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B. Stortford Regatta (11 September 2022)

11/9/2022

 
The club was delighted to welcome paddlers from Chelmsford CC, Cambridge CC, Leighton Buzzard CC, Hemel Hempstead CC and Le Valley Paddlesports to our Regatta - not only because it was the first local regatta since 2019, but also because we were using the occasion to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary.
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The 49 paddlers spent the morning taking part in a series of races across 500m, 1000m and 200m, in sets of four. After a lunch break, the organiser Rich made up teams for fun relays.
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After the prizegiving, everyone was invited to share a glass of bubbly and a a slice of celebration cake.
Results for Stortford paddlers:
u10 Girls - Emile Klumpler (silver)
u10 Boys - Rupert Kirkland (silver)
u12 Girls - Libby Gaulton (silver)
u12 Boys - Jasper Kirtland (4th), Nadim Shawky (7th)
u14 Girls - Zuzanna Madeja (bronze)
u14 Boys - Eddie Kirtland (gold),  Oliver Klumpler (5th)
u16 Girls - Eilidh White (gold),
u16 Boys - Jack Gaulton (gold), Ewan Gowing (silver), Arthur Catmur (bronze)
u18 Boys - Tom Holloway (bronze)
u23 Ladies - Kayleigh Gaulton (gold)
u23 Men - Euan Caton (silver)
Senior Ladies - Catherine Robinson (gold)
Veteran Ladies - Christine Meula (gold), Tamzin Catmur (bronze)
C1 - Petr Luksan (bronze)
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The full results of the Stortford Regatta can be found on the Sprint Results page of the FRA website.
Many thanks are due to all the Stortford volunteers who helped with the event and/or contributed cakes: Rich, Harry & Jamie Winstanley, Kevin Short, Sue Commercial, Katherine Ahara, Guy & Sharon Barton, Adam Beaumont, Alasdair Bruce, Olive Carter, Dene Caton, Tamzin & John Catmur, Dave Cayford, Ken Duncan, Joe Fitzpatrick, Simon Forey, Lee & Kayleigh Gaulton, Andrew & Charlotte Gurney, Ruth Kirtland, Flora & Jay Klumpler, Christine Meula, Kerstin Queeney, Ben & Hannah Tubby, Ann & Andy White, and Angela Aldam. Apologies to anyone missed out!
Photos can be found on Angela's Flickr album and on the BSCC FaceBook page.
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Many thanks to Kerstin and another contributor for the use of some of their photos!

James Smythe

22/4/2022

 
It is with great sadness that the Club announces the passing of James Smythe on Monday 18th April 2022 after a short second battle with cancer. 
James started his paddling career in the mid 1980’s at Wey Kayak Club, finishing his first Devizes to Westminster 125 Mile Canoe Race (DW) with them in junior K2 in 1987.  He then went to university and raced for Royal Lemington Spa before moving to Nottingham.  By this time he was a Men’s A sprinter, Div 1 marathon paddler, and represented Great Britain at two World Cups in Hungary in 1994 and South Africa in 1995, as well as competing for GB at other races on the international circuit.  In 1995 he also took the bronze at the National Marathon Championships in Senior K1.
He then took a break and moved to France before returning and joining Leaside in 2001 and latterly Bishops Stortford in 2016.  In his very first race in a Bishops Stortford vest he took silver in Veteran 35-44 K2 at the National Marathon Championships before winning the Bill Sparks trophy for the fastest veteran K2 at the Hasler Finals later that same year.
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Waterside D – Full kit rehearsal ahead of DW in 2016 [photo: Chris Worrall]
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First race in a Stortford vest at the National Marathon Championships 2016
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Start line of Hasler Finals 2016
On his return to paddling he started to drive the minibus and trailer to international events and later became Team Manager for the GB Marathon Team.  He became secretary of the Marathon Racing Committee and has had a big influence on what happens in the sport today.  Although not necessarily a regular attendee at the Club, he proudly raced in his Stortford vest and volunteered at many of the Club’s races.
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Leighton Buzzard Hasler 2017 [photo: Chris Worrall]
In late 2019 James first discovered he had cancer.  In April 2020 he had an operation to remove his kidney and other areas with tumours in his abdomen and had a further operation in December 2020 to remove a lump behind his lung.  Probably his most impressive achievement was to come back from this to win the Veteran 45-54 K2 at the National Marathon Championships in 2021.
As well as marathon racing James very much enjoyed surfski paddling and spent lots of time paddling out of Southend and other places in recent years and raced surfski a few times too.
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Surfski in Devon in 2020
In December 2021 James found out some lumps were detected on his routine scan and in February he was told these were inoperable.  James leaves behind his wife Catherine and son Ollie.
Summary of achievements:

  • Bronze – Senior K1 – National Marathon Championships
  • 6 x Veteran – National Marathon Championships medalist, 4 of them Gold
  • 1st Veteran K2 at Hasler Finals
  • Waterside Series Veteran K2 winner and A & C course record holder (with the C record still standing today)
  • 3 x DW finisher including 2nd overall and 1st Veteran K2
  • GB Marathon Team member for several years

The passing of a coach, mentor and friend - Roger Davey

4/4/2017

 
By Matthew Parkes
It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing of one the clubs most experienced coaches. Roger Davey, or Dodge as most of the club knew him was one of the best and most dedicated coaches the club has ever had. Dodge spent countless hours down the canoe club putting so much of his time and talent into making the clubs youngsters become some of the most successful the club has ever seen. Bishop's Stortford Canoe Clubs paddlers were not the only people to be lucky enough to experience Dodge's coaching. Hundreds of paddlers across the country have been coached by him including that of the GB team in which he was once a coach.

