2011 08 newsletter

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Volume 35 Issue 8 ~ August 2011

Newsletter F

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Frome Canoe Club is affiliated to the British Canoe Union and is a Registered Charity (Number 1104728)

MARKET YARD SLALOM

Team Hartley/Jones/O’Neill storm to the finish and take 2nd place with a score of 121. For more about this competition turn to P12.

Annual Club BBQ, Try-a-Boat Day and Cardboard Challenge Sunday 7

th August

Langham Farm EVERYONE IS WELCOME

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FCC ‘THROWLINE ’ CLUB MAGAZINE

Send articles for the next issue to [email protected] by 26th July

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President

Graham Warnecke

Vice Presidents

Richard and Jane Arney

Jim and Catharine Croft

Chairman

Andy Bell

Vice Chairman

Rich Carter

Treasurer

John Kent

Secretary

Pam Dixon

16 Blagdon Walk, Frome, BA11 2YH

Committee Members

Debbie Ashdown

Howard Charlesworth

Sam Charlesworth

Mandy James

Alun Jones

Gareth McGiveron

Karl Waldeck

Sara Withall

Jack Smiles (Youth voice)

Kit Officer

Tim Smiles

In this issue

3 Calendar in brief

4 Barbecue and try-a-boat

6 Surfing weekend

7 A local trip

8 Tiverton Training Weekend

9 Club sessions

10 Bradford on Avon

4 Mini slalom

12 Market Yard Slalom

15 Report: Ironbridge and Cardington

14 Report: Mini slalom in July

5 The Cardboard Challenge

16 Active Kids Vouchers

18 Bits and Pieces

CALENDAR: details

REPORTS

SLALOM MATTERS

SPECIALS

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Calendar 2011

Date Event Standard Contact

August

7 BBQ and Cardboard Challenge All Pam D

10 Adults use slalom equipment Adults on Wed John K

12 Fun minislalom at Langham F All John K

27/28/29 Surfing weekend Families Howard C

September

3/4/11 Two Star Course One Star Pam D

11 River Frome or Avon Passport or 1 Star John

14 LAST WEDNESDAY SESSION All Pam D

16 Last Friday session Adults John K

23 FIRST POOL SESSION All Pam D

25 River Wye Passport or 1 Star Alun J

October

8/9 Moving water training Passport or 1 Star Pam D

23 River Barle 2 Star Alun J

30 River Frome Passport or 1 Star Rich C

November

12/13 Dart Training weekend One Star + Pam D


Members: let us know what you think about the organised trips and activities that the committee plans for us. Is there enough going on for you? Give us your views - email Rich on [email protected]

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at Langham Farm

Friday 12th August

This is the third and final mini slalom of the year. It is an ideal event for beginners and we will help you to get involved if it is your first event. You can paddle any boat, and as usual, you can borrow club kit.

Come at 6pm for practice.

Event starts at 7pm

Please note that this date has

changed from previously advertised.

It was to be 5th August: now the 12th August.

The BBQ, Try-a-boat-day and Grand Cardboard Challenge! 7th August At Langham Farm From 11am Cost £5.50 adults £3.50 youth Organiser - Pam

Everyone is welcome to join this event, which includes a stunning barbeque, a try-a-boat-day and the Grand Cardboard Challenge all rolled into one.

We have a variety of boats for you to try out during the day. You can spend the morning building your cardboard canoe and then race it in the after-noon, you can get involved with the barbequing and preparing the feast, or you can just chill, chatting to fel-low members and friends. Of note is the following important fact:

THIIS EVENT CAN BE A PERFECTLY DRY OCCASION.

There is no requirement for you to get in a boat, but of course you are very welcome to.

See next page for details about the

Grand Cardboard Challenge.

Calendar in detail - trips


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the Grand Cardboard Challenge


This is the second Cardboard Canoe Race to be held by Frome Canoe Club and will take place at the annual BBQ.

7th August, at Langham Farm

The principles of a cardboard canoe race are to get from one point on a river to another in a canoe. Sounds easy? But not when your boat is made of cardboard held together with duck tape!!!

The aim is to get your home-built canoe from the weir at the top of Langham to the bridge at the bottom. The winner will be the team to get the furthest. Boats can be made in teams of two with one person racing it, or both if it survives that long. Boats must be made entirely of cardboard and duck tape, nothing else.

