Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club finish second in opening Winter Series event of the season on River Stort
Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club finished second with a smaller team than usual when they hosted the opening Winter Series event of the season.
They only finished behind Chelmsford on the River Stort while Cambridge took third place.
More than 120 competitors from 13 different clubs took part in perfect conditions, including, for the first time, two stand-up paddleboard entrants.
Stortford fielded a team of 19 paddlers and two of their best performers were young siblings Rupert and Jasper Kirtland.
Rupert was one of six taking part in the under-12 boys’ kayak class and he clocked 37min 52sec to win gold. They raced on the three-mile circuit of the River Stort from Southmill Lock to the town centre and back downstream, portaging Southmill Lock, and turning at Twyford Lock to finish back at Southmill.
His brother Jasper also won gold in the under-14 boys’ Kayak class in a time of 27.40 over the same distance against some stiff competition.
Robert Gough, Shehan Sheikh and Jack Law, three of the club’s very recent recruits, enthusiastically took advantage of the new kayak open class on the three-mile course which is intended as a less challenging option for those who, by age, should be on one of the longer courses but are not yet ready for the distance.
Gough earned a bronze medal for his time of 31.48.
On the five-mile course, the circuit for which extended between the town centre and Spellbrook Lock, necessitating three portages, gold medals were won by Ben Tubby (46.47) and Claudia Redeker (53.09) in the men’s and ladies’ SuperVet kayak races respectively.
On the same course, Libby Gaulton won silver in the under-16 girls’ kayak (58.54).
The longest course covered seven miles from Southmill Lock to Sawbridgeworth and back with six portages. Stortford’s Kerstin Queeney partnered Ealing’s Catherine Shirley to second place in the ladies’ kayak doubles (1hr 9min 47sec).
The medals were presented by Stortford mayor Cllr Richard Townsend.
BSCC results: 7 miles - K2 16+ Mixed: 6th Jacque & Dave Cayford 1:21.06; K2 16+ Ladies: 2 Kerstin Queeney & Catherine Shirley (Ealing) 1:09.47; K1 Senior Men: 6 David Gurney 1:04.06; K1 Senior Ladies: 1 Eilidh White 1:24.13; K1 Veteran Ladies: 3 Kerry Tubby 1:21.32, 4 Kerry Hoar 1:46.36.
5 miles - K1 SuperVet Men: 1 Ben Tubby 46.47, 10 Peter Winfield 1:09.33; K1 SuperVet Ladies: 1 Claudia Redeker 53.09; K1 u16 Boys: Jamie Winstanley DNF; K1 u16 Girls: 6 Libby Gaulton 58.54.
3 miles - K1 u14 Boys: 1 Jasper Kirtland 27.40; C1 Novice: 1 Petr Luksan 39.24; K1 u12 Boys: 1 Rupert Kirtland 37.52; K1 Open: 3 Robert Gough 31.48, 7 Shehan Sheikh 40.41, 8 Jack Law 41.43, 9 Alex Scott 41.51.
