* %newwin%[[https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=21656|PNSW Race registration (NOW OPEN)]]
* %newwin%[[http://www.bungalow-park.com.au/|Big4 Bungalow Park at Burrill Lake (accommodation)]]

More details on exact location, accommodation etc coming soon!

The challenge set leading into race 6 was to maintain our slender lead in the Marathon Series. Despite some members being absent with the flu, and others recovering, not only did we manage to hold on to our position but we remarkably extended our lead over Manly Warringah and Burley Griffin with some fantastic performances at Davistown by the 27 Lane Cove paddlers who participated. Despite the race briefing outlining the course, many paddlers were left bewildered as to the layout and what beacons were to be rounded. This was evident in the first lap but by the second lap, with the blind leading blind, all paddlers seemed to be paddling a similar route.

In division 1 Matt Blundell just missed out on a 4th placing by one second, while the mixed doubles pairing of Alanna Ewin and Tony Hystek finished in 7th place. David Young, newly promoted to division 2 missed out on line honours and had to settle for second place in a sprint finish, with another new division 2 paddler Justin Ryan coming home in 6th position. While in division 3, Peter Manley come home in 6th position followed by Tom Simmat in 10th.

In division 1 Matt Blundell just missed out on a 4th placing by one second, while the mixed doubles pairing of Alanna Ewin and Tony Hystek finished in 7th place. David Young, newly promoted to division 2 just missed out on line honours in a sprint finish and had to settle for second place, with another new division 2 paddler Justin Ryan coming home in 6th position. While in division 3, Peter Manley come home in 6th position followed by Tom Simmat in 10th.

With all these great performances, it is no wonder that Lane Cover tops the marathon series ladder, 6 points ahead on Manly Warringah, and 18 points ahead of Burley Griffin.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160625Race5.jpg | Club members discussing tactics\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div5_Rodrigo.jpg | Rodrigo on his way to 8th position\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div5_Jeremy-Claudio.jpg | Jeremy pipping Claudio to the line in Div 5 \\\

What a beautiful day the shire put on for us and a great turnout of paddlers not only from Lane Cover (24 paddlers) but from clubs all over NSW. For a change, the course was laid out close to the prescribed 20km in distance, so this time most paddlers paddled the course within their divisional time. There were however 2 exceptions to this with once doubles partners Tony D’Andreti and David Hammond paddling well above themselves in division 7 to be elevated to division 6. Another pleasing aspect to this race was that Lane Cove has representation in all 12 divisions except for division 9. Hopefully we can get representation in all divisions next race.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div5_Jeremy-Claudio.jpg | Claudio & Richard fighting it out \\\


%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div5_Claudio_Richard.jpg | Claudio & Richard fighting it out \\\

To the race itself, and LCRK put on a strong show despite the somewhat reduced numbers. Division 5 was the standout, with a stellar show of six Lane Cove boats, who then took out all but two of the top eight places! After racing neck and neck, Jeremy Spears just pipped Claudio Battistel for line honours, while Richard Yates and Wade Rowston took out fourth and fifth. The pairing of Don Rowston and Jon Harris crossed the line just a few seconds ahead of Rodrigo Matamala. Ever consistent in his racing, Wade now has a narrow lead on the overall ranking in Div 5.

On the water, and several great crews of LCRK-manned speed boats and sea kayaks kept an eye on proceedings while also cheering us along. Special mention must go to the party boat captained by Oscar Cahill who had the music blaring and seemed to be having just a little too much fun out on the water. The paparazzi were also plentiful, with Tom H, Jana and Nigel hidden on the bank and in boats taking some great pictures of everyone paddling by. With the course lap a little under 10km, some fast times were registered across all divisions that will leave the new handicapper (congratulations to our own Don Johnstone) scratching his head regards who goes up (that includes Don himself), and who goes down a division. Thankfully the warnings about rogue row boats, pleasure craft and potential winds down by the bottom turn did not materialise and a fabulous ensured.

