for the next year - do you know an accountant who would be willing to volunteer? The job entails monitoring income and expenditure, paying bills and preparing the annual accounts. The busiest times tend to be around Easter and the financial year end (late summer) though the organising team meets every month at the Wokingham Waterside Centre and it is useful if the Treasurer can attend most meetings. No paddling experience necessary. If you can think of someone who could help, please contact Graham Stonehouse.

Richmond Hasler Results

And finally, the results (provisional at this stage), to last Sunday's Richmond Hasler Marathon.

Lights Before Action Please

A quiet reminder (as it's still early in the winter months), that everyone going out in the dark, dawn or dusk is required to have the correct lighting on their boats at all times. Full details are on the PLA notice at the bottom of the stairs in the Clubhouse.

Richmond Marathon - Thanks

Thanks to everyone who travelled to compete in today's Richmond Hasler Marathon. Weather was kind, making for a good turn out, and good racing. We'll get the results up as soon as possible.

Longridge Marathon Postponed

We've been informed that the Longridge Hasler Marathon has been postponed, and will be rescheduled for next year. We'll post details as soon as we get them.

Windsor Marathon Results

A good turnout at Windsor last weekend with 31 paddlers getting to the start on time....and a few more watching the races from the bank.

The Killips make the headlines again with another win in U10 boys for Joe Killip – finishing two minutes ahead of his nearest rival – and a margin of 2 ½ minutes for Ben Killip in Div 4 as he stormed to promotion.

In K2, there was a win for Kent Perry and Andrea Barnes in Division 7 and a second place for Rob Stainsby & Paul Haynes in Div 4. Full results are on the Windsor website.

This weekend is the Richmond Marathon with Divs 7-9, Lightnings and Development races from 10.30am and Divs 6-1 from 12.30pm.  Check-in from 9am with briefings at 10am and midday.

Thursday Junior Session

The Junior Thursday session will be at 5.15 for 5.30 until the end of the month. It may be necessary to do part of the session in the gym, especially in the final week of October.

Canadian canoe coaching day. Suitable for everyone from elite to beginner, including coaches wanting to know more about single-bladed paddling and racing. Saturday 24 October. 9.30 for 10.00 start.

End of Season Party

Richmond Canoe Club end of season party is on Saturday 31 October. Details are up at the Club. Tickets available from Kim.

Richmond Marathon - Sunday 18th October.

We're pleased to provide details of the Richmond Canoe Club Hasler Series Marathon taking place at the club on Sunday 18th October. We have also provided an Entry Form for advanced entries.

Look forward to welcoming you to the Club.

Winter Gym Training

Winter gym training is one of the great things about the long dark nights at Richmond Canoe Club, and welcome to all members of all ages and abilities. Pick your session, and stick it in your diary.

Monday   4 .30—6.30pm  Junior weights
Tuesday   4.30—6.30pm  junior weights
Wednesday  4.30—5.30pm junior weights
Wednesday  6.30—8.00pm senior gym circuit
Thursday  4.30—7.00pm junior circuit

If any other use is required, please could you ask the coaches to contact Trevor so that he can timetable the activity accordingly.

Also, from time to time we have had courses at the club. Please could you ask coaches to keep Trevor in the ‘loop’ to avoid clashes.

Masterclass on Exercise & Nutrition - Thursday 15th October

Next week we have a Masterclass on Exercise and Nutrition (with a bit of sports psychology) presented by Dr. Graeme Close at the Club. 7.30pm Thursday Oct 15th. All members are welcome and there is something to be gained from the MasterClass for all levels (can we fit 400 in at once?).

If you are coming please let Gary Coulton know so we can prepare the space and provide soup and bread as required.

Also, if you have a question in mind that you want to ask Graeme e-mail Gary so that we can prepare answers in advance if research is required.

The promise is to give the best opinion of the current understanding of muscles and exercise but if we don't have the answer we have an extensive network of scientists, exercise physios and physiotherapists who we can ask! So, please RSVP, and see you on the 15th.

Richmond Marathon - Volunteers Please

It's the Richmond Marathon on Sunday 18th October.

Option #1 - race.

Option #2 - volunteer to help either with marshalling, general race duties or on the Galley. Drop Chris Haynes an email and he'll make sure you've got a job.

