We had the most successful ever regatta last weekend.  There were multiple medallists, and even those who didn’t get on the podium saw new PBs and had great races.

Angela Hannah – freshly back from her bronze-winning race at the World Championships took the National 200 K1 title, as well as the 200 K2 – the latter with her World’s partner, Hannah Brown from Wiltshire Youth.  The pair were also just caught on the line in the 500 K2, to take silver.

Iain Weir, also back from the Worlds, continued his dominance of the national C1 races, winning the 1000 and 500.  He paired up with top female canoeist, Katie Reid, to win the C2 500 and, in an adventurous move, with Jonny Schofield in the C2 200, where they took silver.  This was unusual, as Jonny is one of the world’s top 200m kayak paddlers – having won silver at Rio and bronze at London with Liam Heath in the K2 races.

The juniors also proved to be a force for the future.  Arthur U found himself on the podium alongside the current World Junior 200m champion in the K1 500 race, where Arthur took bronze despite a very cautious start as he and the World Champion had had warnings for a false start.  They were on the podium again in the K2 500, where Arthur paired up with Finn from Linlithgow for silver, just behind the World Champion.  Arthur took another silver in the K2 1000, this time with Spencer from Devizes CC.

Will McC also took home 3 medals.  He won 2 silvers with Ben from Lincoln in the U16 K2 200 and 500, and then a bronze in a late call-up to a mixed-club crew in the U18 K4.

The other multi-medallist was Esme D, again taking two K2 silvers in the U16 girls 200 and 500, with Molly from Norwich.

The K4s brought in the final haul – the Banbury crew of Alice, Sophie, Becca and Isla taking bronze in the Ladies 500m race, and Jessie also won a bronze in  another mixed-club boat for the U14 girls race.

There was a great club atmosphere throughout the weekend, rounded off with a fajita party for 30 at the campsite on Saturday night!