Of course, for many the day had started very early indeed, with a band of dedicated volunteers busy before the crack of dawn. This included the safety boat personnel launching rescue boats and assisting the race course coordinators laying out the multitude of red and white buoys to mark out the winding course, the parking attendants ensuring that the limited parking area was well utilised, the canteen staff preparing food and slaving over a hot plate in preparation of the hungry armada of paddlers, the boat marshals who herded over 130 craft onto the halo UTS running track, and those who assisted with the launching and retrieval of boats to / from the pontoon. Special mention must go here to Phil Geddes, who exceptional planning and organisational skills ensured that the day went off without a hitch. Any early worries about parking (of cars) were quickly dispelled, particularly when Manly Warringah turned up all in the one bus. Meanwhile, parking of boats was so closely planned that half the athletics oval was marshalled into neat rows of divisionally-organised kayaks. As Ruby Gamble (of Winsor Nemo fame) was one of our boat marshals, it was suggested that this precision might all be part of her cunning plan to pass the large fish swiftly and surely to its next owner.

%rfloat width=200px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div8_Dave-Hammond.jpg | David paddling to 8th in Div 8\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div8_Dave-Hammond.jpg | David paddling to 8th in Div 8\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160529Race4_Div8_Tony-DAndreti.jpg | Tony swapping his ski for an outrigger\\\

On the water, and several great crews of LCRK-manned speed boats and sea kayaks kept an eye on proceedings while also cheering us along. Special mention must go to the party boat captained by Oscar Cahill who had the music blaring and seemed to be having just a little too much fun out on the water. The paparazzi were also plentiful, with Tom H, Jana and Nigel hidden on the bank and in boats taking some great pictures of everyone paddling by. With the course lap a little under 10km, some fast times were registered across all divisions that will leave the new handicapper (congratulations to our own Don Johnstone) scratching his head regards who goes up (that includes Don himself), and who goes down a division. Thankfully the warnings about rogue row boats, pleasure craft and potential winds down by the bottom turn did not impact on a fabulous race.

Similar attention to detail was being shown at the canteen, overseen by John Duffy. Alongside a rather gourmet savoury offering, there was an almost overwhelming selection of baked goods from member as well. Maybe some more paddlers need to show off their skills after Wednesday night time trials?
On the water, and several great crews of LCRK-manned speed boats and sea kayaks kept an eye on proceedings while also cheering us along. Special mention must go to the party boat captained by Oscar Cahill who had the music blaring and seemed to be having just a little too much fun out on the water. The paparazzi were also plentiful, with Tom H, Jana and Nigel hidden on the bank and in boats taking some great pictures of everyone paddling by. There was plenty of excitement about the course – still relatively new in the series – and despite some warnings about rogue row boats and pleasure craft down by the bottom turn it was a great course.

On the water, and several great crews of LCRK-manned speed boats and sea kayaks kept an eye on proceedings while also cheering us along. Special mention must go to the party boat captained by Oscar Cahill who had the music blaring and seemed to be having just a little too much fun out on the water. The paparazzi were also plentiful, with Tom H, Jana and Nigel hidden on the bank and in boats to take some great pictures of everyone paddling by. There was plenty of excitement about the course – still relatively new in the series – and despite some warnings about rogue row boats and pleasure craft down by the bottom turn it was a great course.

On the water, and several great crews of LCRK-manned speed boats and sea kayaks kept an eye on proceedings while also cheering us along. Special mention must go to the party boat (aka Speed Boat 3) of Oscar Cahill, Peter Harris and (?) who had the music blaring and seemed to be having just a little too much fun out on the water. The paparazzi were also plentiful, with Tom H, Jana and Nigel hidden on the bank and in boats to take some great pictures of everyone paddling by. There was plenty of excitement about the course – still relatively new in the series – and despite some warnings about rogue row boats and pleasure craft down by the bottom turn it was a great course.