Option #3 - there is no Option #3. Please see Option #1 and #2.

Thanks for your kind assistance.

Elmbridge Marathon Report

A great start to the new Hasler qualifying campaign with Richmond taking top spot at the Elmbridge marathon.

There were 36 members racing on Sunday; eleven K1s, twelve K2s, one C2 and a C1.  Highlight in the singles races was Marko Csokasi taking hs C1 to second place in Division 9 and earning promotion through two levels to Divsion 7.

In the doubles races; Rob Stainsby & Paul Hayes won Divsion 4, Balazs Soregi & Istvan Domonkos won Division 5 [by 3 minutes] , Oliver & Margarethe Berchtold were winners in Division 8, and Liam Keenan & Richard Melik won Divsion 9.  Other podium places went to Terry Sunderland & Andy Ferris in 2nd place and Russell Burke with Andrea Barnes in third place in Division 8 –where six of the eight crews were from our Club - plus Rebecca Killip and Alison Martin placed third in Divsion 6.

Next race is this Sunday, 11 October, at Windsor.  Full details are on the notice board, on the Windsor website and will be placed around the galley on Saturday.  Then it’s our own race here in Richmond on Sunday 18 October – full details to follow.

Tour Group - Final Trip of the Year

Last trip of the year to take explore some challening new stretch of water in the autumn. Full details.

Sea Kayaking - Planning for next year

As some of you know a group of us had a real blast sea kayaking on the Isle of Wight this month. I for one will definitely be going back there but maybe not until next year. So, that we can be  more inclusive this time please can you let me know (in principle at this stage) if you are interested in a weekend or even a bit longer sea kayaking with the IOW Sea kayak Centre?

There is nothing definite organised yet as this will depend on how many are interested, what is your experience of sea kayaking  (and also flat water kayaking) and what kind of thing you are looking to achieve, a course, touring or a mixture? Based on our experiences this year everyone can achieve 1* and 2* Sea kayak and touring with many also capable of 3*. Note that an ability to do a full 360 degree eskimo roll in a sea kayak is required for the 3* sea kayak certificate. So, if you are aiming for this next year go get some pool time over the winter.

I am afraid that we will have to restrict this to over 18s because of the health and safety and child protection issues.

I stress this is not instead of sprint and marathon racing as that is our life blood but the boat skills we learnt on the sea have already paid dividends in our tippy boats! For those of you heading for coaching awards the sea kayaking 3* in addition to all those you can get locally I would have thought will give you a great platform from which to work for Level 2 Coach.

Look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes. Gary

New Adult Paddlers

We will not be accepting any new adult beginner paddlers at Richmond until further notice (sessions are likely to start again in the Spring; further information will be posted on the club website).

Hasler Final - The Results

Congratulations to all who took part in the Hasler Final at Reading this Sunday – and those who helped us qualify.

Richmond came 5 th in the Final of this national competition, behind Norwich, Elmbridge, Reading and Wey. Thirty clubs from across the country were represented and Richmond had 35 paddlers out racing; 9 in K1 and 26 in K2.

With large fields for every race the starts were fast & furious starts but the water and weather were glorious throughout the day.

The day’s biggest successes were; a win for Ian & Michael Lavarack in the 27-strong field of Division 6; second place in Division 4 K2 for Josh Henman & Adam Mahmoud; and a third place in Division 3 K2 for Sean Martin & Tim Middlehurst.  John Nolan also won promotion to Division 6 for his performance in Division 7 K1. Full results on the Reading Canoe Club website.

This time last year we had just 12 paddlers at the Hasler Finals and finished in 14 th place.  We now have some real momentum building in marathon racing.  In the last year over 135 different paddlers have raced for the club and we have had nearly 400 entries into marathon races.

Qualification for next year’s Final starts this weekend with the first race in our region, at Elmbridge.  And over the next month it’s possible to get enough races in to sort your qualification for next year with races at:

Elmbridge       Sunday 4 October
Windsor          Sunday 11 October
Richmond       Sunday 18 October

Details for each will be placed on the board and around the galley.

(And thanks to Chris Haynes for motivating and organising the marathons throughout the year and getting such a great result. Good job!)

