Category: Athlete Development

Spanish K4 Series 2024 Write-Up

   12 July 2024    Athlete Development, International, Racing

Thank you to Paul Dimmock for providing this write-up and for being Team Manager on the trip.

K4 racing in Spain is second to none with some 70 K4’s racing in the Spanish Federations annual Regional, National and International K4 5km races. Great Britain had two relatively young crews competing in the K4 International events involving a Saturday race in Sanabria and a Sunday race in Valladolid. We certainly fielded the youngest boats in both the women’s and men’s fields, and the racing was both exciting and a huge learning opportunity of K4 racing against some of the best paddlers in the world; an experience which will assist all the athletes in their athletic careers.

The Senior Men K4 Crew were: William Stroud (Chelmsford Canoe Club), Sam Cribbett (Nottingham Kayak Club), Finn Cadell (Nottingham Kayak Club), Gabriel Popham-Coveley (Falcon Canoe Club).

The Senior Women K4 Crew were: Nerys Hall (Wey Kayak Club), Freya Peters (Richmond Canoe Club), Jessie Urquhart (Nottingham Kayak Club), Matilda Enoch (Nottingham Kayak Club).

The Spanish hospitality, like the weather, was very warm and the Federation could not have been anymore supportive, not just to us but the Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and Denmark. The international line up, including of course the hosts Spain, assured our athletes some fast and furious racing. As Sam Cribbett, who stroked the Senior Men K4, found out when lining up against multiple World Championship medallist Adrian Boros stroking the Hungarian K4, racing Internationally in K4 is not for the faint-hearted and Sam rose to the challenge. Technical problems besieged the men’s boat, but they pushed on with great heart to beat the Danish.

The girls experimented with different combinations for the two races. Jessie stroked at the first race and Freya at the second, both combinations were equally strong. On Sunday, the women unfortunately had rudder issues after the 2nd turn and were robbed of the result they deserved but like the our men’s crew pulled hard in the second half of the race and managed to keep the German crew behind them.

For Great Britain, the results didn’t reflect the team spirit or the tenacity each paddler put into the two races. I’m confident that we will see more of these eight athletes as they grow their athletic careers and develop into world class paddlers in their own right. There’s no better way for Marathon Racing Committee to achieve its objective of developing athletes in international racing than through crew boat racing on this scale. It is through our engagement in racing, athletes will grow in their personal ability, learn the subtle complexity of crew boat racing and ensure the love of racing is the essential ingredient of long-term success.

The Spanish Federation facilitated superb racing and were the perfect hosts and should be congratulated for ensuring all the National Teams were part of a K4 racing spectacular.

Final word for the athletes Finn, Gabriel, Sam, Will, Freya, Matilda, Nerys and Jessie, who all are relatively new to senior racing, showed great potential and all conducted themselves with maturity way beyond their years.

Well done all.

Under 14 and Under 16 Selection at National Marathon Championships 2024 Announcement & Availability Forms

   3 July 2024    Athlete Development, International, Selection

Due to logistical difficulties, the Marathon Racing Committee (MRC) will be unable to send an Under 14 & Under 16 development team to the French Nationals event in 2024. However, the Selection committee recognises the importance of this opportunity to many of the young athletes and remain committed to athlete development. Therefore, the National Marathon Championships, at Reading Canoe Club on 13th and 14th July, will remain a selection event for Under 14 and Under 16 athletes. The MRC are making arrangements for the selected athletes to attend the German National Championships, or an international equivalent race in Spring 2025, in place of the French Nationals. The provisional date for the German National Championships is 9-11th May 2025.

All athletes who are racing in the Under 14 and Under 16 event categories at the 2024 National Marathon Championships who are wishing to be considered for selection must complete the below availability form by 22:00 on the 7th August.

