Waterside B

1 March 2026

Dear WKC,

The Waterside Series continued last weekend with a brave contingent from Wey KC taking on Waterside B. We have a brief report and some photos below.

We also have a report from the training week in Sete attended by a number of our juniors over half term.

If you know any juniors aged 9 to 17 that are interested in trying paddling, please see below for details of courses running from Easter into the summer.

The 400 Club is a key fundraiser for the Guildford Waterside Centre - if you'd like to join, please see the details below.

The Catch comes to you on a fortnightly basis. If you'd like to include anything in a future edition, such as race reports, photos, talks, etc, please send details to comms@weykayak.co.uk. We've moved to a new newsletter platform, so please do share any feedback you have on our new look!

A quick reminder that we do try and communicate on as many channels as possible to accommodate preferences, with all formal club communications being made via TeamApp and this newsletter. Members are reminded to sign up for TeamApp (and the various groups within) to keep up to date with daily goings on.
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Enjoy the Water!

Also in this edition...

• What's On - Club Events and Calendar
• Waterside B
• Training week in Sete
• New beginner courses
• Volunteers for DW Marshalling
• An entrepreneur in our midst!
• Focus on... Sprint Regattas
• Regatta volunteers
• Paddle machine mystery
• Core coach course
• Nationals 2026
• Deep water rescue technique course
• 400 club draw
• Winter training programme
• Newsletter Editors
• WKC Paddler Safety Code
• Sign up to TeamApp for news, photos and chat
• Share your news, photos and chat

Waterside B

Last Sunday saw a smaller group of paddlers take on Waterside B - the only out-and-back race of the series, and therefore the one with a lot of flow to contend with this winter! Congratulations to everyone who completed the race in the challenging conditions:

Emma S and Agnes G - 2nd K2 Junior Ladies

Bob P and Stephen T - 2nd K2 Veteran

Mary W and Ben W - 3rd K2 Junior/Vet

Tom Camilleri - 3rd K1 Senior Men

Edward S, Tomozo P, Owen A, Jacob T, Ollie C - K1Junior Men

Waterside B offers the perfect opportunity for supporters to cycle alongside the canal from Newbury down to Aldermaston - this time around Paul T, Karen T, Sheila A, Tim C, Holly A and Delilah W found the tow path turn into a river at several points! And with a pub when you get to Woolhampton Lock, some cyclists chose to wait there until their paddlers returned...

Training week in Sete

Wey paddlers joined with Banbury Canoe Club on the half term trip to Sete (France) for some training led by Pete Gorman. 10 Wey club members (Izzy and parents, Eira and parents, Joshie and parents and Graham Holmes) joined about 20 members from Banbury for a mixture of paddling, crepes and much post training refuelling at McDonalds (known for its French cuisine!) - oh and some proper nice french food and wine. The juniors paddled K1 and the seniors did a mix of K1 and K2 combinations as the mood took them.

The sunshine was definitely a welcome break from the dull skies and drizzle at home .... and although the wind was challenging, it generally created amusement.

This has been an annual trip for a few years now and as we all made the long drive back from the South of France the Whatsapp was already pinging with plans for next year.

New Beginner Courses

For anyone who may be interested in learning to paddle and joining the club in 2026, there are now adult kayak taster sessions and Junior kayak introductory courses available to book through the club website. Please spread the word to friends and family!​
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Three-day junior courses will run from:
8-10 April
27-29 May
22-24 July
29-31 July
5-7 August
12-14 August
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All sessions are 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Full details on the website. You may need to click the "Booking" link to book onto the course.
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An adult taster session is running on Friday 10 April 6pm to 7.30pm. Further information on the website here​

Volunteers for DW Marshalling

As a club we support the annual Devizes to Westminster race by providing marshalling at Shepperton Lock. Boats should come through the lock from around midnight on Saturday April 4th up until the afternoon of Sunday 5th (rough times e.g. midnight to 6 am for the Senior Doubles and then 11 to 3 on Sunday for the rest, i.e. two separate shifts, exact timing will be given closer to the day). Given enough volunteers we should be able to have a shift system in place. If you are able to spare some time to support the DW please can you let David Halliwell know.

(treasurer@weykayak.co.uk)

Focus on... Sprint Regattas

Paddle UK runs 4 sprint regattas each year, all at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham. Racing takes place over 2 days, with heats and finals across 200m, 500m and 1,000m in K1s, K2s and K4s.