New Pearce Arrival

Oliver Charles John was born at 00.31 on Friday 18th, weighing 7lb 11oz. All fine and home the same day. Abby’s looking forward to introducing Ollie to everyone!

Liz, Mark and Abby

Congratulations to the Pearce family from all at Richmond CC.

Masterclass on Exercise and Nutrition

There will be a Masterclass on Exercise and Nutrition by Dr. Graeme Close (biography) at 19.30 hrs on Thursday Oct 15th at the Club.

The session will be interesting to any member of the club not only the elite paddlers. Graeme will discuss the latest research in areas such as effective exercise regimes for different endpoints, sports nutrition and recovery from injury. As you will see his sports credentials are impeccable.

Rox's Farewell

It's with a mix of sadness, thanks and very best wishes that the club says farewell to Rox for, well quite frankly, so many things. As Rox said, she'll be back. Thanks Rox for the incredible support, encouragement and inspiration you've given so many people of all ages at the club over the years.

Richmond Take 3rd at Interclub Regatta

Richmond Juniors and Masters turned out in numbers and blustery conditions to take 3rd place at this year Interclub Regatta in Nottingham. Full report.

Hasler Qualification Confirmed - Sign Up NOW

The Club has now officially qualified for the Hasler Final.

The points we have won over the last year, at seven regional marathons, have seen us placed joint second of eleven clubs in London & the South East.

We finished the season level with Wey, ahead of Royal, Tonbridge and Maidstone, and second only to Elmbridge, to take one of the four qualifying spots for the national Final.

The Hasler Finals are at Reading on Sunday 27 September and full details will follow. We will try to take two trailers to help get as many paddlers as possible to this event.

Those who have qualified to race - by entering three Hasler races or other ranking events during the last 12 months - are listed on the website and the notice board.

If you are one of the 59 paddlers who have qualified - that’s three times more than last year - congratulations.  Now, please save the date and race.  Every paddler counts.

To get to this stage, more than 130 Richmond paddlers raced a marathon in club colours.  And we have had over 360 starts in K1, K2, C1 or C2 across 14 different marathons.

Now, with a full size squad we can get a great result for Richmond at the national Final.

PS: Qualification for next year starts with the Henley Marathon on Sunday 13 September.

Henley Marathon - New Hasler Season

Henley Marathon, this Sunday 13 September, is the first marathon race of the new Hasler season. 

Singles and doubles races for division 7, 8 and 9 start from 11.30am with briefing at 11am.  Divisions 1 to 6 start from 1.15pm with the race briefing at 14.45pm. There are no portages for Divisions 7 to 9 and two portages for the other Divisions.

A 2.8km Lightning race will also be held at 11.40am with the briefing at 11.30am.

Entries are available on the day, from 9.45am until 20 mins before your start.  Full details will be up on the club boards and around the galley on Saturday.

Latest Promotions

The obsession with promoting our paddlers continues! There are six more promotions awarded after the Nationals; effective now and in place for the Hasler Finals.

Thomas Daborn to Divsion 6
Rebecca Killip to Divsion 6
Alison Martin to Division 6
Nicholas Romain to Divsion 6
Sean Martin to Division 3

3rd at the Interclub Championships

Congratulations to everyone who attended the Interclub Championships over the weekend, securing third place. Pretty good given that a load of people were over in Ireland for the Liffey. Here's to 2010.

Liffey -

Usual thrills and spills at the Liffey Descent over the weekend, with Sean Martin taking third place in the Masters Racing Kayak. You can see the general performance at www.liffeydescent.com.

If you would like to see pictures of your favourite Richmond swimmer, visit Liffey 2009 Gallery and enter the bib number of each paddler. Sean Martin (#171), Trenton Lamble & David Maritz (#886), Richard Hendron & Jordan Mungavan (#849), Gert Van Deventer & Marna Van Deventer (#908), Ian Hague & Paul Hayes (#992), Matthew Renshaw & Karl Garvey (#933), Lawrence Prinsloo & Kim Wetherall (#900), Peter Hutchison & Rob Stainsby (#856), Will Abson & Sonia Marguardt (#848), Mark Michell & Kean (#862). Apologies if anyone has been left off - send through details and I'll add them.

