2010 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic report
Three South Australian paddlers ventured to the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic this year making up a very competent trio of paddlers representing the state.
Conditions on the water during the start were excellent, albeit a bit humid, and the forecast rain fell only lightly in the hours before midnight. Unfortunately though the rain became quite steady between 6 and 9am on Sunday morning and was preceded by stiff wind. Despite occassionally rainy weather faster paddlers posted good times with tidal assistance. However slower paddlers and later starts were pulled off the water at Spencer.
As the race continued the weather deteriorated and consequently the 2010 Classic will go down in history as one of the most demanding of Classics for paddlers and organisers alike.
For the faster paddlers the event was pretty much plain sailing (if you can say putting your body through the rigours of paddling 111km is Òplain sailingÓ). The fastest time of 8hrs 36minutes by Matt Blundell was a great paddle. Matt was asked on the Tuesday night prior to the Classic what sort of time he hoped to do. His answer of 8.5hrs and he wasnÕt far off the mark.
For those of us who are mere mortals and who were left to tackle the vagaries of nature on the stretch from Spencer to the Finish then it was anything but plain sailing. A racing incoming tide, driving rain, gale force wind in your face and a sizeable swell with chop on the water saw many paddlers come unstuck. One report of a Surf Ski paddler falling in 9 times in the last 12 km just gives you an idea of what it was like.
The Race ControllerÕs decision on the Sunday morning to stop boats proceeding beyond Spencer was very sensible and is to be applauded.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic is a fun paddle with a serious purpose. Each year around 600 paddlers paddle 111 km overnight down the Hawkesbury River from the little town of Windsor to the Brooklyn Bridge. They do this not just for the exercise but to raise money for a worthwhile charity.
Over the years the race has build into a great community event, with paddlers, their landcrew and hundreds of volunteers converging on the banks of the Hawkesbury at Windsor on the day of the race to enjoy the camaraderie and spirit the race has built.
The race organising committee are proud of their safety record. It does seem as if the race has an excellent safety record, with the long-term health of paddlers over-riding any other considerations. Paddlers are particularly appreciative of the physio and medical support.
On event day the first paddlers left Windsor at 4:00pm. Faster craft leave at fifteen minute intervals after the first start until the last paddlers depart at 6pm. Paddlers then pass 21 safety checkpoints during the night. The fastest craft arrive at Brooklyn in less than 10 hours, but the average time is closer to 15 hours.
Butler and fellow South Australians Emily Rozee and Bevan Dowd had a great event and finished strongly into the stiff wind around 4.30am on Sunday morning.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has been run since 1977 and is made possible by volunteers who put in hundreds of hours of time throughout the year, landowners who allow us the use of their land for the weekend and the paddlers and their support crews.
The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has raised more than $3 million for medical research, with our major charity being the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.
The HCC Organising Committe should receive a huge pat on the back and congratulations should obviously go to all paddlers and their landcrew.
To all the volunteers, we really appreciate you more than ever when the weather turns nasty. Without you we could not have all that fun of paddling down a river at night.
Results are available at www.canoeclassic.asn.au
