ThePaddlerUK 88
K1 – a 125-mile race
Outside the Senior Doubles, there was an incredible
125-mile race in the four-day K1 class. After day one, Samuel Plummer (Leighton Buzzard) and Daniel Beazley
(Leaside) were only a second apart, with Tom Sharpe (Richmond) six minutes behind. By the end of day two,
Sharpe had converted the deficit to a 20-second lead over Plummer. Day three was a battle of wills, with Sharpe
extending the lead to 59 seconds, and day four turned into a 17-mile adrenaline fuelled race down the tideway
with Sharpe and Plummer crossing the in the same group. Quite a DW induction for two first timers!
“It was close,” recalls Sharpe, “I thought Sam would have a bigger lead after day one. But with a lead of six minutes, I
thought I might be able to make it up.” For Plummer, day two didn’t go so well; racing on his own was unexpected
and when the blistering wind on the Henley Straight took it out of him, it was a struggle from that point. Both
paddlers are very well respected with their DW performance adding to that and the prospect of promising
futures. But for now Sharpe has the euphoria of victory, while Plummer has the reflection of a race well run with
the frustration of finishing second.
Everyone – with perhaps the exception of Sharpe and Plummer – enjoyed the tussle. Greenaway said it was, “A
real race all the way to Westminster.” Sam was expected to be good down the canal, taking advantage of being a
good runner, while Sharpe – being used to the bumpy water that he once paddled down in Exeter – was going
to be better on the river. For everyone else, it was great watching the race all the way.
Teddington early morning portage
By Dominic James