There's footage on YouTube as well. But a favourite is footage from 1977 with Go With Noakes.

Congratulations to Rebecca Killip and Alison Martin National Champions U14 Marathon

On a weekend of mixed weather, Rebecca Killip and Alison Martin became U14 Marathon National Champions at Longridge last weekend, despite being young enough to compete at U12 level. A compact squad competed at the championships on the Thames near Marlow, and were rewarded with encouraging times.

Congraulations to everyone who took part, to Rebecca and Alison, and to Trevor for supporting and encouraging this dynamic junior squad that continues to go from strength to strength with building confidence. The years of steady work with Rox and her crew, the intensive summer training schedule and the training camp up in Nottingham are all paying off. More pictures of the Championships on the Club Yahoo Group (if you have access - if you don't drop me an email). While we're on a roll - good luck to everyone at this weekend's InterClub Regatta - one better than last year if possible, please - and to those taking the downriver approach on the Liffey.

Great River Race - Club Groups this weekend

This weekend is the Great River Race, and due to tide times, the race is going from Greenwich up to Ham this year (tis normally t'other way round). Morning and midday junior groups should run as usual, although please be aware that there could well be marshalling and preparation work taking place so be considerate to this. However, there will be no session for Adult Beginners in the afternoon.

If you're down at the club, the race is a great spectacle. We don't have an entry this year (due to clashes with the InterClub Regatta and Liffey), but it's still enjoyable to watch.

National Marathon Championships - 29/30 August 2009 - Longridge

The National Marathon Championships are this weekend; Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August. They will be staged at Longridge Canoe Club, near Marlow, on the Thames. If you are familiar with Thameside 2 you will know Longridge as the finish line for the race. Though advance entries are closed, do not be put off - late Entries are allowed on the day.

Full details are available on the Longridge website, on the Club noticeboard and on the photocopy sheets around the galley.

As well as being the main national marathon event, the Nationals give those with two Hasler events under their belt a chance to pick up a third and personal qualification for the Final.

Hasler Finals

Looks like we're through to the Hasler Finals! Awaiting confirmation of final Hasler table from the BCU but put the date in your diary now; Sunday 27 September.

If you have entered two races and still need a third to qualify, the National Championship this weekend is your last chance to get personal qualification for the Final.

Tonbridge Marathon

A good turnout and great results at the race that sealed our Hasler Final qualification. Thirty Richmond paddlers travelled to Tonbridge, split between K1 and K2. We recorded 15 podium places, including seven wins, and three paddlers won promotions.

Graham Stonehouse won Division 6 and automatic promotion whilst a rare dead heat saw Nicholas Romain and John Nolan share first place in Division 8, with both promoted to Division 7. The Killip clan were out in force with Rebecca winning Division 7, Joe winning Under-10 boys, Ben placed 2nd in Division 4 and Jack 3rd in Division 5. In K2 there were wins for Rob Stainsby & Paul Hayes in Division 4 - ahead of Richmond crews in 3rd (Balazs & Istvan) and 4th (Henry Hendron & Kim) - and for Warren Harvey & Tricia Hardisty in Division 9.

Thanks to all for racing and helping Richmond to qualify for the Hasler Final.

Richmond CC Yahoo Group

We have a Yahoo Group at the club which is useful for sharing messages between club members, and also a place to upload pictures that you want to share with other club members. Recent additions include the Tonbridge Marathon and Danielle's Birthday BBQ. If you want to join, drop an email to richmondcanoeclub-owner@yahoogroups.com with your full name and confirm that you are a member (if you don't you won't be invited to join). Joining is straight forward, involving setting up a yahoo group account. You can use any email you like (you don't have to set up a Yahoo email account.

Liffey Lift for Boats on Offer - Contact Paul ASAP

On condition that we can arange the trailer again and that we get sufficient takers, there will be a trailer going over to Dublin for the Liffey ably towed by 'the beast' (landrover). Costs are looking around £80 for a boat spot and if we get the same trailer again we have about 20 boat spaces. Drop Paul Hayes a text on 07985591178 if you are keen. Boats will need to be packed and ready to go by Tuesday before the race.