Of course, for many the day had started very early indeed, with a band of dedicated volunteers busy before the crack of dawn. This included the safety boat personnel launching rescue boats and assisting the race course coordinators laying out the multitude of red and white buoys to mark out the winding course, the parking attendants ensuring that the limited parking area was well utilised, the canteen staff preparing food and slaving over a hot plate in preparation of the hungry armada of paddlers, the boat marshals who herded over 130 craft onto the halo UTS running track, and those who assisted with the launching and retrieval of boats to / from the pontoon. Special mention must go here to Phil Geddes, who exceptional organising of all the volunteer roles made sure that the day went without a hitch. Any early worries about parking (of cars) were quickly dispelled, particularly when Manly Warringah turned up all in the one bus. Meanwhile, parking of boats was so closely planned that half the athletics oval was marshalled into neat rows of divisionally-organised kayaks. As Ruby Gamble (of Winsor Nemo fame) was one of our boat marshals, it was suggested that this precision might all be part of her cunning plan to pass the large fish swiftly and surely to its next owner.

Of course, for many the day had started very early indeed, with a dedicated team busy before the crack of dawn to ensure that the course was laid and all the speedboats were put in the water. Special mention must go here to Phil Geddes, who exceptional organising of all the volunteer roles made sure that the day went without a hitch. Any early worries about parking (of cars) were quickly dispelled, particularly when Manly Warringah turned up all in the one bus. Meanwhile, parking of boats was so closely planned that half the athletics oval was marshalled into neat rows of divisionally-organised kayaks. As Ruby Gamble (of Winsor Nemo fame) was one of our boat marshals, it was suggested that this precision might all be part of her cunning plan to pass the large fish swiftly and surely to its next owner.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160430Race3_Div8_Tony-DAndreti.jpg | Tony - I'am glad thats over!!! - 6th in div 8\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160430Race3_Div6_Matt_Swann.jpg | Matt blowing off steam on his way to 6th\\\

* %newwin%[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/124667889@N03/albums/72157662895971253|SSCC's Steve Dawson photos on Flickr (plenty of LCRKers featured)]] \\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Tony pairing with our first DIV1 lady Alanna. Congrats!\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Toby2.jpg | Toby after a successful portage.. LCRK top paddler \\\

We have no representation in Div 2, and in Div 3, despite being well represented we could not muster any club points. David Young come in 5th with Peter Manly and Tom Simmat, both recently promoted, coming in 11th and 12th respectively. Double pairing of Ken Holmes and Ross Fraser have started to “click” and achieved their first podium finish in division 3 with a gutsy 3rd place. Duncan Johnstone and Jeremy Spear found the going a little tough and finished in 15th and 16th respectively. Expect Jeremy to bounce back once he masters the balance in his new K1.

* %newwin%[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/124667889@N03/albums/72157662895971253|SSCC's Steve Dawson photos on Flickr (plenty of LCRKers featured)]] \\

Bruce Goodall brushed off the cobwebs that had accumulated on his racing paddle over the last 18 months to take line honours in division 9 and earn 8 valuable club points. His feats were matched by Robert Llewellyn-Jones in his first official race as he took gold in division 10. He was followed by David Vievers (13th), Ian Wrenford (14th) and Meg Thornton (15th). Louise White also narrowly missed out on club points with a great showing to come in 5th in div 11 and should be up for a podium next race given the top 2 place getters will be promoted. In division 12 Lachlan Wrenford and Jason Han (C1) came in 6th and 7th respectively.

Bruce Goodall brushed off the cobwebs that had accumulated over the last 18 months on his racing paddle to take line honours in division 9 and earn 8 valuable club points. His feats were matched by Robert Llewellyn-Jones in his first official race as he took gold in division 10. He was followed by David Vievers (13th), Ian Wrenford (14th) and Meg Thornton (15th). Louise White also narrowly missed out on club points with a great showing to come in 5th in div 11 and should be up for a podium next race given the top 2 place getters will be promoted. In division 12 Lachlan Wrenford and Jason Han (C1) came in 6th and 7th respectively.

