Words & photos
by Julie Raworth
New paddler to Newbury Canoe Club in 2021, Explorer level.
Additional info
Newbury Canoe Club is proud to run the largest racing series in the country! The Waterside Series consists of four Sunday races spaced at fortnightly intervals starting eight weeks before Easter. Each race progressively increases in length from 13.5 miles to 35 miles. The Series attracts 200-500 paddlers for each race from all over the UK, many of whom use it as training for the Devizes Westminster Canoe Race. Its success is a virtue of the volunteering efforts of its members in marshalling the races.
The big link
One scorching day in July saw the two diverse canoe clubs paddling together as sea kayakers took flatwater racers across Poole Harbour.
Introduction
Historically Newbury Canoe Club developed slalom paddlers, some with international success. However, the altering of a local weir changed the kind of paddling available, and NCC became a predominantly marathon racing club with the Waterside Series at the core of the club operation. The development of our new clubhouse and the subsequent steady drive to increase membership means we now have paddlers wishing to try new paddling experiences beyond the Kennet and Avon Canal. NCC has no qualified sea kayaking coaches, so the idea of building links with other clubs was developed.
NCC was then recently introduced by British Canoeing’s James Hinves to Poole Harbour Canoe Club with the hope of forming an affiliation in which both clubs can offer facilities, training and leadership to their respective members. PHCC enthusiastically embraced the concept, drafted an affiliation proposal, and organised the first sea kayaking trip. NCC is also now working up a marathon training day for PHCC members.
The first real outcome of all the background preparation was an exhilarating taster day of sea kayaking provided by Poole Harbour Canoe Club for 12 NCC members. This has fuelled NCC members’ enthusiasm for more, and we will be off down to Poole regularly.
Racers meet sea kayakers
Heading into the great heatwave of 2022, twelve intrepid Newbury Canoe Club paddlers made their way down to Poole Harbour to experience the joys of sea kayaking with the support of Poole Harbour Canoe Club. There was a wide range of experience skills in the group, from hardcore racers and veteran adventure paddlers to newly certified ‘explore awarders’ only a year into their paddling experience.
The meeting of the two clubs also seemed popular with the PHCC as we were greeted by an almost matching number of members to paddle along with us. It was later disclosed that concern was expressed by PHCC when they reckoned their average age was at least 10 years older than our group and felt somewhat scared by our young, fit team of racers! However, this concern proved not to be warranted as, where we favoured age, they favoured years of experience and knowledge of sea kayaking, keeping us rounded up and safely supported throughout the trip.
After a team briefing and equipment allocation, we started off from the club, based at the end of Wareham Channel, leading into the round of Poole of Harbour. The first part of the trip was reasonably calm, giving everybody a chance to get into their flow. We meandered down the coastline around Long Island, Round Island, then south of Green Island and Furzey Island, enjoying lots of bird life and navigating sailing boats and luxury yachts. A single seal was spotted at their usual spot but, disappointingly, only by those at the front of the pack.
With the NCC group’s stamina being tested, they were already tired and hungry, so they opted to stop for lunch at a top-secret isolated beach rather than carrying on to Brownsea Island. Whilst one of the PHCC members gave us a history lesson on the island over lunch, others went for a paddle in the pleasantly warm sea. Some had childhood memories triggered by watching the crabs running around on the beach whilst others overcame their fears of toilettes au naturale!
The second part of the day changed pace as we headed further out to sea across to the famous Scout camp and National Trust-owned Brownsea Island. With crosswinds, this proved somewhat choppy, and even the most experienced of our paddlers heard a few whoops and squeals. There was no choice of escape at this point but to dig in and just keep paddling through it. Seeing other holiday makers just sitting on their kayaks at the edge of the island, not venturing anywhere, I felt great pride for what we had all just achieved.
After a little breather at Brownsea Island to recover our nerves and energy, the most challenging part was about to come as we headed back up to the club across the middle of the harbour; I heard this was about one-kilometre out to sea. Rumour also had it that the PHCC members were seen at lunch in a huddle expressing some trepidation that the wind was faster than they had anticipated and wondered if our inexperienced crew would cope. They decided we could handle it as we were pulled all over the place from every direction of the harbour. Steering in any kind of straight line was certainly a challenge, particularly for those struggling with wonky boats (for once, this was not tradesman but the tool to be blamed as father and son switched and had the same issue!). It was not until near the end that some discovered the benefits of lowering their skeg.
People were getting tired and sore, and I noticed a theme in my chats of how our ability to push our bodies is about ‘mind over matter. Whilst some of our paddlers were used to longer stretches with marathon racing, this involves different techniques, boats and water. Others were only used to a couple of hours of gentle canal paddling. Since starting paddling last year, I had peaked at a 12-mile paddle on the London stretch of the River Thames, where, even though choppy, we were easily carried along by the current.
When I learnt from one of the more senior PHCC members that he had been in a plane accident just two years ago and was still in recovery and physio but seemingly easily keeping on top of us young ones, I felt my aching shoulders had no right to complain. The exhilaration, excitement and fun of paddling in the waves certainly helped overcome any fatigue.
The boats and yachts we had to stop for were getting more intimidating. In our pathway, there seemed no way through the team of sailing boats practising their twists and turns, so we veered around them instead. We dug deep at the last stretch with the hut now in sight.
Back at the club, hosting the boats down of sea salt and sand was a refreshing activity, along with the ideally located ice cream van in the car park!
Whilst somewhat sore, everybody seemed to have had a fantastic experience. We thank Adrian for organising the day for Paul and us and other club members for leading us safely on this 11.4-mile adventure.
Here’s to many more future activities with PHCC, both home and away, and to new paddling friendships.
The relationship going forward
Both clubs are now working to take the relationship forward, with NCC planning some marathon racing workshops for PHCC members and PHCC offering NCC members the opportunity to attend their regular sea kayaking sessions and trips.
