The weather has had a lot to answer for this month as several key events in the racing calendar have been cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
It started with the Thameside 2 on Sunday 25th February, as a very sharp Easterly wind blew hard and cold. Despite the elements, all of our Pangbourne paddlers completed the course from Reading Canoe Club to Longridge Activity Centre.
Jarvis M won the Junior Singles, while Caroline W and Fay B came 4th in Ladies Doubles.
Peter W, Steve Mc and James B raced in Mens Singles and Tommy F and Owen B in Junior doubles. Janet G with Adrian M and Vicky M and Liz from Basingstoke completed in Canoe Doubles.
Next on the calendar was the Sunday 4th March Waterside C. The first of our events to be hit by the Beast from the East. Most of the 23 miles from Pewsey to Newbury was frozen and unfortunately, there wasn’t much improvement for the last section of the series…..a 35 mile stretch from Devizes to Newbury the following Sunday (18th March) which also succumbed to the weather, the event being cancelled due to snow on the approach roads to the canal.
The 18th March also saw the group submit its entries for the Devizes to Westminster, as we began to gather kit and prepare support crews – all important pieces of the big race picture.
In the meantime, our Club entries for DW – Easter weekend – look promising with the following participants in the Four Day classes, starting on Good Friday:
• K1-Peter W, James B, Ruth S, Jim Lemin
• K2- Juniors Tommy F and Owen B
• Junior/Vet – Tim and Molly D
• Endeavour – Caroline W and Fay B
In the straight through event starting on Saturday morning:
• K2 – Jeremy W and Phil R
• C2 – Janet G and Adrian M – Vicky M paddling with Liz M from Basingstoke
• Junior K2 Simon TC (AD member) and Alice paddling under Fowey CC
• Endeavour K2 Shirley K (AD member) and Miriam M (past AD member) paddling under Newbury Cane Club colours
Congratulations to Jarvis
Congratulations to Jarvis Macnab on his recent assessment race for team GB in which he finished 18th against 29 junior (boys) competitors, racing 5 laps of a 4k circuit with portages.
The race was hosted by Elmbridge, on behalf of the Marathon Race Committee (MRC), just downstream of Shepperton Lock on the Thames. Commenting on the race, Jarvis said: ”It was an ‘interesting’ experience as we were all pushing the line. I took a swim on the last turn as it was a hard fought race. I enjoyed the experience and I’m looking forward to the next time!”
Jarvis is currently ranked in Div 2 (only div 1 above him!) and is now training with Reading Canoe Club having started with us as an under 12 paddler. He progressed well with considerable support from Matt Westall and Mark Wigglesworth as he rose through the Divisions. He continues to race with us today as a member of Pangbourne Canoe Club/Adventure Dolphin.
Delighted by his achievement, Vicky Metcalfe, Pangbourne Canoe Club Coordinator said: “It’s some time since we had a paddler in the start list of a K1 Assessment race, where the committee are looking for potential paddlers for the GB squad, so to have a junior male in such a race is a brilliant occurrence for us as a club. He really is right up there with the top GB paddlers!”