Prizes will be awarded for Best made and decorated Best performance

So what do you need to do: 1. `Form a team of two 2. Sign up on the sheet in the clubhouse (not absolutely essential!) 3. Collect some cardboard and duck tape together 4. Get building!!! Boats can be made before hand or built on the day. We have plenty of cardboard and some duck tape at the clubhouse already. 5. Be ready to paddle it from the weir to the bridge just after lunch.

Judging of canoes will be after lunch, followed closely by the race.

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Surfing weekend


Suring Weekend 27th /28th /29th August

A self catering, camping and surfing weekend.

It’s time to catch some

surf! Yes it’s that time of year again when we

head down to camp at Dinham Farm in Cornwall to catch some surf on anything which floats. Last year was very successful with surfers heading out to the waves very early to beat the crowds. This left the rest of the

day to spend with the family on the beach or whatever you want. It’s good safe white water practice for both new and experienced. To partake you will need camping equipment because it’s self catering. If you’re under 18 bring your parents and if you’re over bring them anyway. Also bring your chosen surf craft and gear - you can borrow club kit if you need to but be sure to either email Pam or write it on the list when you sign up.

Costs Transport: variable. (£20-£25) Food: variable (it’s DIY time - you sort it out for yourself!) Camp charges, per person per night:

Adult £6 Child (2 – 12 years £4 Child (13+ years) £6 Dogs £1

Dinham Farm Caravan Park at www.dinhamfarm.co.uk

Meet: Arrangements are variable - most people make their own way there on Friday. Pair up to share costs!

Any questions please email: [email protected]

This trip is not suitable for unaccompanied youth members.

http://www.dinhamfarm.co.uk/

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Calendar in detail

The River Frome or Avon 11th September Meet at the Clubhouse 9am Cost £3 Organiser - John Kent

This trip will be a good trip for you if you have just got your Passport or One Star qualification this year. And of course for any of us who have done the river before and survved.

Our local trips are always good fun and if we do the River Frome we get to have fun on the weirs and play in the stoppers if there is a little water.

Meet at the normal time for local trips - 9am at the clubhouse. Bring change of clothes, lunch and paddling gear. You can borrow boats, helmets, buoyancy aids etc if you don’t have your own ones. We sort that out on the morning.

We should know in the week running up to the paddle which river we can do: it depends on rain. If we have had a dry spell we will be doing the Avon as it is not much fun walk-ing the River Frome. So it’s a wait an see affair!

Wednesdays 8-9pm

Clubhouse These sessions are running well now, with lots of takers every week. Do come along if you want something different on Wednes-days. There is no specific qualifica-tion needed to join in, except the desire to have an energetic, noisy and possibly wet, session with lots of action.

Led by our capable Coach Jack, the sessions are always good fun.

Club day trips To make things easy for members we try to keep two things about trips the same: the meet time and the costs. These are: Local trips: meet at 9am, Cost £3 Distant trips: meet 8am, Cost £13 Ed - this does make it easy but we need to give warning that the committee is to review costs of trips in view of increasing petrol costs. So watch out for changes as the winter paddling season starts.

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Calendar in detail - Training on moving water


PROCEDURES FOR BOOKING ONTO THIS WEEKEND TRIP

The list for Tiverton Training is in the booking file, clearly labelled, on the desk at every club session. You may want to talk to Pam, Rich, John or Arthur before you sign up for this one. Tiverton has a very specific function of training. It is a catered weekend and we discourage day trippers. To book onto this weekend trip, a non returnable deposit (£10) needs to be paid in advance. Or we can take the payment in full.

Remember your name is only on the list when some money is paid up front.

Tiverton Training weekend 8th/9th October Meet 8.30am at the Clubhouse Cost £36

This is your chance to learn/develop/polish your white water skills including:

breaking in and out of the flow, surfing stopper work rapid running, eddy-hopping and so on.

We paddle the River Exe on both days, working in very small groups.

Overnight we stay in the Youth Centre in Tiverton. You need to bring overnight things and any paddling stuff you have. Also a pillow, sleeping bag and mat be-cause we sleep on the floor. Food is provided and you are expected to help with some of the domestic chores like washing up etc.

You can pick up the paddling gear that

you want to borrow from the club on the Saturday morning.

Minimum age limit for this activity is 10 years.

You also need to be at the standard of One Star or Passport or above.

This trip is really planned for begin-ners and so priority will be given to our less experienced paddlers.

Booking a place is essential. The cost of £36 includes transport, training, accommodation and food.

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Club Sessions


FRIDAY SESSIONS At Langham Farm 7pm - 9pm Cost £2

These sessions are for adults. Young people can come if their parents bring them and stay to paddle or watch.

