Mark Wilkes is the current U23 K2 National Champion and member of the GB marathon squad. In 2014 he represented Great Britain in Amsterdam and Bohinj (Slovenia). Here is his write up of his favourite race venue. The River Cam, Cambridge I’ve always enjoyed racing at Cambridge ever since I was in Division 9, and even more so due to spending three years training there whilst at university, making it somewhat of a paddling home away from home. Furthermore, being it is often one of the first Hasler races of the new year, Cambridge has that added frisson of excitement from having the chance to blow away the winter cobwebs and see where you stand compared to paddlers you haven’t competed against in months that other races later in the season are unable to match. The timing of the race aside, it’s also a quality race course. Sit back as I look at the course from a paddler’s eye view to explain what makes it so good. If you’re racing over the 4 mile course, the first turn is only about 700m into the race. Therefore, going into it is an intense, frenetic affair, as you’re surrounded by a sea of overexcited paddlers desperately trying to make it round the buoy in a good position. It’s a great feeling to lead a huge Division 9 group into the turn and come out of it unscathed. Although the longer courses sadly/wisely don’t give one the opportunity to participate in that slice of fun, you do get to experience a really first-class portage 1000m into the race. This is a portage that rewards a pre-race scouting expedition, as it has a smorgasbord of options available. It offers a lot of space to get out and also a lot of overtaking room on the run, so you get a real chance to stretch your legs and go for it. Furthermore, if you can get a gap here, it’s only about 5 minutes or so to the next portage so it’s a chance to open the race up, leading to a fast and furious first 10 minutes. For this you also get to have your five minutes in the spotlight as puntloads of tourists with flashing cameras capture you flying by. Knowing that somewhere, there’ll be photos forever immortalized on the Facebook accounts of complete strangers makes the moment so much more fulfilling. The part through the Cambridge backs also offers you glimpses of some stunning works of architecture, such as the Bridge of Sighs and Kings College. Frantically weaving between punts as you push hard to the second portage just adds to the drama of it all, and is a test of boat handling skills to boot. Once you’ve cleared the second portage and put the punts behind you, there’s about 50 minutes of uninterrupted paddling (apart from the turn) until you have to portage again. This is a great feature of the race as it allows you to simply enjoy being out on the water getting in some miles without having to think too hard. There are also the college boathouses providing some more bankside scenery while you paddle. Lest you think it might get boring, there are normally plenty of rowers out on the water as well. None of them are particularly quick, so you get plenty of ego boosting and satisfaction every time you make an overtake. As the Cam is not blessed with an abundance of room and many of the rowers aren’t very experienced, it adds that element of unpredictability to your racing experience. Like Pocahontas, you are forever wondering what is just around the riverbend. Is a rowing eight about to ruin your day? This part of the course also provides you with some different paddling environments, being a bit wider than further upstream, as well as some sweeping bends and Cambridge’s own version of the Henley straight - the Reach, often complete with wind and chop as well (although nowhere near as mind-numbingly long). On the way back it’s race on again, with the portages once again in quick succession. However, if you’re fortunate enough to be doing the 12 mile course it isn’t over yet. After the last portage you head up back past the start line into previously uncharted territory. You’ve had the weaving through punts round choppy, concrete lined bends and impressive buildings. You’ve had wider river, long bends and straights as well as rowing boats. Now Cambridge serves up a different set of conditions. Half an hour up and back round along a classically narrow, twisty river replete with overhanging trees and some tight bends, including one that’s pretty much 90 degrees. To sum up this eulogy to the River Cam, it’s a great race due to the river traffic livening things up, the changes in race tempo offered by the course, majestic scenery, and the distinct sections of the river. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a winter race where you get to do the first eight miles of the Hasler course. Only in winter, the increased flow and often high winds provide another set of very different conditions. It’s a gem that just keeps on giving.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:07:45 +0000
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