Hampshire – between Portsmouth and Southampton
Course details
Starts at Lands’ end below the Jolly Sailor Public House following right hand side of river bank downstream to finish at RAF YACHT CLUB (Approx. two miles)
If required course changes or race cancellation will be considered and implemented. If Gale Force 5/6 consideration to change course will be considered. If over Gale Force 6, two options will be considered depending on weather severity and paddler safety:
- Option 1: The course will be changed to run from Lands’ End to the M27 Motorway bridge and back to Lands’ End with one or two loops to make the race. Safety boats will be positioned at the M27 motorway bridge and Bursledon bridge.
- Option 2: The race will be cancelled.
Start
Swanwick Shore Road
Swanwick
Southampton
SO31 7HP
Finish
RAF YACHT CLUB
Riverside House
Rope Walk
Hamble
Hampshire
SO31 4HD
River type, grade and hazards
- OPEN WATER NOT SUITABLE FOR NOVICES
- CAN BE EXTREMELY ROUGH WITH UP TO 25MPH WINDS AND 2 TO 2.5 FEET WAVES
- HAZARDS: MOORED BOATS, OPEN WATER, WIND, TIDE
- Is safety cover provided? If so what type of cover please list
- YES ON KEY PARTS OF THE COURSE : MINIMUM OF TWO MOTORISED SAFETY BOATS ON TWO MARINA FRONTS AND A LAST BOAT CANOE SAFETY MARSHALL
- NB: MANY PARTS OF COURSE PADDLERS WILL BE ON THEIR OWN AND WILL NEED TO SELF RESCUE OR CALL FOR HELP FROM THE NEXT PADDLERS:
- Safety cover may be needed by paddlers racing and you must ask for help or any paddler seeing another who is or may be in difficulty should render assistance if they do not they face a potential life ban from the sport.
- Race paddlers must wait on until the next two paddlers have finished there must always be two paddlers at the bottom of the race acting as safety.
- The race can vary year on year from relative flat calm to extremely challenging conditions
- 2011, 2014 AND 2015 RACES WERE VERY CHALLENGING WITH 2014 HAVING 25 MPH HEAD WINDS AND CONTINUOUS ROUGH WATER WITH UP TO 2.5 FOOT WAVES AT ALL ANGLES IN PLACES PLUS WIND DISRUPTION