In 2014, Dodge was recognised for his continuous volunteering at the club and was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award at the clubs awards evening. He was also later awarded the clubs first ever lifetime achievement award, but sadly due to health complications, Dodge's appearances at the club became very limited. However he continued to coach from home, setting sessions and speaking to his paddlers about races, training and general life.

In my early paddling career myself, Izzy and Emily were coached by Dodge. Sim joined the group a few years later and I feel I can safely say we wouldn't be the paddlers we are today without his early coaching. To be taken under his wing in the summer of 2012 for the second time to train alongside Josh was a great privilege. Josh later went on to complete the DW with Dodge helping him every step of the way. Dodge is also one of the main reasons, like for so many, that I continued the sport through my teenage years. Around the same time period, Team Pink was formed, with new paddlers joining Dodge's group including Ella, Heidi, Emily, Laura, Megan and later on Catherine and David. As a member of Team Pink, although I used to hate admitting it, I think I can speak on behalf of the group in saying that the sessions coached by Dodge were some of the funniest yet most productive sessions we have ever had in our kayaking careers.

​I'd like to say thank you to Dodge for all his dedication to Bishop's Stortford Canoe Club. It was a honour to have Dodge as my coach, mentor and also friend. I hope to make him proud come Easter 2017 when I embark on The Devizes to Westminster 125 mile canoe race. 
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​Rest in peace x
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Roger Davey (Dodge) in his own words ...

4/4/2017

 
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Back in 2005, Roger Davey was one of the club coaches who had their arms twisted to contribute a biography for publication in our junior newsletter. Dodge had been a fixture at BSCC for a long time by then but, as he was a quiet and modest man, discovering his earlier history was something of an eye-opener:
"I started canoeing at Exeter Canoe Club when I was 18 and enjoyed myself over the next several years paddling all over the south of England – surfing and sea canoeing, river running and marathon racing.
In the course of time I moved to London and raced out of the Royal Canoe Club, where I was Paddling Mate for a period. I ended up in the Essex area, when my racing stopped. Shortly after that, I took up coaching and became a Junior Olympic Racing Squad Coach from 1982 to 1995, when I joined the White Water Racing National Junior Squad. I also continued with the Junior Racing Squad as Boatman/Driver, and at the same time was coaching paddlers all over the country.
Whilst coaching and travelling to so many places in Europe is great fun and very enjoyable, I eventually decided to focus a little closer to home and so now I coach the “Elite” Squad at BSCC. This is open to anybody who fancies their chances at improving in the competition elements of canoesport and is willing to take part in a suitable training programme – come and have a chat if you are interested. It’s nice and easy if you have the desire and commitment to improve."
Many of our paddlers benefited from Dodge's unique and special style of coaching over the years. He will be missed.
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At the Annual Club Dinner in March 2015 BSCC presented Dodge with a lifetime achievement award

Annual Club Dinner and Awards 2017

26/3/2017

 
Jacq and her team again did the club proud with an an excellent meal for the Annual Club Dinner at Much Hadham village hall on 11th March. As well as being a golden opportunity to celebrate the year's achievements, the event also raised just over £516 for club funds.

Particular thanks should go to Ant who bravely agreed to present the round-up of the year's events despite having no opportunity to prepare. Much of the evening was given over to the presentation of the awards:
  • Fastest Single - Matt Parkes
  • Fastest Female - Heidi White
  • Fastest Double - Danny Beazley & James Smythe
  • Woodcock Hasler Trophy - Matt Parkes
  • Stort Star - Gemma Beazley
  • Handicap Trophy - Euan Caton
  • Best New Junior - Isabelle Crawford
  • Best New Senior - Brian Owen
  • Most Improved Junior - David Gurney
  • Most Improved Senior - Chris Sze
  • Lightning Best Beginner - Cory Jones
  • Lightning Most Improved - Eilidh White
  • Lightning Coaches Choice - James Sellstrom
  • Canadian - Malcolm Duckworth & Paul Surrage
  • Style - Chris Sze
  • Perseverance - Kevin Warbrick
  • Commitment - Ant Wright
  • Twyford Trophy - Siobhan Latham
  • Coach of the Year - Wayne Stevens
  • Volunteer of the Year - Jacqueline Cayford  

More photos from the evening, and lists of past winners, can be seen on the Club Awards page of the website.
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Kastelse, Belgium - Social Event and Race

