The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic

The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic first ran in 1977 and involves a paddle of 111 km from Windsor to Mooney Mooney, NSW. This year 535 paddlers have registered so far, paddling in 352 canoes. There could be up to four people in a canoe/kayak and up to six people in an outrigger. Unbelievably, since 2008, there have been people doing the course on stand up paddle boards!

Each year, the race raises money for medical research, with the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation this years beneficiary. Each paddler is required to raise at least $200 through sponsorship. If they don't; they have to make up the difference.

Please help me raise money for the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation by going to my sponsorship page. You'll get a receipt for your tax refund and a big thankyou from me!

The paddlers start between 4–6 pm and can take anywhere from under 9 hours to over 18 hours. I think I'll take about 15–16 hours including one hour for breaks. The race is run overnight on the last weekend of October to take advantage of calmer conditions and less boat traffic. I regularly paddle at night and it's a wonderful feeling once you get over not being able to see the banks and work out where the corners are. It's quiet, calm, the water shines, and the occasional fish jumps out of the water. Fortunately this year there is a full moon.

So why on earth do people want to do a 111 km paddle at night? Some people are pretty serious about paddling and are looking to win one of the divisions, some like a challenge, some are joining in because they want to support the selected charity, and others are just nuts. I think I fit into the challenge category. I started paddling at the beginning of the year, so I have no idea whether I can even finish the thing, but I figure that if I just keep plugging on, I'll make it!

There is no requirement at all to finish the race. Some choose to paddle to the first major checkpoint at Sackville, others choose to paddle to Wiseman's Ferry, and others pull out for a variety of reasons along the way. If you make it as far as Wiseman's you get one point for your club (if you belong to one). I am a member of the Lane Cove River Kayakers, who have won the cup for the most points 18 times since 1990 and hold multiple records in different divisions. By far the largest division is the Brooklyn or Bust group, who leave first and often finish last. This is considered the social group, but there are still some serious paddlers.

We can't forget the land crew and volunteers who make it all possible. Volunteers run the start area and scrutineering, they man the checkpoints, some of which are on a boat in the middle of the river, and they man the finish. Every person that enters the race must have a land crew to support them, even if there are six people in one craft. The land crew bring your car from the start to the finish, and make sure their paddler stays alive by providing them with changes of clothing, food, water, medication, and whatever else they need. If they're unlucky, they have to clean out a boat that may have wee in it (some people don't hold it and don't stop). A big thankyou to Leita for agreeing to be my land crew :)