By Guy Dresser
Photos:
Nicki Douglas-Lee
Major upset as mixed crew wins Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race
Alex Lane and Dan Seaford from Reading Canoe Club shocked canoe marathon pundits with a surprise victory in the annual 125-mile Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race, held in blistering temperatures over the Easter weekend. The pair became only the second ever mixed boat to win the race outright in the event’s 71-year history, seeing off challenges from numerous all-male crews.
By coincidence these included Keith Moule of Chelmsford Canoe Club, racing this year with Richmond’s Tom Sharpe. Moule, one half of the first mixed crew to win the DW race four years ago with fellow GB team mate Lizzie Broughton, was hotly tipped to win but struggled to make any impact on the early canal section and he and Sharpe retired at Reading. The pair had talked before Easter about challenging the 40-year old course record of 15 hours 34 minutes but with little flow on the Thames this never looked realistic.
Meanwhile, Fowey River Canoe Club’s Dan Palmer and Peter Wilkes, strong performers on the Waterside Series of races held on the Kennet and Avon Canal in the run-up to Easter and seen as a good guide to form among DW crews, also retired, barely an hour into the river section. Palmer, a two-time winner of the junior doubles race, had high hopes of winning his first senior race but it was not to be after Wilkes fell ill.
“I thought we might do well but Pete became quite unwell and by the time we reached Henley it was clear we were going to have to stop,” said an obviously disappointed Palmer.
The withdrawals left Richmond’s Richard Hendron and Aaron Jordan from Barking and Dagenham to challenge Lane and Seaford, but they never looked like a serious threat to the slick Reading boat, and reached Westminster 13 minutes down. In third place were Alex Burt and Paul Hayes whose club, Newbury, also picked up the team trophy for the first time in its history.
Lane expressed delight at her win, adding that she hoped it would inspire more women to take part in marathon canoeing. Citing the This Girl Can movement, she added: “I think women were always persuaded they were not capable of winning ultra-endurance events,” she said. “It’s rubbish – I grew up with three brothers and never felt I couldn’t do things. This growing movement, it’s empowering women, and we’re all finding it very satisfying to beat the men.”
senior singles class
The senior singles class, won by Ben Haynes of Falcon Canoe Club in 16 hours 45 minutes, was itself notable for the fierce competition in the women’s class. Just nine minutes separated winner Bethan Davies of Reading from second-placed Jenny Illedge of Worcester, and the final 17-mile stage from Teddington to Westminster saw a five-strong group of women racing head-to-head for much of the way.
Junior Doubles
In the Junior Doubles race, there was a runaway victory for Matthew Collinge and James Drage of Fowey, who finished more than two hours ahead of the next placed boys crew, James Lewin and Felix Hawkings from Bryanston School.
There was more success for Fowey as clubmate Bronte Holden raced to third place with Wey Kayak Club’s Samantha Martyn – comfortable winners of the junior girls’ race, they had vied for second place for some of the weekend. Fowey’s success underlined a growing trend, the lack of canoe club participation in the junior doubles class. With the exception of Fowey and a handful of paddlers from Devizes and Reading, the under-19 DW competition is now dominated by canoeists from independent schools, many of whose paddlers use their canoeing experience as part of a Duke of Edinburgh Award and focus on winning the team competition.
remarkable tales of heroism
Elsewhere, there were remarkable tales of heroism and examples of quiet determination. Injured former Royal Marines Jon White and Lee Waters returned for a second crack at the race and beat their 2012 time by more than two hours to finish in 26 hours 27 minutes. White, who has three prosthetic limbs, completed the race unassisted.
Royal Canoe Club’s Nicole Williams, widely thought capable of a top three finish, was disqualified on the first day after a check on her emergency kit. Despite having her boat number removed, Williams’ demand to be allowed to finish was granted and she continued to Westminster. Although denied a finisher’s medal, she still raised £1,200 for the RNLI.
Ciara Lee and Ollie Harding
Another notable finisher was Ciara Lee, whose husband Eddy was killed in a road accident by an inattentive driver in 2017. Lee took up canoeing just eight months before Easter, determined to take part in the DW race and raise funds for two road safety charities. Partner Ollie Harding, who has five non-stop race finishes under his belt, including one win and three second places, described Lee’s race as ‘the most remarkable he’d ever seen’. Proof, as always, that some of the most amazing stories on the DW race are not necessarily those of the winners.
After 2018’s mid-race cancellation, DW organisers were hoping to put the race back on track this year. Despite many incredible performances, however, the event was marred on the final day of racing by the death of a competitor, the first fatality in the race’s history. DW Race Director Tom Armitstead said the organisers were working closely with investigators looking into the incident. “We are all shocked. It is devastating for the family and friends of the paddler concerned and we extend our deepest sympathy to them. We continue to cooperate fully with the relevant authorities to understand exactly what happened.”
