Categories
Whitewater

South Wales white water trip

Collection of club members at the start of Cardiff white water course

Last weekend saw our club running its annual South Wales trip. Basing ourselves in Cardiff Bay enabled nearly 40 of our members to enjoy a great weekend putting into action the skills developed on flat water over the summer period.

On Friday, a small group took to the River Taff for a great paddle with the Rain Gods on our side. A really good paddles was had on nice levels (with guidance from friends from Cardiff Canoe Club). In the evening, more adventurous members took on Cardiff White Water Centre at 10 cumecs – its highest level.

Saturday the group travelled to Rest Bay for breakfast at the cafe followed by a spot of surfing. The waves were a perfect level for beginners and experts alike, and everyone’s skills developed massively over the day.

Sunday saw everyone at Cardiff White Water Centre, with the flow increasing through the day from 4 to 8 cumecs. Newer members benefitted from informal coaching from more experienced paddlers.

Everyone who attended had a great time and it was nice to have so many people come on the trip.

Categories
Racing

Hasler finals

Together with Wey Kayak Club, we were proud to help host the National Hasler Final on the Thames at Runnymede. This race event involved over 600 paddlers from all over Britain, and was a great success.

Spread across the day, a mixture of K1 an K2 craft raced, finishing off with the youths in the Geoff Sanders event. Mostly the paddlers went well, albeit with a few over-keen paddlers needing to be rescued by the Addlestone safety boats.

Runnymede mayor Cllr Margaret Harnden joined in the afternoon to present a series of trophies, as well as the coveted Hasler Trophy. Elmbridge Canoe Club were crowned the winners, with Norwich Canoe Club and Wey Kayak Club also making the podium. 

There was also a focus on the environment, keeping the river and surrounding area clean. Recycling of packaging and regular litter picks ensured that the event had minimal impact on the area, and British Canoeing set up a Check, Clean, Dry stand to encourage cleaning of boats coming off the water to prevent the spread of non-native species, such as floating pennywort.

Overall this was a highly successful event, thanks to a lot of work by Addlestone Canoe Club members in organising and running the day.

Categories
Whitewater

Trip to North Wales

ACC Tryweryn Trip video still

At the end of August, the whitewater paddlers made their annual trip to North Wales, to paddle the Dee and the mighty Tryweryn.

The trip included group paddles on the Upper and Lower Tryweryn, as well as coaching sessions given by Dan Daley of Rock The Boat Activities.

Watch the video above to see the fun and the carnage.

Categories
Touring

Day trip down the Medway

Sunday saw about 20 of our members travelling to Kent to enjoy a paddle down the River Medway.  We paddled from Tonbridge to Yalding, approximately 13km through the day, with a stop for lunch (and a few breaks for snacks!) on the way.

For those who haven’t paddled this stretch, there are six locks on the way, each of which has a canoe chute to enable canoes and kayaks to safely navigate the weirs without having to get out of the boats. 

Each chute is graded in difficulty. It starts with easy drops graded as 1 (blue), progresses through some medium drops labelled 2 (red), before a final mighty drop graded 3 (black).

There needed to be a short break to bail out some of the canoes after this, before a gentle paddle to the tea shop at Yalding.

Categories
Racing

Olympic Hopes Selection

Single sprint racing kayaker mid-race

After a good performance at the National Canoe Sprint Championships at the beginning of July, Emily has been selected to race for GB at the Olympic Hopes regatta, taking place in September. Chris Furber, Performance Director for Canoe Sprint, said: “The Olympic Hopes Regatta is a fantastic development opportunity for the next generation of aspiring athletes to get on a high quality international start line.” 

Categories
Whitewater

Club trip to Cardington

Over the bank holiday weekend, the club organised a trip to Cardington whitewater course, in Bedford.

Cardington is a great introduction to moving water for new paddlers, and the annual club trip is a great family event and lots of fun for all involved.

The course is a flood channel for the Great Ouse, with a system of plastic blocks that can be positioned to make whitewater features along the course. The water is gravity fed by the Great Ouse, making a gentle flow that is one of the best and most beginner-friendly venues for learning moving water skills.

The event was shared with other clubs in the area, with many paddlers attending over the long weekend.

There was coaching on offer to new paddlers, particularly with young people and families learning new skills.

At the end of each day there was chance for some fun, with all shapes and sizes of craft being paddled down the course.