Canoeing is now a well-established part of Cranleigh life, with opportunities for involvement at a number of levels. Canoeing features within the Fourth Form Outdoor Education Programme, where the theme is very much about having fun and gaining confidence in and out of a canoe. In the Lower Fifth canoeing is still a pool-based activity and the aim is to learn some basic techniques. In the Upper Fifth, the move is made to the Wey Kayak Club in Guildford and the paddlers are introduced to racing kayaks. For those Cranleighans in the Sixth Form who are selected to train for the Devizes-Westminster International Canoe Race, canoeing gets much more serious!
The Devizes-Westminister Race
Over the past few years canoeing has grown dramatically at the School, and especially with regard to its participation in the famous and demanding Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race, held annually over the Easter weekend. Cranleigh is now a force to be reckoned with in the Junior Doubles race, and enters a team of 20 paddlers each year, all paddling in pairs in racing kayaks known as K2s.
During the Michaelmas term VIth Formers apply to be selected for the team and those chosen spend the Lent term training and racing in preparation for the 125-mile course which runs from Devizes in Wiltshire, via the Kennett and Avon Canal, to Westminster Bridge on the River Thames. The aim is to complete the course in under 24 hours if possible.
 The Junior Class paddles the 125-mile course over four days, camping each night in designated sites. Other races are entered in preparation, which cover stretches of the course, as well as a two-day training camp on the River Thames.
For more details of the race, please go to http://www.dwrace.org.uk/
For details on how the Cranleigh School team did this year, please visit: http://www.cranleigh.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=185
DW photo gallery coming soon...
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