Paddler & Entry Information
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HOW TO ENTER THE RACE
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Choose which class you wish to enter. The options are: |
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Senior Doubles |
crew of 2 adults, non-stop |
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Senior Singles |
crew of 1 adult, over 4 days |
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Junior Doubles |
crew of 2 juniors, over 4 days |
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Veteran Junior |
1 adult over 35 and 1 junior, over 4 days |
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Endeavour |
crew of 2 (2 adults / 1 adult and 1 junior), over 4 days, non-competitive |
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For full qualification criteria, please check relevant Class Rules. We urge those expecting to take over 28 hours in the Senior Doubles event to consider entering the Endeavour class instead to avoid placing excessive demands on our volunteer marshals and checkpoint crews. |
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Note the required entry fee: |
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Senior Doubles |
�135 |
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New rule for 2012.
No late entries will be accepted. Postal entry deadline: letters posted 1st class and postmarked no later than the Friday two weeks before Good Friday will be accepted. Entries handed to the Entries Secretary personally at the Waterside D race will also be accepted. |
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Senior Singles |
£94 |
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Junior Doubles |
£188 |
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Veteran Junior |
£150 |
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Endeavour |
£150 |
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Team Entries |
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Team Entry forms, together with Team Composition rules, can be found here for Juniors and here for Seniors & Overall. Either fill in the online form or download the pdf, fill it in and bring it with you to the start at Devizes. Please ensure that elegibility and club allegiance criteria are satisfied before submission. Please contact the Competition Secretary with any queries relating to Team Entries.
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Entrants should be members of the British Canoe Union (BCU) |
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To join, please click the following button. If you are not a member, you must obtain licences from the British Waterways Board and the Environment Agency to permit you to paddle on the course. |
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Completing Online Entry |
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You must enter online so that all your information can be downloaded automatically. This avoids the risk of manual input errors and ensures trophies are correctly awarded. |
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RULES
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COURSE DETAILS AND TIDE TIMES
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| Locks closed to support crews |
| For information on locks where access is not permitted to support crews, please see "Advice to Competitors and their Supporters" and any race day announcements. |
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| Course Mileages & List of Checkpoints |
| Click here for the chart [Word document - opens in new window] |
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| Portage Diagrams |
| Click here for portage diagrams [PDF document - opens in new window] |
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| Mid Section - River Thames from Dreadnought Reach to Teddington Lock |
| One of the principal hazards of this section is the series of locks and weirs. Paddlers should memorise the lay-out of locks very carefully before the race. The diagrams are provided in this section. It is also the responsibility of each paddler to assess whether they can cope with the prevailing river conditions. The Environment Agency provides live information about the strength of flow along the length of the River Thames. This may be found here. |
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| High tide at Teddington |
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Sunday morning 8th April 2012 |
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0432 |
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Sunday evening 8th April 2012 |
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1700 |
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Monday morning 9th April 2012 |
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0514 |
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| Tideway |
The Tideway is a particularly challenging and potentially hazardous section of the course with fast-moving tidal water and high volumes of river traffic. There are also official "rules of the road" and signals on bridges which paddlers should understand and obey.
The Port of London Authority has a website with information and advice for recreational river users. All race entrants should familiarise themselves with this material for their own safety. There is a section devoted to canoeists and there is also an instructional video entitled Rowing Through Central London which is strongly recommended. The site may be found here. |
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| TRAINING ADVICE |
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| General Comments |
- Join a club and learn correct technique
- Concentrate, above all, on training in the boat
- It is not normally helpful to cover distances greater than 35 miles in training
- Practice portaging as there are 77 in the race and they can cost a lot of time
- Train in the dark – this is a must for Senior Doubles and can be necessary for all
- Learn the course – this is vital, especially for Senior Doubles
- Incorporate your support crew in your training so they know what you need
- Practise capsize drills in a safe environment
- Choose a stable boat that you can handle, particularly vital on the tidal section
- Always wear buoyancy aids during training
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| Learning From Others |
- Talk to people who have done the race and pick their brains
- We strongly recommend Brian Greenaway’s book – “The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race” which is available from the DW shop
- Take a look at these training guides provided by BCU National Development Coach John Handyside. Devizes Westminster Training (click here for a PDF, opens in a new window) provides an overview of planning and preparing for a DW campaign. Devizes to Westminster Race Final - A Checklist (click here for a PDF, opens in a new window) provides a checklist of what you need to do. Don't leave it to the last minute to open this one.
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| Training Seminars |
- Marsport run free seminars, explaining all aspects of the race. They are held at the Wokingham Waterside Centre near Reading. Full details at DW Seminars. For further details, contact Marsport on 0118 966 5912.
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| Training Days |
- Marsport run training days at �50 per paddler and �20 per supporter which provide comprehensive practical tuition, on land and on water, of the skills required for DW. Full details at DW Training Days. Contact Marsport on 0118 966 5912 for further information.
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| Warm Up Races |
- We strongly recommend that paddlers should enter as many of the Thameside and Waterside series races as possible. They offer excellent opportunities to learn the course, practise portaging, become accustomed to your boat and for support crews to learn their role. Details of these races may be found through the Links section of this website.
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