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SUPJUNKIE REPORTING :
online – it ’ s stunning - GBSUP are still committed to a “ very northern race ” in the future .
Entry for BaySUP ( for both the flatwater and ocean tech races , which are being held on the same day ) opens on the 14th May , and the Celtic Cup won ’ t be long after - paddlers are chomping at the bit to race , so we guess they will fill up fast ! GBSUP hope to be able to confirm the final ocean tech race shortly .
Please check the current series race dates on the GBSUP Facebook page and website and further details of individual races under the events heading .
THE GBSUP NATIONAL RACE SERIES 2021 Words : Sarah Thornely Photos : Supjunkie , Jade Rogers Photography , RNLI / Nathan Williams , Emily Crawshaw / Bray Lake Watersports
BATTLE OF THE THAMES TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION The Tenth Anniversary Edition of the iconic Battle of the Thames entry opened and sold out in less than 15 minutes . Surely that must be some sort of a record ! The race is now raring to go on Saturday 12th June , and Brian Johncey , his family and The Blue Chip Board Store and SUPer Club team look forward to welcoming you all - they always put on a fantastic event .
Flatwater race 1 Battle of the Thames , Surbiton – 12th June
Flatwater race 2 BaySUP Battle of the Bay , Bournemouth 26th June
Flatwater race 3 Cardiff – 25th September
Ocean Tech race 1 BaySUP Battle of the Bay , Bournemouth 26th June
Ocean Tech race 2 Celtic Cup , Carbis Bay 4th July
Ocean Tech race 3 TBC
Sprint Championships British Canoeing / Nottingham 4 / 5 September
It ’ s the longest race in the series calendar , and we can ’ t wait to be part of the fun . It was cold and windy two years ago , but this year it ’ s being held in a more favourable month , so we are praying for better weather , although there always seems to be an interesting headwind on the Thames – hence the name ‘ Battle ’. If you ’ ve done it before , you just know !
We wish all those paddlers and Brian ’ s team a fantastic event – the winners from two years ago were Andrea Richardson and Zoltan Erdelyi – 14 ’, Emily King and Duncan Slater – 12 ’ 6 and Karen Greener and Steve Rutt – UKN1SCO .
Another change to the schedule is the loss of the most northerly race , the Beadnell Belta – unfortunately , this was entirely out of the hands of GBSUP , and the hosts , the Northern SUP Race Team – permission from local authorities was declined for this year due to the current situation . Still , we know it ’ s a race for the future . Check out the locality
An update on the GBSUP / RNLI collaboration
GBSUP supports the wonderful work of the RNLI . They continue to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies to fund raise and enable them to safeguard all of us on or near the water . It is worth having a look at their website , which is regularly updated with news and rescues . One feature we saw recently , which celebrates the 20th anniversary of the service , highlights 20 skills of their trusty lifeguards .
Anyone can apply to be a lifeguard , and here are just a few of the skills you need ; local knowledge , be highly trained , physically fit , a first aider , calm under pressure , good sense of humour , a shark spotter ( yes , really !), ambition and dedication . The article is worth reading to give you a better understanding of what lies beneath the calm exterior of an RNLI lifeguard .
https :// rnli . org / magazine / magazine-featuredlist / 2021 / march / 20-skills-of-rnli-lifeguards
They also have an incredible youth education programme that provides access to presentations , beach visits , and a considerable amount of education to make sure that all ages learn about the joy and dangers of the water .
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