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At national competitions a minimum standard based upon the time taken to cover the specific distance is applied in order to enter the races - these are separate from hasler divisions. Having reached the minimum standard competitors are categorised by a variety of age and gender groupings, such as Men, Women, Boys (under 18) and Girls (under 18), and within each category an ability ranking of A, B, C or D, with D being the slowest. Progression through the ranks is based on time. In addition, there are the Mini Sprint Series for U12’s and the Intermediate Series for U14’s - so the whole weekend is open to everyone!
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The dates for this year's events are:
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11-12 April
National Regatta

30-31 May
National Regatta

4-5 July
Inter-club MacGregor Paddle Challenge

5-6 September
National Championships

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If you have not been to a regatta before, speak to your coach or fellow paddlers about what to expect. You also need to be registered - see the form below. Coaching groups will be running time trials in preparation for the April event.

The club are now collating information for entries for the 11-12 April regatta. Please fill in this form asap (and by 20 March at the very latest, to ensure your registration and entries can be made in time) -talk to your coach about any queries on which races to enter.

YOU as the athlete or guardian of the athlete are responsible for the correct information being entered and fees paid. Feedback on the last page of the form is more than welcome! See you all there: Regatta Entries For April Regatta – Fill out form.
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Entries still only cost £40 for the weekend as the SRC are keeping the costs down!
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Sprint regatta volunteers

On the 8^th March we are hosting a training day for the volunteers who make it possible for Nottingham regattas to run. If anyone is interested in helping out in any capacity this is a great opportunity to find out more. Lunch is being provided!

There will be a discussion of all the normal roles that need covering, so you can find out where you could help. There are also opportunities for anyone with IT skills in both running the current regattas and looking forwards to new software coming in later in the year.

Start time 10am.

If interested let Dave Martyn know at canoesprint.chair@vol.paddleuk.org.uk

An entrepreneur in our midst!

I am sure many in the club have recollections or current experience of school DT projects. Eddie W has combined his kayaking passion with his school exam requirements and has designed a marathon racing style buoyancy aid. It is sleek and clever! It uses air trapped in the drink reservoir to provide buoyancy.... and some traditional buoyancy on the front. How many people have struggled with wire and bent coat hangers to try to position their drink hose? Eddie's model has a nifty little clip - job done! Hope it gets you the top grade, Eddie.

Paddle machine mystery

A few weeks ago I put tape on all the paddling machines, around the shaft so that it's easy to see whether your hands are asymmetrical. It's really useful when I run a session with 10 juniors. Over the last few weeks the tape has gradually disappeared and now there's only a couple with it. Rather than start a silent war, if there is someone who objects to the tape can we have a chat and work out a good solution?

Please have a chat to Abi Laker at the club (or email comms@weykayak.co.uk) to ensure we maintain the best experience for everyone, thank you.
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Core Coach

Wey Kayak Club prides itself on having a wealth of good coaches and as such has invested significantly in coach development including The “Core Coach” Qualification. The Core Coach is a relatively new qualification and is the minimum standard of coaching award Paddle UK accept of those coaching at any club or centre in the UK.

Wey have arranged a Core Coach training session at no cost to you on 28 & 29^th March.

If you would like to know more about the two day course being held at Wey on the 28^th and 29^th or reserve a place, then please contact Paul Dimmock paul.dimmock2026@gmail.com​
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National Marathon

Championships 2026

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The Nationals organising committee are moving forward with arrangements - the date and location is now in the racing calendar and we now have a logo!
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There's lots going on behind the scenes, but as this progresses we will start allocating roles to the volunteer list, so look out for your call-up!
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​Role of Honour Volunteering List

To stage the biggest event in the Kayak Racing calendar we need more people to step up and help those listed above, so please don’t be shy and contact Paul Dimmock so your name can be added to the list. Please do this sooner rather than later, so that we can move from a call for volunteers to planning the event!
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In upcoming newsletters it will be great to report who else paddler, parent or a friend has put themselves forward to support our club.
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An outline of the type of areas that need covering or arranging include:
​Course - site use permission, approval of route, Marathon Race Committee liaison
​Race - starter, portage siting, number boards, finish line, safety boats, first aid, race briefing
​Facilities - marquee, toilets, drinking water, power, PA system, car parking, catering, road signage
​Admin - risk assessment, race pack, entries, results
​Marketing - logo, promotion (posters, social media, other clubs), filming/photographer, merchandise, prizes & prize giving, sponsors, trade stands
​Volunteers - coordination, uniform, security, welfare
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Of course this is not an exhaustive list of roles but may give you an indication of the areas which need your help, please contact me Paul Dimmock for further information paul.dimmock2016@gmail.com​