2024 World Cup, Waterlands and FISU Canoe Sports Championships Selection Announcement

   26 March 2024    Athlete Development, Athletes, International, Racing, Selection

Following the Assessment Race on Saturday 23rd March, the Selection Committee met to complete the selections for the World Cup, Waterlands and University Worlds. The Selection Committee would like to thank Norwich Club for hosting the first assessment of 2024. The wind was very strong but despite this, the starts were well executed and there was a really positive spirit on this day of racing.

Please see below to see the full selection note and statement from the Selection Committee.

We would like to congratulate the athletes on their selections to their respective teams.

Finally, we would like to thank Norwich, all the athletes and supporters for fantastic day of racing.

JDS Winter Series 2023/24 – Day 4 Sign-up

   28 February 2024    Athlete Development, Coaching

The Marathon Racing Committee, Sprint Racing Committee and BC Talent Department are excited to announce the sign-up for the fourth JDS Winter Series 2023/24 day is now open. This is the final winter skills day of the 2023/24 season.

Run from Reading Canoe Club, the day is a K4/C4 day with a focus on helping paddlers develop comfort and adaptability within these boats through increased exposure and time.

For more information about the JDS, including entry criteria and to sign up please click HERE. As a reminder, the cost is £10. Sign up closes on Friday 8th March at 17:00. Late entries won’t be accepted.  Please also check the criteria for athletes attending and if in doubt, contact Charlie Barwis and Holly Mobbs using the emails on the website.

Please note that due to the ongoing difficult weather conditions, we are monitoring the river at Reading and will make a final decision on the event on Monday 11th March. If cancelled, we will of course issue refunds.

If you have any issues with sign up, please contact daniel.thompson@britishcanoeing.org.uk.

Coaches are also encouraged to sign-up for the day. Coaches attending will play an important role in supporting the delivery of the sessions planned within smaller groups. As such, by signing up you may take the lead of a smaller group or play a supporting role to another coach, whichever you are most comfortable with. Scott Hynds will be there on the day as coach developer and he will be facilitating informal learning throughout the day. As usual, there will be a coaches briefing ahead of the day. This will take place on Tuesday 12th March at 19:30.

All coaches attending will receive 10 CPD points. To sign up to attend the coach development aspect of the day please click HERE. 

GB-ONE Junior Conference 2024

   16 February 2024    Athlete Development, Coaching

As part of our working partnership with British Canoeing Talent Department, the MRC are keen to promote the upcoming GB-ONE Conference at Wey Kayak Club on Saturday 2nd March.

The GB-ONE conference aims to create an event where coaches can come together for the day to share knowledge and experiences. Whilst the focus of the coaching conference will predominantly deliver on aspects identified in the Sprint Strategy, the content of the sessions will be applicable to the development of athletes across flatwater racing. 

A buffet lunch will be provided.

To ensure numbers are correct, please sign up here. Sign-up closes on Tuesday 20th February.

JDS Winter Series 2023/24 – Day 3 Sign-up

   10 January 2024    Athlete Development, Coaching

The Marathon Racing Committee, Sprint Racing Committee and BC Talent Department are excited to announce the sign-up for the third JDS Winter Series 2023/24 day is now open.

Run from Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, the day is a K1/C1 and K4/C4 day with a carasouel of sessions covering a wide variety of skills. These sessions include start buckets, sprint race planning and understanding fundamental gym movements.

For more information about the JDS, including entry criteria and to sign up please click HERE. As a reminder, the cost is £10. Sign up closes on Friday 19th January at 17:00. Late entries won’t be accepted.  Please also check the criteria for athletes attending and if in doubt, contact Charlie Barwis and Holly Mobbs using the emails on the website.

Please note that we are aware of the river situation in Nottingham and we are monitoring the lake conditions at HPP. We will make a decision about the day happening on Friday 19th January. We recognise that for many, you will be travelling a longer distance to attend and will potentially be booking accommodation so we want to give as much notice as possible, whilst still giving the day the best chance to go ahead. 

If you have any issues with sign up, please contact daniel.thompson@britishcanoeing.org.uk.