Despite being prompted up into a higher division in each of the last 3 races, Don Johnstone achieved his 3rd consecutive podium finish by winning division 5. He was closely followed by Wade Rowston with his 2nd consecutive 3rd placing and another race PB. Phil Geddes paddled consistently to finish 8th. Don Rowston, having tasted victory recently, partnered with old friend Jon Harris to record yet another one in taking out division 6. Not far off the pace in 4th was Jeff Beere in his first official race. He was followed by Paul van Koesveld (6th), Matthew Swann (8th), Noemi Johnston (11th), Derek Simmonds (13th) and Ruby “Nemo” Gamble in 14th. Anjie Lees was our some representative in div 7 and managed a creditable 5th place.

We have no representation in Div 2, and in Div 3, despite being well represented we could not muster any club points. David Young come in 5th with Peter Manly and Tom Simmat, both recently promoted, coming in 11th and 12th respectively. Double pairing of Ken Holmes and Ross Fraser have started to “click” and achieved their first podium finish in division 3 with a courageous 3rd place. Duncan Johnstone and Jeremy Spear found the going a little tough and finished in 15th and 16th respectively. Expect Jeremy to bounce back once he masters the balance in his new K1.

In division 1 Matt Blundell was again narrowly beaten to the line by his nemesis Brett Greenwood but he is inching closer to victory each race.. it is now down to 1 second (from 2 seconds) so statistically a dead-heat is predicted at our Lane Cove race.. Exciting riverside viewing not to be missed on 19th May. Not to be out done, our ever improving doubles pairing of Allana Ewin and Tony Hystek gained a very commendable 5th placing.

So to the results.\

So to the results.

Talking about prize giving and awards, our very own Ruby Gamble received the race “Nemo” award for an outstanding and very audible capsize in front of the race stewards. She was not alone in the swimming stakes, but did make a grandstand display so deserved it. She is hoping to hand it over to another recipient next race to avoid the embarrassment of being the longest recipient holder.

There were many fast times recorded and announced at the race prize giving with some paddlers times well below the divisional range. This left many paddlers nervous and wondering whether they would be promoted up a division, but for most, their fears were allayed when it was announced that the course was a few 100 metres short. Needless to say that did not stop Don Johnstone from being bumped up to div 4, the pairing of Don Rowston and Jon Harris being bumped up to div 5 and Robert Llewellyn-Jones moving into division 9..

There were many fast times recorded and announced at the race prize giving with some well below the divisional range. This left many paddlers nervous and wondering whether they would be promoted up a division, but for most, their fears were allayed when it was announced that the course was a few 100 metres short. Needless to say that did not stop Don Johnstone from being bumped up to div 4, the pairing of Don Rowston and Jon Harris being bumped up to div 5 and Robert Llewellyn-Jones moving into division 9..

Windsor Canoe Club put on another fantastic race day, and despite the lack of the mandatory caffeine hit prior to the race (the coffee van was nowhere to be seen), we all seemed to survive and put in another great performance. The turn out by Lane Cove paddlers was fantastic… 33 boats entered, well above MWKC with 20 boats and BGCC with 18 boats. Even more pleasing is the great response to our recent call to arms for new paddlers to join the fun and competiveness of the marathon series. Last race saw 3 new paddlers; Bruce Gynther, Robert Llewellyn-Jones, David Vievers complete their inaugural race, and this was repeated this race with another 3 paddlers successfully complete their ranking race. Mark Hempel paddled in division 3 and achieve a great time that will keep him there for the short term as we are anticipating he will slash his times in the near future. Rorigo Matamala debuted in division 5 and paddled a time that would have earned him a podium finish, so we are also expecting him to place well next race. Jeffrey Hosnell completed his ranking race in the tough 9th division (10km) and will hopefully be vying for club points in the near future. We are finally starting to get great representation in the lower divisions that is paying great dividends with the club points tally.