People usually ‘do their own thing’, either slalom training, or a gentle paddle up and down stream in a kayak or open boat.

Most people bring their own kit but we do have a limited stock of club kit there if you don’t have your own.

Please drive slowly and care-fully along the track leading to Langham Farm . Friday sessions continue all though the summer. If John is away and a session has to be collapsed, he will put a note on the website. Please check regu-larly for up-dates.

The last Friday session is 16th September

WEDNESDAY SESSIONS At Market Yard 7pm - 9pm Cost £2

Wednesday sessions are in full swing now.

THEY RUN ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS AND INTO SEPTEMBER.

Choose the right session for you:

Fun and games Open boating Slalom training Polo Adults only

Young people in the first hour, older people in the second hour. Adults get to use the SLALOM poles and boats on August 10th

This will affect the second slalom training session in this session. We suggest that the adults come early and train in the first hour. Don’t forget we have Sit on Tops at the Market Yard and these can be used on Wednesday sessions.

Last Wednesday session is 14th September

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Report - Bradford on Avon


Bradford on Avon trip 24th July

We did have a good trip. There were 25 of us on the water today and Julie came with us to watch and join us for lunch. The open boaters claimed that open boats were taking over the club now, but with only five canoes on the trip I can’t quite see the maths in that. OK, the canoes all had two or even three people in them, but it still doesn’t add up. Kayaks still reign!

It doesn’t matter because we had a fantastic time, including the standing-on-the-top-of-the-weir ritual which includes walking this way and then that way... And then posing, as if that’s what we kayakers do?

Then there was losing one’s footing on the weir (the first one, Avon Cliff weir) and falling into the deep water (not down the face).

Any ideas what this is about? It’s not Stick-in-the-the-mud.

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Report - Bradford on Avon


Some did shoot the weirs, and did it in style! Some with swims and some without.

Then we moved away from weir activities and tried the ‘how many people can get into a canoe’ and of course the compulsory sinking of instructors. Well Rich gave a good fight and held off being sunk in spite of bung being opened, deck being pulled, people on top, and that killer move: kayak turned over and held. He did finally swim.

Did you work out that first picture? Well we were just using paddles as sails in the gentle breeze. It worked to an extent!

Girls Bee T (3), Ellie H, India T (3), Isi M (3), Kyra B (6), Lia H, Millie M and Philippa T (3).

Boys Ben N, Jonathan W (9), Nathan H (6), Rich N and Sam G.

Ladies Jane T (3), Julia R (3), Pam D, Robyn B, Sara W (too many swims to count) and Veronica F.

Men Chris H, James M, Jonathan H, Karl W Rich C, and Rich H.

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Report - Market Yard Slalom

Posi-tion

Team Paddlers

1 Jones/Jones/Smiles William, Alun and Jack

2 Hartley/Jones/O’Neill Sebastian, William and Ailbhe

3 Frome Flippers Reborn Graham , Rich and Pam

4 Llandysul Paddlers Llandysul paddlers

5 Howellers Jonathan, Ellie and Nathan

6 The Swimmers Jack Hobbs, Georgia Dunne and Liz Kelly

7 Team O’Neill Terry, Ailbhe and Tierney

8 Team JAM Jane Thomas, Andrew Lyall and Mark Hemmens

9 The Blobbies Rosie Vallis, Lia Hobbs and Bee Thomas

10 Miles Better Isi, Philippa and India

9 FCC teams are born and take the slalom event by storm! Excitement, enthusiasm and energy: the air was charged with electricity on the start line. The groups collected for their first runs in the Team Event, to a cacophony of banter and insults being hurled, as the teams tried to psyche themselves up and scare off the opposition. Then the commanding voice of Andy A, the Starter, silenced

us all and brought us to attention. The first team was off. Then the second team. And before long everyone was off. Groups were flying down the course. There was shouting and strategy, concentration and determination. And then it was over in just 2-3 minutes for each team! Smiles of pleasure overlaid the grimaces of pain. But there would be another chance to do it all again in the second run, to outsmart our competitors and who knows, we might just win! (See table above for final results!)