Deep water rescue technique course

One of the great skills to develop is the deep water rescue technique - not only may it save your life or that of a fellow paddler, it may save a long uncomfortable swim to the bank. This may not be so critical on our river, but could well be when paddling further afield on wider expanses of water.

Anyone interested in learning the effective deep water rescue, irrespective of you being a coach wanting to help others or simply a skill to develop for your own self-preservation, young or not so young, then let Paul Dimmock know at paul.dimmock2016@gmail.com

The dates haven’t been confirmed yet, but likely to be May / June when it’s a little warmer. The session takes approximately 2 hours.

400 club draw

The February Draw for the GWC 400 Club was made on the 21th by Robin Grainger, a founder member of Wey KC and GWC.

The Monthly number for £50, was won by No.107.

The 400 Club is an important part of the Centre's fund raising and will continue to supply cash for ongoing improvements and Centre upkeep, as well as repaying the personal loans taken out for our solar panel installations. You will all know that our gas and electricity bills have risen, putting great pressure on the all running costs at the Centre. All current works being carried out are designed to reduce these to a minimum but:-

We ask all members to think and act carefully on how they use all the facilities at the Centre, turning off lighting and power units when not in use.

We would ask all members and friends to consider joining the GWC 400 Club, to help out with keeping our costs down. 400 Club membership is only £2.00 per month, per ticket and at least 50% is paid out in prizes.

To join, go to the Wey KC website http://www.weykayak.co.uk copy the attachments, or see Jim at the Centre.

Debbie also has forms in the Centre Office.

Thanks

The GWC Trustees

Winter Timetable

Your newsletter editors

Chris H and Sheila A take it in turns to produce The Catch every fortnight - so grab us at the club with your stories or drop us an email. If you want to be more involved and join the editor rota, please contact comms@weykayak.co.uk or have a chat with one of us.

After 3 years of operation, the updated code seeks to move away from reliance on the NT boards (which will still operate), to using a river range of flow rates to better reflect the real time conditions on our beautiful but sometimes challenging stretch of water.
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Key changes are:
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Conditions are split into three types, Green (flow below 15m2), Amber (flow between15 and 25m2) and Red (over 25m2); Day and Night

• Over 25m2 Red there should be NO paddling, day or night. This is a reduction from 30m2 as it is felt there is no training advantage gained from those conditions.
• Green conditions - requirements remain unchanged from the previous code.
• Amber conditions (flow between 15m2 and 25m2) - this reflects more challenging conditions - in addition to the previous requirements under NT red boards - all U18 will be required to wear buoyancy aids.

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​Buoyancy aids are required and are recommended for all, at all times, and in all conditions. It is recognised however that in some conditions (green), paddlers experience and subject to coach discretion (and parental consent in the case of juniors) this requirement can be relaxed. The recommendation to wear one still stands.
The club has a large supply of BAs which members can utilise with a coach, alternatively members may wish to explore purchasing their own to meet their individual requirements.
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For those paddling outside of club organised and supervised sessions we strongly recommend adherence to the code and need to complete a dynamic risk assessment, considering elements such as the conditions, buoyancy requirements, planned route, paddling competency, safety equipment and appropriate clothing, every time you go out.
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It is better to be cautious and come back safe.

Keep up to date with the latest news, photos, events and chat!
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Step by Step - how to get TeamApp

1. Download the free TeamApp on to your phone via https://www.teamapp.com/app?_detail=v1. If you don’t want to use a phone app, you can access it using a browser, but you won’t get the notifications when there are new messages
2. Open the app and choose Log in or Sign Up, enter an email address and complete your registration.
3. It's a good idea to set up a password. In Team App, from Settings (normally a cog in the top right corner in the main Memberships screen)
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You will now be able to see information under Galleries, Chat and News. Please join in the Chat groups so that you can get the latest updates on what's happening.

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