1/8/2016

 
On Saturday 30th July a team of 7 set off from Bishops Stortford at 10:00am in two vehicles to take part in the Nete Marathon.  The race is 13 miles long and hosted by Kastelse Kayak Klub based in the East of Belgium.  After a short hop on the train under the English Channel it was around 150 mile drive to Kastelse and we arrived late afternoon.  
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​The host club had a beautiful new clubhouse about 100m downstream from the original club which had been built by its members over last two years and largely funded by a grant from the local parish council.  The new club included a camping area with electrical hook up points for those with caravans or camper vans and more than adequate space for the rest of us in tents.  There was also a large patio area with plenty of seating for people to eat at of have a drink.
​We were welcomed on arrival by the president of the club and after taking a short walk down the road to get some dinner we joined him in the Kastelse Kayak Klub bar.  We shared a few stories about races he had done in the UK and some of us had done abroad in the past and then he proudly showed us the DW K1 team trophy that his club had won in 1998.  A trophy that will hopefully have Bishops Stortford’s name on it in 2017.
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Race day came with some early hours rain but by mid-morning the sun was out and the temperature was climbing nicely.  Danny had to attend the team leaders meeting at 12:00 to confirm our entries, collect the numbers and drinks tokens (yes, our Euro 4.00 race entry came with a free drink at the bar after the race!) and to discuss a possible course change due to recent flooding washing away the sandy banks and draining the last 1.5km of the river and filling it with silt.  It was decided to finish the race 1.5km downstream of the club and then everyone could paddle gently or walk the last section back.
We then put half of our boats on the Kastelse Kayak Klub trailer and just took Dave’s car to the start which was an easy 11km drive.  The race started at 2:00pm on a wide dead straight canal with all classes starting on one mass start. ​
Joe F and Matt made the large front group to the first portage which was about 2.5km from the start with Danny in the second group just behind.  Joe S was on his own between groups with Dave behind and Heidi and Chris together further back.  After the portage the front group split with Matt in the second half and Joe F off the back and quickly caught by Danny’s group.  There was 4km between the first and second portage and still the wide canal remained dead straight.  Once back on the water after the second portage the large groups were reducing to 3’s and 4’s with Matt in group 2, Danny in group 3 and Joe F in group 4.  The race continued on for another 3km to the next portage and still there was no sign of a bend in the canal.  After portage 3 it was 3.5km to the most crucial point in the race, the 1.2km portage from the large navigation canal to the river Kastelse Kayak Klub is based on.  Having said that, it could be argued the first bend in the canal 1.5km before this portage was the crucial point.  Would people still remember how to use their rudders, would the rudder cable have seized through lack of use, would they get giddy negotiating a slight left hand bend.  Despite all the excitement of this slight kink in the canal, we all made it safely around this bend.
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The long portage was along a very smooth flat cycle path with many locals fitting skateboard wheels to the deck of their boats and dragging them along the path.  This was a good opportunity for those that could run well to bridge the gap to the group in front.  Danny closed the gap to Matt passing the K2 that had been in his group and getting in with the top junior K1 a few metres down on Matt and the other K1 from the 2nd group.  The few metres gap was closed quickly and soon Matt and Danny were working together and dropped the other two Belgium K1’s on the shallow fast flowing upstream 5km section to the finish line ensuring the fight for 5th and 6th place would be an all Stortford affair.
 
Dave overtook Joe F and closed the gap to less than a minute on Joe S by the end of the run and Heidi also run well over this portage putting plenty of time between her and Chris (still recovering from a knee injury).
 
The last 5km was the section of river that had been damaged by flooding 2 weeks ago and had largely been drained and filled with the sandy soil from the banks.  This section was also fairly fast flowing against us and seemed extra tough having spent the previous 15km on deep wide canal.  This section did somehow seem to suit the Stortford paddlers with all of us gaining places.  This could be due to the weed on our own canal creating a similar effect on water depth and drag.
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Matt was first home coming a very respectable 5th with Danny on his wash in 6th but taking 1st veteran.  Joe S was the next Stortford boat home 17th across the line and 9th in the senior men’s K1 followed a few minutes later by Dave 20th across the line but taking 2nd super veteran K1.  Heidi was next to cross the line winning a very impressive silver medal in the senior ladies K1 and 28th overall with Joe F finishing 29th overall and 13th in the senior men’s K1.  Chris was 31st across the line and 5th in the super veterans K1.
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After a quick shower Danny and Dave retrieved the car left at the start whilst everyone else made the most of their free drinks tokens.  Boats were loaded on the cars and tents etc packed in the boot and following prize giving we left the club at 
6pm arriving home around 11:30pm.  This was an extremely success club social trip with the added bonus of a great race.  It was also extremely cheap and an event it would be great to see many more of you attend next year.  We extend our gratitude to Kastelse Kayak Klub for the great hospitality and for looking after us so well.

Results:
 
Senior Men’s K1
Matt Parkes – 5th  - 1:34:48
Joe Surrage – 9th – 1:41:42
Joe Fitzpatrick – 13th – 1:56:46
 
Senior Ladies K1
Heidi White – 2nd – 1:56:45
 
Veterans K1
Danny Beazley – 1st – 1:34:51
 
Super Veterans K1
Dave Hallam – 2nd – 1:45:22
Chris Sze – 5th – 2:03:25
    Tweets by @StortfordCanoe

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