Yukon 1000 Report - Eventually

Finally get to post a report from Russ about the Yukon 1000. And the glorious comment from Richard that "it wasn't as tedious as I expected". I jest, serious congratulations to you all for getting to the start line. Crossing it first - incredible. It has been suggested that this merits "An Evening with the Yukon 1000ers" down at the club. We'll try and sort it out.

Hendrons, Russ and Rob Win Yukon 1000

Congratulations to Richard and Henry Hendron, and to Russ Dawkins and his partner who came joint first in the Yukon 1000 - the longest canoe race in the world. Early stages picture and more information at www.yukon1000.com.

Congratulations - you've done yourselves proud (and Richmond too).

Marathon Update - Richmond Hasler Position

After the two recent Hasler marathon races at Pangbourne and Thames Valley the Club has been awarded seven more promotions and another seven paddlers have qualified for the Hasler Finals.

At Pangbourne there were 9 paddlers and we took two podium places, with Adam Mahmoud promoted to Division 4 after his 3 rd place in Division 5 whilst Chris Gavin & Tim Middlehurst took 3 rd place in Division 4 K2.

There was a bigger representation at Thames Valley where we had nine K1 and eight K2 entries.  Emily Romain and Justas Stanisauskas were both promoted to Division 7 after coming 1 st and 3 rd respectively in Division 8 K1 whilst Martin Fitzsimmons won promotion to Division 8. The other podium places were; Ben Killip & Adam Mahmoud 1 st with Chris Gavin & Time Middlehurst 3 rd in Division 4 K2, Michael & Ian Lavarack 3 rd in Division 6 K2, Nicholas Romain & Thomas Daborn 1 st in Division 8 K2, and Joe Killip 3 rd in Under-10 K1.

Since these races the BCU has also awarded additional promotions to Istvan Domonkos to Division 6 and Rebecca Killip to Division 7.

We now have 46 paddlers qualified for the Hasler Finals, at Reading on Sunday 27 September, with another 33 still able to qualify if they compete at Tonbridge on Sunday 23 rd August. The list of those who could represent the Club at the Hasler Final, and those who can still reach the required three races, is on the Marathon notice board.

It is vital that we get a good turnout at Tonbridge to ensure that Richmond qualify for the Hasler Finals - by finishing in the top four of our regional table – and anyone can compete. 

If the club doesn’t win a place in the Final - all these individual qualifications go to waste....but if we do reach the Final,         with a good-sized squad we have a great chance.  So PLEASE put the date in your diary and look on the notice board or on the club website for full details. If you have any queries please talk to your coach or ask Chris Haynes, the Marathon Secretary.

Wokingham Pictures

A few pictures of the early starts at Wokingham, provided by Sean Martin. And for those of you who subscribe to the Yahoo group (send Peter Hutchison an email if you want to join), there are more pictures in the photos section of the RCC Group.

Chichester Tour - Sunday 26th July

Fancy heading out on coast waters. Try the Chichester Tour on Sunday 26th July - guaranteed fun, depending on the precise route taken. Details.

Championship Performance by Richmond paddlers

The sun shone on Nottingham (for once) and Richmond paddlers (again) at the BCU National & Class Championships Canoe Sprint Racing Regatta on the 4th and 5th July. We now have two National Champions in four events; Lukas Faik, Boys U16 C1 500mt and 1000mt and Ben Killip, Boys U14 K4 500mt and 1000mt. Great achievement and congratulations to both.

Ben Killip, Boys U14 K4 500mt and 1000mt National Champion. picks up one of his medals.	Lukas Faik, Boys U16 C1 500mt and 1000mt National Champion, picks up medal.

Other notable performances, a 1-2-3 in Boys U16 Canoe 1000mt; Rebecca Killip (age 11) 3rd U14 Girls K4 500mt and James Plaut (age 11) 3rd in U18 Boys C2 500mt.

Results below. All Richmond paddlers unless stated (club in brackets). Well done everyone involved and thanks.

