175 paddlers raced under sunshine at Aura Vale Lake

OH, WHAT A DAY,

On the 24^th June the Sherbrooke-Knox Canoe Club ran a Winter Series Marathon race with a difference.

The race was run at Aura Vale Lake on a circuit of 2.5km laps. There were 4 mass starts to cater for the various distances with the number of laps by the first full distance boat controlling when these starts would be.. When the first full distance boat started its last lap (the bell lap) a bell was rung continuously to signify the last lap of the race. Once the first full distance boat finished all boats then finished Ðsimilar to a motor cycle / car race.

One can only say the race was a real success with 175 paddlers in 93 boats competing. The weather was clear and cold but with beautiful sunshine, warmed things up quite nicely.

The number of cars created some challenges for our parking crew but with their organized approach handled the volume professionally.

The race was great for spectators with easy viewing of about 2/3 of the course from the sloping grassed area and with the number of boats there was plenty of action to view.

Two of the starts created great interest with 33 and 43 boats respectively across the lake ( attached picture is of boats lining up for the 43 boat start). These starts created some challenges for the competitors but it would be great to grow our sport and see this sort of thing frequently.

General comments from the competitors indicated they would be willing to compete under the same concept again and the spectators really loved it.

And to top it all off our canteen helpers provided great food (including the SKCC pancakes) and drinks to keep the masses satisfied.

Congratulations to all our volunteers / helpers for making the day a great overall experience for everyone.