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Women and Girls in Racing

The MRC, together with members of the female racing community, are running some Introduction to Flatwater Racing days.
These are for women and girls who already paddle (any craft) but have not raced and are interested in finding out more and giving it a go.  We have a couple of pilot days planned (see below), and hope to then roll these out further around the country, working with local clubs who will be able to support the new paddlers in the future.   
We will be working with female coaches and helpers and using stable racing boats, including K2s, C2s  (and maybe even K4 at Norwich).
There will be a charge of £10person for each event, to cover access costs/building hire and refreshments.
The first events are:
19 March at Banbury and District Canoe Club 
2 May at Norwich Canoe Club.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to come to either of the above days, please complete the form below: (https://forms.gle/auxvfuUG6eu54Ao99)
There will be a zoom get-together a couple of days before each one to run through any questions.
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JDS Skills Day 22 January at Reading CC

The next JDS event is taking place on Saturday 22nd January 2022 at Reading Canoe Club. This is open to junior athletes and coaches.

JDS January 2022

 

For all the details of the event and to sign up, please follow THIS LINK to the JDS website. If you are a coach, please click on the coaching tab to find all relevant information and the sign up link.

Sign up will close at 17:00 on Tuesday 11th January 2022,  and entries after this time won’t be accepted.   Additionally, coaches who want to attend MUST sign up through this system. We need to accurately account for the coaches attending on the day and properly assign coaches to groups. Coaches who do attend will receive 10 CPD points

The JDS Steering Group is aware of the rising cases of Covid-19 and will be keeping a close eye on government guidelines in the lead up to the event.  We are in the process of finalising our guidance depending on different circumstances, and this will be published on the JDS website shortly.  This guidance will be sent ahead of the event to all attendees, with clarity on what the expectations and requirements are for people to comply with any rules imposed.

If we have to cancel the event due to Covid-19, we will of course issue full refunds to those who sign up.

Any queries or questions for the event please contact the MRC JDS members at mobbsholly@yahoo.co.uk and/or nanetteickelly@gmail.com.

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JDS Day – November 6 November

The next Junior Development Squad day is on Saturday November 6 at Holme Pierrepont, focusing on crew boat skills.  For more information and to sign up, please use the QR code on the poster.  These days are for both athletes and coaches, and are being run jointly by the MRC, SRC and BC’s Talent Department.

JDS November 2021

 

 

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Geoff Sanders/U14 Racing Format for 2021/22

During the summer the new Geoff Sanders  format for U14 development racing was run successfully at a number of events. As we move into the 21/22 season the new format is now live. The first point scoring races will be Pangbourne and Shropshire this weekend.

We felt now was a good time to clarify a couple of points:

  1. The rules on the website are the most up to date. You can find them here from page 22:
  2. In line with discussions at the ACM, Division C is open to all mini K1s (including lightnings).
  3. In Division B & A any boat that would be considered acceptable to race at a Hasler can be used, including lightnings, mini K1s, Standard K1s, C1s and Surfskis.
  4. There is the occasional race (for example at Oxford this year) where the timetable allows for a GS paddlers to race GS K1 and the Hasler in K2. We would like to highlight there is no rule that prevents this. While rule 25b prevents a paddler racing at 2 Hasler qualifying events this does not apply to Geoff Sanders races so Geoff Sanders paddlers are able to race GSK1 and a K2 at the same event, (this may include 2 GSA paddlers racing together in Div 9).  It should be noted that while this is not prevented in the rules, there is no expectation that organisers should adjust timings to accommodate it.

Our overall aim is to get young people racing. We want to remove red tape and make it accessible whist also having a fair and fun competition. It is not just about points and prizes, it is about developing our future athletes and giving a load of kids some great racing along the way.

If you have any questions, feedback or ideas about the Geoff Sanders Series, please get in touch.

Evan, Julia & Kat

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2021-22 Hasler Season starts

We are delighted to announce that the 2021-22 Hasler season has started, from 1st September. The inter-club Hasler competition and paddler qualification rules will re-start from the first races of this new season, with qualification towards the 2022 Hasler Final in September next year.

Hasler races will now be available to enter through the new Race Entry System

The start of the season will see one rule change: the first in-region boat in each division will earn 50 points (100 for K2s/C2s), with points decreasing by one for each position as usual. The reason for increasing the points is that some start lines see over 20 paddlers, so there will still be points to race for below this position. There will still be a 110% cut-off time, where paddlers outside this time will earn a single point.

An organising club and venue for the 2022 Hasler Final have been proposed – confirmation and announcement to follow.

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“Standards for Racing” table – 2022 edition

Updated in 2022 with new sprint promotion and demotion times

The Standards for Racing table compares performances and times with Sprint and Marathon rankings, and the Handicap system.

It is used in the marathon race management system to guide promotions and demotions, with promotions to Div 3 and above decided by the MRC Rankings Officer, Roland Lawler. Coaches and paddlers can use it to understand and compare sprint and marathon rankings and potential performances.

Standards for Racing 2022
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Junior Development Squad – Skills Day, 18 September

The Junior Development Squad is being now being run jointly by the  MRC, SRC  and British Canoeing’s Talent Department. 
These are events are for paddlers of the following minimum standards:
Girls –
U16s – Girls C and/or Div 5 marathon or above
U19s – Div 4 marathon or above
Boys –
U16s – Boys C and/or Div 4 marathon or above 
U19s – Div 3 marathon or above
The first event of this new collaboration is on 18 September at Wey Kayak Club, and Ivan Lawler will be the lead speaker.  There are are more details and information on how to sign up
on the web site here.
Coaches
The JDS is also aimed at those seeking to develop their knowledge and engage with other like-minded coaches.  You do not need to have a paddler attending the events – just come along with a desire to learn, engage and share ideas.
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New Speed Series – pilot races

The MRC has been working with the SRC to pilot a new series of local “Speed Series” races. The aim of these races is to create a local and regional sprint and short-course marathon competition similar to the Hasler series, and with a focus on learning and fun.

Norwich CC trialled an event among club members on 25th April, which included 200m knock-out sprints, a relay event and a 3.6k tactical race with portages.

Details of the trial can be found here, with a summary of feedback received here.

The MRC and SRC are now in discussion with a couple of clubs to reopeat this trial during 2021, with a view to launching a series of races in 2022.

Please contact Dyson Pendle if your club is interested in running a trial event