Due to some problems with the timing system used, there has been great confusion over the results.  However, it now looks as though we came 4th, behind the winners Chelmsford, and the joint second places of Richmond and Royal Canoe Clubs.  This is an excellent result for Banbury, and the culmination of a year of training preparation for this most important event, where all members – irrespective of age, gender or speed, are equally important to the club.

With the top clubs qualifying from each region, there were around 750 paddlers from 37 clubs racing at Richmond.  To allow all clubs to be competitive, irrespective of size, it is the top 3 K2 and top 6 K1 scores that count on the day – but everyone out there helps, as they may be preventing someone else from scoring!  And everyone who has raced for the club over the last 12 months, has helped to get us to the Finals.

Those scoring yesterday were well spread across the K1 races, with Will P, winning Div 7, Arthur U 3rd Div 2, Jessie U 3rd Div 6, Will McC 5th Div 3 Ali D 7th Div 4 Steve P 7th Div 6. The club’s top 3 K2s were Debbie and Keith A with yet another win in Div 9, Robin A and Jerry H, just outsprinted to 2nd in Div 4 and Debbie H and Stephen H 6th in Div 8.

Alongside the Hasler series is the Geoff Sanders Trophy for the Lightning paddlers.  Banbury have dominated this competition over the years, but this year, despite a win on the day yesterday, they could not quite claw back the difference between them and Glasgow KC, so finished second.  Still an outstanding result for what has been a slightly smaller team this year, with many paddlers rightly opting to come out of Lightnings early and take on the all-ages divisional races.  There were no podium places, but Will B on a welcome return to racing was 4th in U10 boys.