As usual, the coach development will be delivered by Scott Hynds during the day. However this one will run slightly differently to others. It will revolve around a carousel of coaching stations led by a specific coach who will be delivering a specific topic area. As such, coaches attending the day will have the opportunity to view and observe a number of different sessions led by a variety of different coaches. As a coach attending, areas you will observe and review will include: 

  • Session construct: Are the objectives of the session clear and how achievable are the outcomes?
  • Session Delivery: How have the paddlers been briefed? In what ways has the coach used audio, visual and demonstration to explain the session purpose?
  • How does the coach check for understanding?  
  • How is feedback sought and how is it delivered?  

All coaches attending will receive 10 CPD points. To sign up to attend the coach development aspect of the day please click HERE. 

JDS Winter Series 2023/24 – Day 2 Sign-up

   12 November 2023    Athlete Development, Athletes, Coaching

The Marathon Racing Committee, Sprint Racing Committee and BC Talent Department are excited to announce the sign-up for the second JDS Winter Series 2023/24 day is now open.

Run from Papercourt Lake, near Guildford, the day is a K2/C2 day with both sessions led by Ivan Lawler. The day will focus on marathon skills, with the sessions seeking to develop portaging, turns and wash hanging skills, amongst others! 

For more information about the JDS, including entry criteria and to sign up please click HERE. As a reminder, the cost is £10. Sign up closes on Friday 24th November at 17:00. Late entries won’t be accepted.  Please also check the criteria for athletes attending and if in doubt, contact Charlie Barwis and Holly Mobbs using the emails on the website.

Please note that because of a technical issue with our membership platform, after completing sign up using the link above, you will be contacted directly via email to provide some further information which we require ahead of the event and cannot currently collect. We would appreciate it if you could complete this ASAP and ahead of the closing deadline of Friday 24th November. 

If you have any issues with sign up, please contact daniel.thompson@britishcanoeing.org.uk.

Coaches are also encouraged to sign-up to support the day but also gain some CPD by working with other coaches as well as our coach developer, Scott Hynds. There will be an additional online coaches briefing in advance of the day on Tuesday 28th November at 19:30.

National Schools Championships 2023 – Entries & Final Details

   1 November 2023    Athlete Development, Schools Racing

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 ÂŁ15 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

Hawley Lake,

Old Minley Rd,

Camberley,

Surrey GU17 9QG

Event Format and Timings

TimeAdditional Information
08:45Arrival and Check-In OpenPlease do not arrive to the site earlier. Check-in can be found within the Sailing Club House.
09:15Team Leader BriefingWithin the Sailing Club House.
10:00Sprint RacesRace 1: Seeding Heats
Race 2: 500M Time Trial
Race 3: 200M Knock-Out Competition.
(Each Race has separate starts for Novice Class)
12:30LunchPlease bring your own lunch but some bacon rolls and hotdogs will be available in the club house.
13:30Marathon RacesCourses will comprise laps of the lake with buoyed turns and compulsory portages:
· Experienced Class Marathon Race – 15KM
· Novice Class Marathon Race – 10KM
15:30*Prizegiving and Departure*If not earlier.

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”â€â€śWater 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

French Nationals Trip 2023

   18 October 2023    Athlete Development, Racing

The annual junior development trip to the French National Championships took place on the 23rd – 24th September.

The team consisted of eight under 16 athletes and four under 14 athletes who all raced up an age group Under 16’s raced in the under 18 category and under 14 raced in the under 16 category.

After a long 24 hours of travelling, the team arrived in Decize on Friday afternoon, giving the athletes a chance to unload, check, set-up and paddle their K1s and K2s! It was exciting to see lots of new partnerships come together and athletes supporting each other.

The course was same as European Championships a couple years ago (though much cooler than the 2019 heat wave!). It consisted of three different lap sizes which was enough to confuse even the organisers who accidentally set the junior ladies the wrong number of laps!

