Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club come third in Cambridge Winter Series Marathon on River Cam
Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club came third in the Cambridge Winter Series Marathon.
The 14-strong team finished behind winners Chelmsford and the hosts in persistent rain on the River Cam.
All of the various classes began at the Cambridge club’s Sheep’s Green headquarters, headed downstream along the Cam and made a long portage around the Millpond Sluice before heading through the Backs.
Those on the three-mile course then turned at Jesus Lock and this included the 12 entries in the open kayak class. This race saw the closest finish of the day as Stortford’s Robert Gough battled with Chelmsford’s Ian Birch and finished one second behind (29min 38sec) to take silver.
The fastest of all the paddlers on the three-mile course was Stortford’s Jasper Kirtland, whose time of 27.15 won him his third successive gold medal in the under-14 boys’ class this series.
There was also a gold medal for Summer Norford in the under-12 girls’ (51.20).
Rupert Kirtland was one of 10 entries in the under-12 boys’ kayak class, so his bronze medal (34.15) was particularly well-deserved.
Stortford had two paddlers on the five-mile course, which continued over Jesus Lock to turn at the Green Dragon Bridge.
Ben Tubby took gold for the club in the SuperVet (over-50) men’s race with his time of 53.05, keeping him in the lead for series points in this class despite having missed the previous race.
In the under-16 girls’ event, Libby Gaulton won bronze with her time of 1hr 2min 24sec.
The circuit for the longest course extended seven miles. Stortford’s Joe Fitzpatrick teamed up with Scott Leblanche, from Barking & Dagenham, to win silver with an impressive time of 1:01.58 in the men’s kayak doubles.
In the ladies’ kayak doubles, Stortford’s Kerstin Queeney paddled with Catherine Shirley, from Ealing. They were not only second in their class, but were also the fastest SuperVet pair of all the tandem kayak classes.
Other Stortford results: Seven miles - K1 senior men: 5th David Gurney 1:06.33; K1 senior ladies: 3 Eilidh White 1:28.45; K1 vet ladies: 2 Kerry Tubby 1:24.45. Three miles - K1 open: 4 Jamie Winstanley 32.35, 8 Zoe Norford 36.02, 10 Jack Law 36.25.
