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28th June 2019
CDU Newsletter 621
Count Down to Canada.
Nearly 2 years ago John said goodbye to his kayak he used on our trip Across Canada. In 3 weeks time we will be purchasing the same type of kayak in Vancouver.
John is currently in Europe sight seeing, cycling and he is off to Africa in the next few days to climb the 4900 metre Mount Kilimanjaro with a few other paddlers from WA.
Luke is working in Kalbarri trying to save up enough money to pay for the trip. I am taking a tow-line with me so if I get tired he can tow me.
John helps his kayak out of the driveway after our last trip.
Now less than two years later he will buy the same kayak.
This is the kayak all 3 of us will be using on the paddle along the west coast of Canada.
Hopefully they will be waiting in Vancouver. We will probably have to give them away or sell them very cheap when we are finished with them in Prince Rupert.
The Keen Paddlers
Tuesday Night
Progressive Racing Group
Whilst many paddlers have been hiding from the weather this week 15 PRG paddlers took part in training on Tuesday night. They might be new to racing but they are very enthusiastic.
We will be meeting for a race on Saturday at 10.15am at Ascot Kayak Club if any other paddlers, beginners or experienced want to join us.
WAs head coach Ramon Andersson will be there to give us a few technique tips before the races start.
Kylan Jegerow
First time in one of the hardest canoe/kayaks to paddle.
Monday night.
Although he didn't know how to do a J stroke (needed to steer the canoe) he still paddled away.
Kylan was a little shaky at the start but got better. Other paddlers would have fallen out but Kylan has great balance.
Thursday night.
After 3 nights of practise in an old C1, Kylan paddles my narrower C1 in fairly rough conditions. It hasn't taken him long to balance this very unstable canoe.
Lots of paddlers have tried to paddle my C1 but they always fall out and can't paddle straight. Kylan is the first to be successful.
World Freestyle Championships
Practise
Christopher Greed watches a paddler try a few tricks at practice at the World Freestyle Championships. Photos Lawrence Greed
Christopher showing how it's done.
If you want to paddle at a more leisurely pace there are several social clubs around.
The Over 45 Paddle Club getting ready to paddle to the Maylands Riverside Cafe for coffee and cake.
2019 WWR #3 Upper Swan Race
Location: Bells Rapids, Cathedral Avenue, Brigadoon
Registration between 08:00am - 08:30am
Briefing 08:45am
Race start 09:00am
Course: Starting at Bollands Elbow (below Bells rapid), racing downstream to Amiens Road
The race is open to all boats,
Safety: Helmets & PFD’s are compulsory. Additional Buoyancy recommended
Entries close:
Saturday June 29th
Enter: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=140303
Upper Swan Marathon
26kms
Doug Hodson
Water conditions looked good, zero wind and high tide, the rain had lightened up to a UK-style drizzle.
Rego numbers were excellent: 110 vs 72 for last year. However, there were a few, who have been noted, who obviously looked out the window at the rain and elected to not get out of bed so there wasn’t a complete complement of 110 at the start !!
Chris Hollier delivered an excellent briefing in which he also mentioned that Peel Paddle 50 has been dropped for this year and the date for Marathon Dinner is July 20th. Keep your eyes out for ticket sales for the top social event on the paddling calendar.
The support boat came steaming up from Fish Market Reserve, docked at the pontoon and refused to start again. Boats have a habit of performing just when you don’t want them too.
The man with the bushy beard and the loud voice, Ian Quinn, got the race under way. Long plastics and Div 4 off first and then up through the Divs to the doubles at the end. Short course took off after that and the timers then went down the road and got the Guppies going from Barkers. There was a great mix of skills, the guns were there but there
were also plenty of intermediate paddlers and a few first-time Avon Descenters. The short course was packed with young guns mixed in with sensible people who knew that 26km was just unnecessary !
The paddle upstream to Barratt St went by pretty quickly, there was plenty of traffic with the fast guys catching the others. There was a reasonable amount of vegetation in the water, a taste of what is to come over the next couple of months. The turn at the bridge was tight and sorted some of the doubles out and then came the long slog back down
the river.
Packs established themselves. Josh Kippin, Jesse Phillips, William Lee and Andrew Crothers were probably hurtling down the course together at the front of the pack. The rest of the field got themselves sorted into little groups and got settled in for a long paddle. Brett MacDonald, in a Liker long plastic, jumped on every group that came past him
and kept them company for as long as he could.