Windsor Canoe Club put on another fantastic race day, and despite the lack of the mandatory caffeine hit prior to the race (the coffee van was nowhere to be seen), we all seemed to survive and put in another great performance. The turn out by Lane Cove paddlers was fantastic… 33 boats entered, well above MWKC with 20 boats and BGCC with 18 boats. Even more pleasing is the great response to our recent call to arms for new paddlers to join the fun and competiveness of the marathon series. Last race saw 3 new paddlers; Bruce Gynther, Robert Llewellyn-Jones, David Vievers complete their inaugural race, and this was repeated this race with another 3 paddlers successfully complete their ranking race. Mark Hempel paddled in division 3 and achieve a great time that will keep him there for the short term as we are anticipating he will slash his times in the near future. Rorigo Matamala debuted in division 5 and paddled a time that would have earned him a podium finish, so we are also expecting him to place well next race. Jeffrey Hosnell completed his ranking race in the tough 9th division 9 (10km) and will hopefully be vying for club points in the near future. We are finally starting to get great representation in the lower divisions that is paying great dividends with the club points tally.

Windsor Canoe Club put on another fantastic race day, and despite the lack of the mandatory caffeine hit prior to the race (the coffee van was nowhere to be seen), we all seemed to survive and put in another great performance. The turn out by Lane Cove paddlers was fantastic… 33 boats entered, well above MWKC with 20 boats and BGCC with 18 boats. Even more pleasing is the recent great response to our call to arms for new paddlers to join the fun and competiveness of the marathon series. Last race saw 3 new paddlers; Bruce Gynther, Robert Llewellyn-Jones, David Vievers complete their inaugural race, and this was repeated this race with another 3 paddlers successfully complete their ranking race. Mark Hempel paddled in division 3 and achieve a great time that will keep him there for the short term as we are anticipating he will slash his times in the near future. Rorigo Matamala debuted in division 5 and paddled a time that would have earned him a podium finish, so we are also expecting him to place well next race. Jeffrey Hosnell completed his ranking race in the tough 9th division 9 (10km) and will hopefully be vying for club points in the near future. We are finally starting to get great representation in the lower divisions that is paying great dividends with the club points tally.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160410_Race2_Team_Photo.jpg | The Lane Cove contingent after prize giving

From the individual performances at race 2 there is currently only one stand out paddler who is a real contender for “The most {-improved-} unimproved paddler”, or “The most {-unscrupulous-} wacked-out paddler”. Our own Derek Simmonds registered for 20km in div 6, and then in his splendid solitude decided on the second lap to turn at the Div 8’s 15km course markers recording a relative quick time. He was however caught-out and duly disqualified. You see Derek spent the previous afternoon in guided meditation with a Buddhist monk. It seems that he was still embodied in a paddling trance, and still reeling from the enlightenment that he was seeking and ultimately attained. What that enlightenment was (or still is), no one but Derek will know.

{-deleted-}

From the individual performances at race 2 there is currently only one stand out paddler who is a real contender for “The most {-improved-} unimproved paddler”, or “The most dubious paddler”. Our own Derek Simmonds registered for 20km in div 6, and then in his splendid solitude decided on the second lap to turn at the Div 8’s 15km course markers recording a relative quick time. He was however caught-out and duly disqualified. You see Derek spent the previous afternoon in guided meditation with a Buddhist monk. It seems that he was still embodied in a paddling trance, and still reeling from the enlightenment that he was seeking and ultimately attained. What that enlightenment was (or still is), no one but Derek will know.

From the individual performances at race 2 there is currently only one stand out paddler who is a real contender for “The most {improved} unimproved paddler”, or “The most dubious paddler”. Our own Derek Simmonds registered for 20km in div 6, and then in his splendid solitude decided on the second lap to turn at the Div 8’s 15km course markers recording a relative quick time. He was however caught-out and duly disqualified. You see Derek spent the previous afternoon in guided meditation with a Buddhist monk. It seems that he was still embodied in a paddling trance, and still reeling from the enlightenment that he was seeking and ultimately attained. What that enlightenment was (or still is), no one but Derek will know.