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Market Yard Slalom - our paddlers

A thoroughly good event with record participation 32 club members racing

Here they are in the individual races. For Team participants look on P12

C1 Div4 Men Rowan Avery, George McGiveron

C2 Div 4 Lia Hobbs/(Martin), William Jones/Alun Jones, Lia Hobbs/Sam Nicol, Sam Nicol/Ben Nicol

K1 Div4 Women Ellie Howell, Georgia Dunne, Liz Kelly

K1 Div4 Men Jack Smiles, Richard Heal, Mark Hemmens, Tierney O’Neill, Ellis Price

Open Terry O’Neill, Jack Hobbs, Alun Jones, William Jones, Josie Shillabeer, Ailbhe O’Neill, Rosie Vallis, Lia Hobbs

Officials Pete Bloodworth

Teams See Page 12

Promoted to Division 3 Ellie

Howell who came 1st in Div 4 Womens

Jack Smiles who came 1st in Div 4 Mens

Richard Heal who came 2nd in Div 4 Mens

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Reports - two slaloms


IRONBRIDGE SLALOM Saturday 25th June By John Kent

It has been 5 years since the last Ironbridge slalom and in the mean-time major work has been carried out to shore up the river banks, removing trees and other vegetation in the process. Ironbridge always had a reputation for being demand-ing and with the water level up, a fast flowing course was in store and with one significant feature half way down.

My first practice I had missed some gates because of the fast water through the staggers. My first run I achieved all gates but wasted time on some breakouts. My second run was better with tighter breakouts, with the exception of one missed a gate. In a moments lapse of concen-tration I had drifted past gate 3 and had to paddle around it to tackle it again. Results for FCC in the Div 2 K1 Men 19th Rowan Avery 27th John Kent

CARDINGTON RESULTS Saturday 2nd July Div 2 K1M 5th Andrew Lyall 5th (out of 30) 14th Ben Nicol

Div 3 C1M 1st Ben Nicol Sunday 3rd July Div 2 K1M 15th Ben Nicol

Div 3 C1M 1st Ben Nicol Andrew also came away with 1st Master for his effort on Saturday. Ben was promoted to Div 2 at the end of the weekend. CONGRATULATIONS to you both. As an aside, Frome now has 5 mem-bers in Div 2. Hopefully by the end of the season that will be 6. I don't know if the club ever had that many so high. Graham might know?

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Mini slalom: July 8th


Mini slalom at Langham Farm By John Kent

Our second race was 8th July. The overall winner again was Jack Smiles, beating Andy Vowell by just one sec-ond. Watch out Jack! They're getting closer.

Andy feeling rather miffed said to John that there should be an under 20's handicap. John totally agreed And an under xx's. But whether any-thing gets done... It’s watch this space.

First female was Kyra.

We had a C2 entry this time. Andy V had brought his 1970's C2 with cockpits at each end. What a struggle he and Andy Avery had turning it through the upstreams on a flat

course. But they managed.

Thanks to Megan, Alun and Andrew for judging and timing. And to Alex for the pictures.

Our competitors this time were:

C2 Andy A and Andy V C1M Andy A K1M Andy V, Ben N, Jack S, Mark H, Peter B, Peter T, Rich H, Rowan, Terry O, William J K1W Kyra B

If you fancy a go in a fun event like this, and it really is good fun,

then the next one is August 12th

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Bits and Pieces


Active Kids Vouchers. All those vouchers you collected and the others from last year have bought us a Camcorder and a storage basket for the kit room. 601 vouchers have been banked for next year.

Thank you Hazel for sorting it all out for us.

DONATIONS FROM MEMBERS

Karl Waldeck has given

us a ‘new’ tent to be

used for Control at

future slaloms. Our last

one had done its time,

for sure.

And our Vice President,

Jim, has offered us a

brand new set of Slalom

gate numbers. These

will replace those home-

made ones we use!

Thank you to you both!

If you are look-ing for a local supplier of canoe kit, then try the Family Adventure Store. (Near Trowbridge). The club has bought lots from them and we are very happy with the service they provide. Why not go and see for yourself?

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Bits and Pieces

Regional events The Big Paddle

When: 2nd October 2011

Where: Exeter

What: A Tour and a Race suitable for any and all abilities.

For the beginner a leisurely paddle down the historic Exeter Ship Canal and

for the more adventurous a paddle down the River Exe shooting the two weirs then a short portage and back up the canal.

The event will be suitable for all types of boats from Sit-on-Tops to Racing

Boats so put the date in your diary further details will be published when we get them.

