A small but committed group are still battling their way through the cold weather to do the Waterside and Thameside Races.  Last weekend was Waterside B, where Annelies and Neil McA were a very close second in the mixed K2 class.  Neil was standing in for Annelies’ DW partner Lorna – who’s under some pressure now to keep up this speed!  Keeping it in the family, Annelies’ brother, Robin paired up with Seamus for 7th in the always competitive Men’s K2 class.  Three of the juniors put in very good efforts over the 17 mile, 19 portage course.  Michael and Harry raised £180 for the Association of Glycogen Storage Disease – breaking their target of £150, and coming 11th in the Boys K2 class, whilst Jessie was 7th in the Women’s K1, and first junior.  DW veteran, Irene, was 12th in the Women’s K1 class, and this year’s DW pairing of Paul and Malcolm finished 22nd in the Veteran’s K2.  Sadly another DW crew – Chris and Derek, had to retire due to a broken rudder.

This weekend was a bitterly cold Thameside 2, which was also an assessment race.  Taking part in the latter were Joe, pairing up with ex-Banbury paddler Arthur, who finished 6th, and 2nd U23 crew, whilst Shaun, paddling with University partner Francis, sadly had to retire due to a flare-up of a shoulder injury picked up last year.  Neil McA continued with his strong results in these winter races, coming 3rd in the Vet K1 class, whilst the DW K2 crews all completed, with Chris and Derek 12th and Paul and Malcolm 15th in the Vet K2, and Annelies and Lorna – finally reunited, 5th in the senior ladies K2 and Dawn S and Jacqui persevered through the freezing conditions to finish 11th.