The timetable followed a different format to that of our own Nationals in the UK, with K2 racing taking place on Saturday and K1 racing following on Sunday.

Racing kicked off on Saturday morning with Marcell Nagy (Reading Canoe Club) and Freddie Heard’s (Exeter Canoe Club) K2 taking an impressive 5th place, just a couple minutes down from the winners. Hannah Nagy (Reading Canoe Club) and Imogen Field (Elmbridge Canoe Club) finished in a respectable 8th place, having completed an additional 3.5km lap due to the incorrect communication regarding how many laps the course was! Had the organisers communicated the correct course, the girls K2 would have won the race!

Saturday afternoon saw more hard-fought battles and tough racing. Tyler Kinder (Reading Canoe Club) and Tom Hatton (Royal Canoe Club) had an excellent race keeping out of trouble and fighting hard to finish in a superb 4th place. Unfortunately, it was not to be for Isaac Aveson and Alex Worgan (both Royal Canoe Club) who had an unfortunate swim at the top of the course. They went on to put in an impressive chase, working their way back up the field at an amazing pace.

The girls K2 of Kamila Sklenarova (Norwich Canoe Club) and Frankie Scrivener (Falcon Canoe Club) had a flying start, managing to break away from the lead French girls and spending much of the race in the front. However, another course mishap led them to do an extra 3.5km lap, costing them a couple positions. Teammates Charlotte Fulford-Perez (Reading Canoe Club) and Emily Bowles-Trow (Addlestone Canoe Club) put in an commendable couple of laps but were unfortunately forced to retire.

Sunday morning marked the start of the K1 racing, kicking off with the junior boys at 9am. The early start bought cold, mist and reduced visibility, making for an atmospheric morning but challenging racing conditions! Marcell had a fantastic paddle, paddling his way into 13th place. It was a good day for the Nagy family, with Marcel’s sister Hanna executing a brilliant race, earning a 10th place finish. Unfortunately, Freddie and Imogen’s races ended with both athletes having to abandon the race.

The older athletes had a later start, by which point the sun had started to shine! Alex, Tom and Tyler had strong races, Tyler suffering from a slightly slower start, but working hard to recover his place. The trio finished in 5th, 6th and 8th places respectively. Isaac finished a little further back, nonetheless, securing a respectable finish in the top half of the race.  

Keen not to repeat the mistake of the day before, Kamila and Frankie took an early lead and dominated the race pulling out a 2-minute lead over the fastest French girls. Charlotte and Emily raced well coming in 4th and 8th.

The team’s impressive array of results was recognised by the organisers, with each athlete being given a small gift.

All in all, it was a successful weekend, allowing our young athletes to showcase their hard training and learn some important lessons that they can hopefully take forward into the 2024 racing season. The hard racing of all athletes on the trip was demonstrated by a remarkably quiet return journey!

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the trip possible, especially Julia, Colette and Elizabeth for all their help and patience over the weekend as staff.

Thank you to David Sackman for his help in constructing this report and his role as Team Leader for the trip.

JDS Winter Series 2023/24 – Day 1 Sign-up

   6 October 2023    Athlete Development, Coaching

The Marathon Racing Committee, Sprint Racing Committee and BC Talent Department are excited to announce the sign-up for the first JDS Winter Series 2023/24 day is now open.

Hosted by Falcon Canoe Club, the day of consist for a K2/C2 Racing Skills focus and a great opportunity to mix and meet with other juniors from other clubs. Coaches are also encouraged to sign-up to support the day but also gain some CPD by working with other coaches as well as our coach developer, Scott Hynds. There will be an additional online coaches briefing in advance of the day on Tuesday 24th October at 19:30.

For full details and the links to sign up, visit our website here. Sign up closes on 20th October at 17:00.

Please also check the criteria for athletes attending and if in doubt, contact Charlie Barwis and Holly Mobbs using the emails on the website.

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