Host Club: %newwin%[[http://windsorcanoeclub.com.au/|Windsor Canoe Club (WCC)]] \\

Host Club: %newwin%[[http://windsorcanoeclub.com.au/|Windsor Canoe Club (CCCC)]] \\

%newwin%[[http://http://www.paddlensw.org.au/event/2016-pnsw-marathon-series-round-3-wcc-windsor|PNSW Info Page]]

Brett Greenwood took out line honours closely followed by our own Matt Blundell. Not to be outdone our doubles pairing of Tony Hystek and Allana Ewin again defied the sceptics and completed the course in well under (5 minutes) the division 1 cut-off time in a respectable 6th position. It looks like our Australian medallists are destined to be regulars in Div 1 for the foreseeable future.

Recently promoted to division 4, new comer Peter Menley let the charge with a great 3rd placing and 4 valuable club points. He was closely followed by Tom Simmat, and with both recording times well under 1hr:50min will see them in div 3 next race. Doubles combination of Ross Fraser and Ken Holmes paddled in a similar time to last year to record a 13th place with Duncan Johnstone in 17th. In division 5 Wade Rowston paddled his best time in nearly 4 years to claim a 2nd position followed by Bruce Gynther in his ranking race, and Phillip Geddes in 5th.

Seven Lane Cover paddlers battled it out for line honours in division 6 and the underdog Don Johnstone surprised everyone to not only be the 1st LC paddlers across the line but also take out line honours & 8 well deserved club points. The downside of Don’s exceptional effort is that he jumps a division and finds himself in div 4 next race. Paul van Koesveld come in 4th followed by Matthew Swann (11th), Noemi Johnstone (13th), Rozanne Green (17th), doubles pairing of Don & Harry Rowston.

With ideal racing conditions, a great turnout of 32 Lane Cove paddlers and combined with some exceptional individual performances we leapfrogged our way up the club standings to 3rd place.

With ideal racing conditions, a great turnout of 32 Lane Cove paddlers combined with some exceptional individual performances, we leapfrogged our way up the club standings to 3rd place.

Location: Macquarie Park, Windsor \\

With a combination of ideal racing conditions, a great turnout of 32 Lane Cove paddlers and some exceptional efforts, we leapfrogged our way up the club standings to 3rd place.

Host Club: Central Coast Canoe Club (CCCC)
Location: Tacoma Reserve, Wolseley Ave Tacoma

First Start: 11:00AM

Host Club: Central Coast Canoe Club (CCCC) \\
Location: Molonglo Reach, Morshead Drive, Canberra \\

\\\

Traditionally Lane Cove excels in divisions 4, 5, 6 and 7, and while we had the numbers, some excellent performances were unfortunately not rewarded by placings, bar a few exceptions. Tom Simmat achieved a commendable 4th position in division 4, with a time nearing his best from last year and bordering on promotion to div 3. He was followed by a flotilla of paddlers, John Duffy in 11th (recently promoted and also nearing his best time from last year), Ross Fraser and Ken Holmes in 12th, Robert Manning in 14th, Duncan Johnstone 16th (welcome back Rob and Duncan), and the lead of the Laurel and Hardy comedy pool party.. Jeremy Spear in 19th.. more on that later. Wade Rowston paddled to 6th place in division 5 with a time approaching his best in a while, and with the top 5 paddlers all being promoted to div 4, am expecting Wade to be in the medals next race. Phil Geddes also paddled a PB in attaining his 9th position. The first of our new comers, Peter Manley paddled an exceptional time in his ranking race that will see him move up to division 4.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Tony pairing with our first DIV1 lady Allana. great achievement\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Tony pairing with our first DIV1 lady Allana.. great achievement!\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Tony pairing with our first DIV1 lady Allana powering away\\\

And now to the memorable performance of the day. Jeremy Spear always likes a challenge and decided to race in his new, you beut, super-fast but tippy K1 Vajda. Starting cautiously (see the concentration as he negotiated the turbulence at the start) Jezza bravely made it to the 17 km before falling in at a section of the river where there were steep banks on either side.