Dave Worthy and Darry Long reminded themselves of how much they liked each other out on the race course. They were in a pack of K2s with John Hilton and Spencer King. Mark Lawson and Doug Hodson had been dropped [owing to shortage of skills, speed and ideas on the part of the latter]. Rob Jenkinson and Gareth Wright were in a ski powering out ahead
of them.
The long paddle down to Barkers went by and then everyone was back in familiar territory counting off the milestones: Bassendean Jetties, Sat AM turn spit, sandstone wall, Sandy Beach, AKC and beyond. Paddlers were starting to look weary, K1s were waiting for good washes to come by, K2 teams fell in or got out to stretch legs because the bum ache
was too much to live with, paddle cadence slowed up.
AKC hove into sight, spirits got up, Josh and Jesse came steaming into the finish and the rest of the pack picked it up down to the green spit and reset their goals for what they thought they could or wanted to achieve before the end.
After an outrageously long paddle, the race morphed into a sprint from Redcliffe Bridge back to the club, a flop out onto the grass, a quick shower and a feast of gourmet burgers and excellent pumpkin soup cooked and served up by Chris Watson, Mike Holder and Jason Gardner.
Two newcomers to distance racing Kate and Steph.
Only newcomers would paddle 26kms in a plastic kayak.
Photo Britt-marie Good-gerne
The short course guys were the first back headed by a quartet of youths in one pack: Luke Egger, Matt Greed, Mark Alderson [honorary youth] and Jeremy Alderson [chasing Dad]. Tim Hyde came in behind them followed by a pairing of Michael Liddle
and Nicholas Greed.
The lead in the long race was brought in by Josh Kippin with Jesse Phillips close behind him. William Lee and Andrew Crothers came in together 1-1/2 mins behind. Ben Carrick was up there, he can be relied on to appear at this time of year before
the Avon.
Rob Jenkinson and Gareth Wright killed the doubles race with Dave Worthy and Maya leading up the pack of doubles that were in behind them.
Amongst the youths in the long course, Harry Langley and Noah Boldy did well and you could see they hadn't left anything out there.
Brett McDonald was the first long plastic, he felt like he'd had some exercise ! Second long plastic was marathon man Warren Southwell who is making a great recovery from quite a few weeks off sorting out a melanoma.
Well done to Mands Bowman, first lady in and looking strong all the way.
Two more newcomers Josh and Jayden trying out 26kms and they were at training Tuesday night.
Photo Britt-marie Good-gerne
There were some new but not young paddlers at the finish line: Jayden O'Brien and Josh Richards well done chaps.
Finally, the tough nuts came cruising in, well done to them too: Sharon Cobley, Kate Martin, Cameron Porter, well done team, great effort.
The guppies had a good race, Beau Jacob and Rhys MacRae were neck and neck in the lead at the end and there were four others. Izzy Florisson managed to keep a commentary going for most of her paddle from Barkers to AKC, good work
!!
At the end of the day, a great race, good numbers, great competition, really good conditions all the way, good eats afterwards and lots of happy paddlers lounging around watching footy and box sets in their nice warm houses for the rest of the day. Thanks to
Chris Hollier and his team [and Chris’s wife, Julie, who was up at Middle Swan early on Sunday morning !] - great job.
Good luck to all with Avon Training. Remember, no Peel Paddle 50 and Marathon Dinner planned for July 20th. See you on the water !
Doug Hodson
Results here:
https://www.webscorer.com/startlist?pid=1&raceid=185709&fbclid=IwAR25qeF6W7ynlSWT_CZIgOuXGqUrtkA4yiYKEHEE0sAYyOuhi-S68IUPd8M
How old do you think this sign is?
Danger. Deep Water. Do Not Bathe Between Signs
At Claughton Reserve, Bayswater
The first 3 nights in Vancouver we will be staying here.
The green part is Granville Island where there are lots of groovy shops, a tourist paradise and the most importantly a canoe club.
It's a stone's throw from the city centre.
We will be able to get out of bed, load our kayaks and paddle out of Vancouver and up the coast.
We hope to see Killer Whales.
Wouldn't it be great to see an Orca do this.
We will also have to be careful to keep away from bears.
That could be one of us in its mouth!
And what if one of these came crashing down on our kayak.
What a spectacle that would that be!
And don't forget all the eagles.
Can't wait to get to Canada.
Ospreys on Ron Courtney Island, Ashfield.
Please note: The Peel Paddle 50
is cancelled
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