Boys U16 Canoe 500mt C1
1 st - Lukas Faik – National Champion
2 nd – Marko Csokasi

Boys U16 Canoe 1000mt C1
1 st - Lukas Faik – National Champion
2 nd – Marko Csokasi
3 rd – Robert Bechtold

Boys U14 K4 1000mt
1 st – Ben Killip/Stannard (RLS)/Childerstone & Haws (Wey) – National Champions

Boys U14 K4 500mt
1 st – Ben Killip/Stannard (RLS)/Childerstone & Haws (Wey) – National Champions

Women’s D K2 500mt
1 st - Kim Weatherall/Agnes Poka  

Men’s C K1 200mt
2 nd - Balazs Soregi

Women’s D K2 1000mt
2 nd - Kim Weatherall/Agnes Poka

Women’s D K1 500mt
2 nd - Kim Weatherall
3 rd – Agnes Poka

Boys U18 Canoe 1000mt C4
3 rd - Marko Csokasi

Boys U14 K1 1000mt
3 rd – Ben Killip

Boys U14 K1 500mt
3 rd – Ben Killip

Women’s D K1 1000mt
3 rd – Agnes Poka

Boys U18 Canoe 500mt C2
3 rd – James Plaut/A Cayford (BSF)

Girls U14 K4 1000mt
3 rd - Rebecca Killip/Stone (Ban)/ Owen & Watt (Rdg)

Full results will be posted on Wey Kayak Club website.

Yukon - it's where it's at. One Ends - Another Begins

A quick and final update on the Yukon River Quest 2009. London Pride completed the 460 miles from Whitehorse to Dawson City in 53 hours, coming in a creditable 18th out of 80. It was both an amazing and exhausting experience - it may not be repeated but we were proud to have gone the distance!

Thank you to all who who have supported us - be it by coming to the launch party, donating on the justgiving page, or simply offering us words of encouragement. To date we have raised just under £5,000 for the Michael Varah Memorial Trust.

For some video footage of London Pride in action, go to http://www.yukonriverquest.com/ and watch YRQ Day 1 and 2. No doubt some of you will find some photos on Facebook too.

Meanwhile a couple of boats are heading out to take part in the Yukon 1000 Canoe and Kayak Race. A 1000 mile over several days, through wilderness. Race control is virtual, using satellite technology, so you start, paddle for 1000 miles and then get to the end. Lots of interesting anecdotes on the event website, but the best found so far is the Bear Doc, which discusses Bear Conflict Avoidance... and Promise of Bear Precautions to be taken. There's a link to Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee as well. Which brings us, interestingly, to Richmond paddlers. The Hendrons are heading out to form one crew. And Russ Dawkins is also taking part with Rob Colliver. Nineteen teams entered in total, five are kayaks (the rest canoes), so if they finish, we might get a podium. Good luck guys. There can't be many clubs who can get two boats in an event like that. Like DW, but different.

You can get all the information from the Yukon 1000 website - http://yukon1000.com

Wey Marathon

Richmond took top spot in the points table at the Wey marathon, a great performance ahead of Royal, Elmbridge and the hosts.

We had 22 club paddlers at this latest Hasler race and successes across the fields.   In singles, Chris Gavin came 2 nd in Division 5, Freddie Purcell won Div 6, Rebecca Killip was 3 rd in Div 8 and Joe Killip placed 3 rd in Under-10 boys.

There were three doubles victories - Brett Irvine & Brendon Stead in Division 2, Ian & Michael Lavarack in Div 8 and Rory Goldring & Matt Probert in Div 9 – with Paul & Harry Wells coming 2 nd in Div 7.

Automatic promotions were awarded to Freddie [Div 5] and Rebecca [Div 7].

After this latest round of Hasler qualification, Will Abson, Josh Henman, Paul Wells and Harry Wells are the latest to qualify for the Hasler Finals. This means that Richmond now has 40 paddlers able to race in the national competition, twice as many as last year with another five races remaining for you to get the three races required.

Next race is at Pangbourne on Sunday 12 July.  See the site and the notice-boards for full details and keep Sunday 27 September free for the Hasler Finals in Reading.

BCU Membership

The BCU have contacted the club to remind us that ALL competitors in HASLER RACES must be Comprehensive – not basic - members of the BCU.

We are currently third in our Hasler table with just one more qualifying race on our region, at Tonbridge on Sunday 23 August.  We need every point we can get to ensure that we qualify for the Finals.

