Many will not quickly forget the savage weather we had over the Easter Weekend – biting winds, driving snow and freezing conditions. However, some will find it harder to forget than others.  Amongst these are the 168 brave souls who climbed into their K2s on Friday 20th March to compete in the Junior Doubles of the 125-mile Devizes-Westminster International Canoe Race 2008. Amongst the 84 pairs who did so were the eight representing Cranleigh; all members of the VIth Form and all with only ten weeks training behind them.

 

Their first day took them 34 miles and 35 portages along the Kennett and Avon Canal to Newbury.  Here, after a day of being buffeted by strong head-winds they camped, awaking to sun-zero temperatures that gave them a hint of what the day held.  After 20 miles the canal gives way to the Thames, and here the full force of the weather met them, made worse by the flow and wind meeting to create sea-like conditions.  So rough was it that many chose to take to the tow path and run, whilst others succumbed to the cold and were forced to retire.

 

Day three, from Marlow to Teddington, began with thick falling snow, but the wind remained relatively subdued to give some respite to the now exhausted crews, although with 38 miles to paddle, the crews still had to muster all their reserves and more.  At Teddington the Thames becomes tidal, with the fourth and final day involving a mass start to the finish at Westminster.  But to catch the early tide competitors were awoken at 2.20am and after scraping the ice off their kayaks, took to the water wearing head torches and light sticks, for the two hour paddle home and the waiting crowds, including a wonderful Cranleigh contingent.

 

All the Cranleigh pairs performed magnificently. Jamie O’Neill and Ed Thomas fulfilled their early promised and finished ninth overall in a sub-20 hour time.  They, along with the next two pairs home – Will Merrett and Fraser Bashford, and Rowley Sims and Rob Hardwick – ensured that Cranleigh took second place in the team event.  Our top two girl pairs – Hannah Culshaw and Olivia Roberts (placed an impressive third out of 15 pairs), and Ella Singleton and Amy Kelly – also secured second place amongst the girls’ teams.  Thus, overall, Cranleigh proved to be the competition’s most successful mixed school entry, and in addition our mixed crew of Alys Morgan and Dom Marcar, finished well up amongst the other mixed pairs.

 

Special mention should be made of the tenacity and guts that all the paddlers demonstrated in bucket-loads.  This was seen again and again, and not least when some were especially tempted to throw in the towel but held on: Will Merrett who had been unwell in the run up to the race; Amy Kelly who nursed a shoulder injury throughout; Rowley Sims who was badly ill at the start of the final day; Will Dixon-Hempstock and James Hislop who capsized in the middle of the Thames on day two; and finally, Sarah Tessler who was determined to finish when her partner, Tessa Watson, was compulsorily retired, suffering from hypothermia on the same day, and did so thanks to Lucy Garrard stepping in.

 

Crucial to the team’s success were the many who, in different ways, provided support throughout the event. Last year’s team turned out in force, supplemented with other Cranleighans, to wave, shout, hang banners, assist and generally encourage. Several members of Common Room were there at key moments to add a smiling face or a welcome hot drink. Paul Crosfield deserves special thanks for giving up his entire weekend to drive the minibus and much more.  But the biggest thanks must go to the 17 sets of parents who followed their paddlers from Devizes to Westminster, feeding and watering them throughout, themselves fighting their own battle against the weather, tiredness and the roads of rural Wiltshire and urban London. Such is the extraordinary team nature of this unique event!

 

PVP

 

ps Editor PJL adds: Phil modestly omits to mention that he and colleague Sally Peers themselves came 8th in the team event and without their support and supervison over the last three months the pupils would not have had the opportunity to compete.