Naively he (Laurel) made his way to trees on the river’s edge but alas, as the water was deep right to the edge it didn’t give him any standing point. Several unsuccessful attempts we made to get back into his K1 that left Jezza contemplating his options. Help was at hand in the form of club president Paul van Koesveld (Hardy) in his ski who saw the drama unfold and offered his assistance with another deep water re-entry. This time the re-entry was successful, albeit temporary as Jezza fell in again shortly after. Again good Samaritan Paul returned to the scene, and in trying to keep out of the race line, nudged into the trees, leaned too much on a dead branch that in turn broke off and he too joined in the pool party. In his despair at joining the party, Paul somehow got not only his leg entangled in fishing line, but his rudder, that in turn made it difficult for him to remount his craft, and once on, difficult to continue with the race. Alas, qualified help was now at hand for both party goers with the arrival of the Inflatable Rescue Boat. Assistance was provided to and greatly appreciated by both paddlers, who after their 10 minute pool party were sent on their merry way. The moral of the story.. fall out either where there is a sand bank close by, or next to a rescue boat.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20150621Race4WoronoraJeremy.jpeg | Jeremy just holding on for 2nd in a very close finish\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20150621Race4WoronoraJohnWade1.jpg | Winners are grinners..John after piping Wade \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227_Race1_DIV4_Jezze2.jpg | Jeremy is concentration mode.. not quite at 17km mark

And now to the memorable performance of the day. Jeremy Spear always likes a challenge and decided to race in his new, you beut, super-fast but tippy K1 Vajda. Starting cautiously (see the concentration as he negotiated the turbulence at the start) Jezza bravely made it to the 17 km before falling in at a section of the river where there were steep banks on either side.%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227_Race1_DIV4_Jezze2.jpg | Jeremy is concentration mode.. not quite at 17km mark

And now to the memorable performance of the day. Jeremy Spear always likes a challenge and decided to race in his new, you beut, super-fast but tippy K1 Vajda. Starting cautiously (see the concentration as he negotiated the turbulence at the start) Jezza bravely made it to the 17 km before falling in at a section of the river where there were steep banks on either side.
%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227_Race1_DIV4_Jezze2.jpg | Jeremy is concentration mode.. not quite at 17km mark

And now to the memorable performance of the day. Jeremy Spear always likes a challenge and decided to race in his new, you beut, super-fast but tippy K1 Vajda. Starting cautiously (see the concentration as he negotiated the turbulence at the start) Jezza bravely made it to the 17 km before falling in at a section of the river where there were steep banks on either side. Naively he (Laurel) made his way to trees on the river’s edge but alas, as the water was deep right to the edge it didn’t give him any standing point. Several unsuccessful attempts we made to get back into his K1 that left Jezza contemplating his options.

Help was at hand in the form of club president Paul van Koesveld (Hardy) in his ski who saw the drama unfold and offered his assistance with another deep water re-entry. This time the re-entry was successful, albeit temporary as Jezza fell in again shortly after. Again good Samaritan Paul returned to the scene, and in trying to keep out of the race line, nudged into the trees, leaned too much on a dead branch that in turn broke off and he too joined in the pool party. In his despair at joining the party, Paul somehow got not only his leg entangled in fishing line, but his rudder, that in turn made it difficult for him to remount his craft, and once on, difficult to continue with the race. Alas, qualified help was now at hand for both party goers with the arrival of the Inflatable Rescue Boat. Assistance was provided to and greatly appreciated by both paddlers, who after their 10 minute pool party were sent on their merry way. The moral of the story.. fall out either where there is a sand bank close by, or next to a rescue boat.

And now to the memorable performance of the day. Jeremy Spear always likes a challenge and decided to race in his new, you beut, super-fast but tippy K1 Vajda. Starting cautiously (see the concentration as he negotiated the turbulence at the start) Jezza bravely made it to the 17 km before falling in at a section of the river where there were steep banks on either side. Naively he (Laurel) made his way to trees on the river’s edge but alas, as the water was deep right to the edge it didn’t give him any standing point. Several unsuccessful attempts we made to get back into his K1 that left Jezza contemplating his options. Help was at hand in the form of club president Paul van Koesveld (Hardy) in his ski who saw the drama unfold and offered his assistance with another deep water re-entry. This time the re-entry was successful, albeit temporary as Jezza fell in again shortly after. Again good Samaritan Paul returned to the scene, and in trying to keep out of the race line, nudged into the trees, leaned too much on a dead branch that in turn broke off and he too joined in the pool party. In his despair at joining the party, Paul somehow got not only his leg entangled in fishing line, but his rudder, that in turn made it difficult for him to remount his craft, and once on, difficult to continue with the race. Alas, qualified help was now at hand for both party goers with the arrival of the Inflatable Rescue Boat. Assistance was provided to and greatly appreciated by both paddlers, who after their 10 minute pool party were sent on their merry way. The moral of the story.. fall out either where there is a sand bank close by, or next to a rescue boat.