If a paddler ranked in divisions 1 to 6 cannot prove current Comprehensive membership when booking in at a race they will not be allowed to compete.

Paddlers ranked in divisions 7, 8 and 9 may buy an event ticket. But any points they win for the club will not count for Hasler qualification if they buy two or more in the season – this change will be dealt with later by the Regional Hasler Adviser.

Please update your BCU membership or get upgrade to comprehensive now!

Pangbourne Marathon - 12th July - Beale Park Start for this year

Pangbourne Canoe Club's Hasler race is on 12th July at Beale Park. Full details. Please note that rebuilding of the Adventure Dolphin centre at Pangbourne has now started and the race is from Pangbourne's temporary home at Beale Park which is less than 2 miles from the usual race venue.

Afternoon Beginners Class Cancelled 27th June

Due to the Richmond Regatta taking place on the river by the Club this Saturday (27th June) there will be no afternoon session on the water for new Adult Beginners. We will be running a session at 1.30pm for those who have paddled at least twice. This may well be a technique session indoors on the paddling machines, but a final decision will be made on the day.

Wey Marathon

Information about the Wey Marathon. It's at the Waterside Centre, Guildford - about 30 minutes down the A3.

Divs 7-9 briefing at 11:00. Start 11:30. Divs 1-6 briefing at 12:20. Start 12:45

Check in from 10:00. Don't forget BCU membership cards.

Probably meet at Richmond at 9:00 Sunday morning. Paul Hayes is kindly towing the trailer for K1s but space for passengers might be tight. Sort out lifts and transportation on Saturday morning.

Divisional Promotions

Following the Royal Marathon the BCU have made a number of additional promotions:

Division 4:
Lawrence Prinsloo
Josh Henman
Ben Killip
Paul Hayes
Rob Stainsby

Division 5:
Kevin Marsh
Roger Crawford
Coralie Vial
Ian Clark

Division 6:
Will Abson

Division 7:
Chris Moody
Jesus Duque

Division 8:
Nicholas Romain
Sonia Marquardt
Michael Lavarack
Ian Lavarack

The awards were made for performance in singles or doubles. Congratulations to all.

The Builders Are Coming!

We have the builders coming...they start Monday 29th June at 8am and will be at the club during the day for about 5 to 8 days, Mon to Fri's.

They will be working in both changing rooms installing extract fans and hand dryers, as well painting doors, changing rooms and balcony and installing extract ducting to the kitchen cooker hood.

Please be kind to them and offer cups of tea etc,if you are using the changing rooms when they are on site, particularly the ladies, let them know you are there to save any embarassing scenes and frightening them off....

If you have any problems let me know when I am at the club or ask one of the Committee to call me. Unfortunately I cannot be there all the times as have day job to do, so would welcome it if you could keep an eye on them if you are at the club.

Thanks, Tim Killip

Summer Social - one of many

Its high time we all spent a bit of quality time supporting the local buisnesses. Suggestion for summer drinks on Friday 26th June, 6:30pm start at B@1 for cocktails then moving (or rolling) down hill to the White Cross for the final stretch. All welcome! Should all be ready for Saturday morning training then.

Royal Marathon Results

A fantastic turn-out at the Royal Marathon last weekend with a third of the field coming from Richmond. We provided 58 paddlers, split equally between singles and doubles, and were represented in every class bar one.

The club took 11 podium places with wins for Brendan Stead in the top K1 division, Ben Killip in Division 6 singles and Michael & Ian Lavarack in Div 9 doubles.

Six club members won automatic promotions:
Lawrence Prinsloo Div 4
Josh Henman Div 4
Ben Killip Div 4
Will Abson Div 6
Chris Moody Div 7
Nicholas Romain Div 8

The next race in our region is at Wey on Sunday 28 June; details on the club board and here. And the next dates for the diary are Pangbourne on Sunday 12 July and Thames Valley in Wokingham on Sunday 19 July.

To qualify for the Hasler Finals at Reading in September, members must have entered three Hasler marathon races in the season . If you wish to compete in singles at least three of your total races must be in either C1 or K1. The last of the marathon races for this qualifying season is at Tonbridge in August. The list of qualified racers will be updated and on the club notice-board this weekend.