Month: November 2023

The National Schools Canoe Championship is jointly organised by the Devizes to Westminster (DW) Race Organisation, and British Canoeing Marathon Racing Committee to promote schools canoeing in the UK by providing an event specifically for inter-school competition

It provides the opportunity for racing against paddlers from other school teams, particularly for crews preparing for the DW season, both returning 2023 crews and new crews making preparations for 2024, as well as encouraging schools to engage with paddlesport as part of their co-curriculum programmes.

The below information and rules govern the event and must be read by all participants, team leaders, school staff and support crew.

Entry Criteria and Eligibility

We encourage building partnerships between schools and clubs, where clubs provide an organised sporting activity to supplement school resources and staff.

Entry is open to Schools who:

• compete in the annual Waterside, Thameside and DW Races, and/or:
• wish to further their experience of canoe and kayak racing by promoting paddlesport as a sporting activity within the school

To be eligible, the School must demonstrate an active commitment to paddlesport and involvement in the preparation for the crew as follows:

• Kayaking/Canoeing is listed as an available sport on the school website or prospectus and actively part of the co-curriculum programme
• Entry form must be signed by a member of staff who will be in attendance on the day of the championship as team leader
• Payment for entries must be submitted by the school

Entry fees are £15 per seat, including all racing costs (venue, safety cover, etc.)

Entries and fees should be submitted per the instructions on the Entry Form, and must be received by Monday 13th November at 4pm GMT.

Paddlers must be a current registered pupil of the School they represent. They must be under the age of 19 years, and not less than 13 years old, on the 1st of January 2023.

Class eligibility is determined as follows:

• Experienced Class – at least one of the crew has completed one event in the previous season (Waterside, Thameside Series or DW) or has a divisional marathon racing ranking in division seven or above

• Novice – neither member of the crew has previously competed in the Waterside/Thameside Series or DW, and have been paddling for less than one year

Teams must be nominated for the duration of the event, and will consist of three or four crews, with the times for the Fastest Three crews being counted for Team Prizes. All teams must be pre-nominated by the Team Leader who must submit a completed team entry form(s) by the entry deadline. Crews will not count as a team in any other circumstances.

Download the entry form here.

Classes and Distances

All Races will be Junior Doubles, raced in K2 or C2 in both Experienced and Novice Classes:

• Sprint Regatta: 200M and 500M
• Marathon Race: 15 KM
• Novice Class Marathon race of 10KM

Individual and Team Prizes will be awarded. A full list of trophies will be published prior to the event.

Venue

Rules and Safety

Races will be held in accordance with the British Canoeing Marathon Racing Rules.

Buoyancy Aids: ALL Competitors must wear an Integral Foam Buoyancy aid or lifejacket conforming to one of the following European standards: EN 393 or EN 395 or ISO12402-5 or ISO12402-6. The EN standard must be clearly displayed via a label attached by the manufacturer.

Competitors must be able to swim 50 metres in paddling kit.

All crews and their supporters shall race in a fair and considerate manner and maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct throughout the event. Unsporting conduct by either paddlers or their supporters will be penalised. The decisions of the Organisers on all matters shall be final.

Disciplinary Matters: inappropriate behaviour by supporters and/or competitors will be penalised. Any failure to observe the rules or obey the instructions of any Race Official at any time may render the crew liable to disqualification or other penalty.

Canoeing and Kayaking are “Assumed risk”‐“Water contact sports” that may carry attendant risks. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.

Any relevant pre-existing medical conditions must be advised on the entry form.

Boats and equipment: must contain sufficient buoyancy to support their crews in the event of capsize. Sandwich construction boats are not presumed to have sufficient inherent buoyancy and must carry additional foam or other non-porous buoyant material. Closed and water-tight compartments built in by the original manufacturer may be accepted at the discretion of the Organisers, but must have adequate buoyancy at both ends.

British Canoeing Membership: All Competitors should be members of British Canoeing

The full event risk assessment can be found here. By submitting entries, Team Leaders are agreeing they have read it and agree with the control measures in place.

Please contact if you have any further questions or need further information:

• Gareth Scragg – Junior Teams Liaison Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race
• Holly Mobbs – MRC Junior Development Lead