South West Canoe Show

1st October 2011

Manoeuvre of the month

We have a new activity now it seems! Get to weir. Get out. Make boat safe and then walk. Yes, not so different up till now, I hear you say. But what about this? Step out onto the upstream side of the weir. Yes man, (or woman or girl), can-not stand on water: it is proved one more time. The disbelievers who all tried it on the Bradford on Avon trip are Bee T, Philippa T, Nathan H, Julia R and Jane T. You might have thought that at least the grown ups would know some rules of physics by now, involving up-thrust, Archimedes Principle and surface tension. For lessons in floating and sinking, we suggest you speak to our resident naval architect, Andy V, who will be happy to explain.

Have you spotted change for the next mini-slalom? Fun Minislalom at Langham Farm

was Friday 5th August

NOW Friday 12th August

DATE CHANGE

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Bits and Pieces

A VERY POWERFUL YET GENTLE TREATMENT FOR

A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS : FROZEN SHOULDER,

TENNIS ELBOW, BACK AND NECK PAIN, ASTHMA, HAYFEVER

STROKES, WHIPLASH, INFANT COLIC TO NAME BUT A FEW.

ALSO AVAILABLE LUXURY FACIALS USING NEALS YARD REMEDIES

ORGANIC SKINCARE RANGE, AROMATHERAPY AND SWEDISH MASSAGE,

INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE, METAMORPHIC TECHNIQUE, AND REFLEXOLOGY

ALL IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME. PRICES RANGE FROM £20 - £35

FOR MORE DETAILS PHONE HILARY ON: 07835404779

THE BOWEN TECHNIQUE


The winner is ...

Bee Thomas

A bar of chocolate is

coming your way!

Hey ‘Tim’ is this really part

of the one Star Course?

Hey ‘Tim’ is this really part

of the one Star Course?

Sp

ot

the

Dif

fere

nce

Well done to all of you who

submitted entries for this.

CORRECTION Last month’s newsletter stated that the Tiverton weekend is in September. Wrong! The layout of the table on P2 got messed up and the ‘October’ head-ing got deleted for some reason. Obviously nothing to do with the technical competence of the edi-tor...

Anyway Tiverton Training weekend is of course in October.

Please adjust your calendar if you have entered the date into September. Apologies from the editor.

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Bits and Pieces

ONE STAR PASSES We tried out the sit on tops, the surf kayak, play boats, the slalom boats, a variety of general purpose kayaks and the canoes on the One Star course over the weekend of 9/10th July. We were lucky to have Jack in the afternoon on Saturday because he showed us all how to do some playboating moves (not part of the One Star, you under-stand) and we also got to pole in open boats. It was great. Ben Brookes Sol Warsop Pat Knight-Gaynor Georgia Dunne Liz Kelly

They all passed with flying colours and seemed to have had a good

time too. Congratulations! Thanks to Jack and Rich who

Congratulations to

Nadine, James and Jon

who have all achieved

their UKCC Level2

awards. They tell us they had to fell a

forest to provide all the paper

needed to complete the written

element of the award.

Ed: We also would like to thank these three coaches and Seán, who have turned up weekly to coach the Green Group in our Wednesday Club Sessions.

Friday Pool Sessions Friday Pool Ses-

sions

Start on September

23rd.

Look out in next

month ’ s issue for

details about how to

get involved.

Also next month is

the report from our very first club trip to

Cardiff. Who did what and when? Who

swam ? Who didn't?

Copper Nose Clip points chart

returns in the next newsletter. Check out your score next month when the Bradford on Avon and the Cardiff points will be added!

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www.frome-canoe-club.org.uk

CONTACTS

Chairman: Andy Bell 07966 203309

Vice Chair: Rich Carter 01373 864623 [email protected]

Treasurer: John Kent 01225 765168 [email protected]

Secretary: Pam Dixon 01373 473836 [email protected]

Youth Voice: Jack Smiles [email protected]

Canoeing and kayaking are “Assumed risk” – “Water contact sports” that may carry attendant risks. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks, and be responsible for their own action and involvement.

Get all your canoeing

things from the Family

Adventure Store at

Hilperton. BA14 7PJ

Check out the photos of club events or put a comment on the message board!

CALLING ALL PARENTS AGAIN HELP STILL NEEDED

WEDNESDAY CLUB SESSIONS

We need volunteers to help ‘man’ the store and give out kit to new members. We also could do with help at the end of the session to put boats away. No previous experience is needed - we will show you everything you need to know!

Can you give up one Wednesday a month to be in a rota of volunteers? Email Pam if you want to know more: [email protected]

Caption Corner ..

WHAT ARE THEY SAYING/THINKING? Who is saying what? Or thinking what?

Send entries to Rich: [email protected]

Documents

2011 08 newsletter