Bristol Canoe Club Magazine

Spring 2004

Another big issue, mostly describing the wonderful trips we’ve done in the last few months. Thanks for this set of articles - it really gives a flavour of what the club is doing.

The deadline for the next issue will be around 1st April 2004.

Thanks - Conor O’Neill

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Membership renewals

A reminder that membership renewals were due on 1st November. If you haven’t yet renewed, this will be the last communication you will receive from the club. Jim Ratcliffe is the membership secretary - address in the list at the end of this magazine.

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Dart Weekend 2003

Write-up by Helen Harris

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Nant Clydach, Nov 2003

Write-up by Baldrick

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The Exe Descent in a playboat

Write-up by Paul Keyte

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River Mellte, Nov 2003

Write-up written by Tony Barrass

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Graffiti Allegedly Written on a Culvert under the M5 in Devon

"Sing and shout and feel the bliss,
Mark Rainsley hasn't paddled this."

Underneath appear two verses;

"That's what you think, you little snitch,
But Mark Rainsley dug this bloody ditch,
He also carefully placed the trees,
Exactly where they make you squeeze."

"Mark is sorry he was late,
but now he's paddled it in spate,
and he swears he didn't see
A single solitary, bloody tree!"

Another 97 verses were composed during portages on the Webburn and various other Devon rivers over Christmas.

In all seriousness the English White Water Guide was a great Christmas present, but could they use trees from the rivers to make the paper for the next one?

[ Supplied by Reg Morris ]

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Some marathon bits

Ardeche descent October 2003

Steve Bennett

Myself, Nick Daniels from Reading CC, Stan Missen, Keith Owen, Ally Rosiool and John Elliot from Bradford-on-Avon CC, travelled down to Vallon, south of France, to compete with 1200 odd other canoes for this year's Ardeche marathon.

The river rose to a very good level while we were there - it rained continuously. There were over 300 K2s on the start - total organised chaos. You are held up by ropes across the river, but they don't go up properly, and Nick and myself got held up. A big log-jam developed and the White Water Racers (about 400 of them) were swarming all over us! Not a good start. Battled down to Pont d'Arc, 3 miles into the race, and over Charlemagne rapid - this is quite a decent sized rapid with the water level we had but with 30 - 40 K2s and a similar number of WW racers all going for the same line - you have to be very positive! We bashed the back of our boat and holed it. Just below the rapid a lot of C9s (!) and fun boats start off, so we had to pick our way through massed ranks of nutters and corporate teams, etc, in fancy dress and various states of alcoholic poisoning. You don't get too close because they are big craft and are usually totally out of control.

The rest of the race was a big battle between us and one of the other K2s around us, down through this huge gorge up to 1,000 feet on either side, continuous wave trains all the way. A lot of the rapids were washed out.  Overhanging cliff faces, huge boulders and rocks to avoid. Absolutely amazing.

20 miles. Our time was 1 hour 47 minutes - very quick paddling, but due to our bad luck at the start no trophies this year. Maybe next time.

Steve B.

Endeavour Race 2003

50 mile team event for charity, on the Shropshire Union canal. This is an annual event where many club members take part - super weekend away. It gives juniors a chance to paddle with seniors and taste racing at a very high and competitive level.

We won again - the elite class. Tall Paul, Karen, and Steve M were in the LLoyds TSB team and they won the K2 racing class. Well done to all members who had a most excellent weekend. Lee Taylor, Andy 'Ep' Essex, Theron 'Archbishop' Lodge, Sue Furkert, Liz Sullivan - Bristol CC and Keith Sanders (Griffon CC) Tristam Turner (Gailey).

Steve B.

Exe Descent 2003

My partner for this year's Exe was Rich Bullock from Exeter CC - a top Div 1 paddler. Our expectations were quite high for a result, but mother nature intervened - it did not rain! So the river was almost unpaddleable. It was a real bump and scrape all the way. We finished 6th - many didn't, so I am not too disappointed. Does anyone know how to do a rain dance?

Steve B.

Stour Descent 2003

15 miles in Dorset. Sturminster Newton to Bryanston School in Blandford Forum. Three K2s from Bristol took part - Theron and Jules, Nobby and Lee-meister, myself and Keith from Griffon club. This is a very tough and technical race. Not a big river at all but lots of obstacles and hazards, and it was cold.

Jules and Theron (Archbishop) bust their rudder on the second weir shoot, which put them out of the trophy hunt. Lee and Nobby came in 9th.  Myself and Keith 6th out of 30-odd starters. A great comeback race for Nobby and a big well-done too Lee-meister and first weir-shoot in a K2.

Steve B.

Marathon Training Tuesdays and Thursdays 6pm and Sunday mornings.

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Canoe Polo - all tame and passive???

This article was posted on the Canoe Polo Forum (www.canoepolo.com) following a questions asking people to post their funniest polo stores.

Naturally, many readers were out-raged; what do you think??

"Anyone in the last international in Charleroi?  If you were you will probably have heard of the melee between the referee of the Ireland u21s v

Charleroi club team. The ref gave 2 penalties against the Belgians, sent off 2 players, which leaded to another player getting off the water in anger but was quickly turned around by his wife!  The wife then went on to verbally abuse the ref.  When the match was finished the player threw his paddles at the ref, which provoked a swift kick in the head by the referee!

At this stage the coach of Charleroi club approached the ref and after a short burst of words he grabbed the ref and threw him into the water. The ref jumped out of the water, ran up the stand followed by the player who then launched his helmet at the ref but missed and broke to pieces on the ground.  After realising the ref had escaped unharmed he then went on a rampage by ramming his fist through a window!"

Mark Gillett

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Canoe Polo Report: January 2004

We are pretty much mid-way through the competitive season in Canoe Polo. Both our teams, the Pitbulls and the Pussycats, are playing in the National Div 4 League. Having mixed the teams around a little, we hoped to equalise the standard; however, the Pussycats are currently bottom of Div 4, and the Pitbulls are just a little higher!  The main difference between the teams is that the Pussycats play pre-dominantly in heavy plastic boats - with the occasional yellow Revenge (isn't that a Avon colour Ed?). Not only is a Glass boat considerably lighter, but you end up playing harder & faster. Personally, the investment I made in my boat has paid back considerably as I use the boat more than any other canoe I have used (no sarcasm please!), and really enjoy using it.

The Club also competes in the South West League run by Performance Kayaks. This league has been changed to accommodate 27 teams, or varying standards. We have traditionally only entered one team, but the first Div 2 tournament at the week-end was excellent as the average standard was about the same as a Wednesday night. The major difference though is playing in a full-size poll at the wonderful Millfied School. This location is another good reason to have a glass boat!

Hopefully, we can enter 2 teams in this league next year.  Then we can continue the friendly rivalry between our two teams, already observed in Div 4!!!!

From a Wednesday night perspective, the pool session regularly has 12 or more players. The limit is 20 players (4 teams of 5), so if you turn up late you are likely to be refereeing all night.  Also please:

1. Arrive before 8-30pm so we can arrange teams and you can get kit ready
2. Make sure you and your kit (personal or Club) are ready BEFORE your next game finishes.
3. People not playing in the final game, please ensure you are ready to take down the goals AND re-erect the Pool Flags, as soon as the final whistle goes.

Finally, for those new players who have been coming along - "sorry about my shouting!"

Mark "Refereeeeeeeee…" Gillett

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Upper Dart

Some pictures of the Upper Dart - Richard Puttock and Robin Wilson

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My Clydach

Write-up by Harvey Lyons

Afon Ifron - Spate 3rd Feb 2004

Write-up by Tony Barrass