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Every smiling Don.. our only victorious paddler\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Toby2.jpg | Richard paddling well to a 2nd place in DIV6 \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20150621Race4WoronoraJohnWade1.jpg | Winners are grinners..John after piping Wade \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227_Race1_DIV5_Peter-Wade.jpg | New comer Peter and veteran Wade at the start\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20102276_Race1_DIV4_Tom-Rob.jpg | Tom & Robert (with distinctive nose) fighting it out on lap2 \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20102276_Race1_DIV4_Tom-Rob.jpg | Tom and Robert (with the distinctive nose) fighting it out on lap2 \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20102276_Race1_DIV4_Tom-Rob.jpg | Tom and Robert fighting it out on lap2 \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20102276_Race1_DIV4_Tom-Rob.jpg | Tom and Robert shortly after the gun \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Tony-Alanna2.jpg | Tony pairing with our first DIV1 lady Alanna powering away\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20160227Race1_DIV1_Toby2 | Toby after a successful portage.. LCRK top paddler \\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20150621Race4WoronoraJeremy.jpeg | Jeremy just holding on for 2nd in a very close finish\\\

%rfloat width=310px height=200px margin-top=10px margin-right=10px%Attach:20150621Race4WoronoraJohnWade1.jpg | Winners are grinners..John after piping Wade \\\

Over two hundred paddlers in 175 boats started in one of the 12 divisions, with division 11 (10km in over 60 minutes) hosting 28 boats. Lane Cove was represented by 22 boats with four paddlers completing either their ranking or their maiden race… welcome aboard.

Glorious Day in Canberra for First Marathon in 2015

It was a beautiful day in Canberra with a huge field of paddlers (over 200 competitors) that saw 26 LCRKers entered in 9 divisions enjoy the best race conditions seen on the Molongolo River for a few years. Club points where hard to come by and once again we have got off to our traditional slow start for the year in the Club competition. The host club BGCC were well organised for their home marathon and scored major points across a large number of divisions.\\
Rob Manning - 3rd in Div 4\\
Jeremy Spear 2nd in Div 5\\
Rob Manning pick up from where he left off last year and came in 3rd in Div 4 with another strong paddle, just missing out on second by a whisker. Jeremy Spear battled it out the whole way with Larrissa Cleverly from MWKC in Div 5 and just got pipped at the post and came in second. A great effort by Jezza. Alanna Ewin also performed well in Div 7 paddling on her own instead of the usual double and picked up some valuable club point by coming in 4th.\\
There were other good performances from Warwick Sherwood in Div 7 and Dave Hammond and Jason Tan in Div 5 who all placed well but were classed as ranking race and could not be allocated points. \\
It was also a series of firsts for new LCRKer Claudio. It was his first visit to Canberra, first marathon event in Australia and first time he spotted a large brown snake crossing a river! It was also spotted by a few other paddlers but fortunately everyone managed to avoid it.\\


Welcome all Lane Cove Paddlers to another season of marathon racing. Race 1 in Canberra provided near ideal conditions for racing with an overcast day accompanied by a slight breeze. Unfortunately these conditions seemed to assist the other clubs more than Lane Cove with LCRK again ending up down the club competition ladder, in equal 5th place on 16 points, well behind the predicted leader Burley Griffin on 42 points. Whilst we did have a few outstanding achievements, and many personal bests (shows that some of us have been training over the summer), we also have our fair share of trials and tribulations.