These girls did – more girls could
Broughton’s victory tops a year when women
achieved on many levels. James King and Thomas
Diaper of the Army Canoe Union finished second, just
24 seconds ahead of Reading Canoe Club’s Alexandra
Lane and Radek Zielski. Three other mixed and female
crews were in the top ten.
The Junior Veterans four-day stages race was also won
by a mixed crew with Amber Owen and James
Treadgold from Reading CC taking the honours.
Back to Brian Greenaway who first completed DW in
1965. He recalls pushing to allow women to enter
Devizes Westminster in the 1970s when he was part
of the organising team, suggesting that one day a
woman will win. The official first female entries were
permitted in 1976 with the entries rising to allow
awarding of trophies from 1980. Thirty five years later
the Devizes to Westminster Challenge Cup will be
picked up by a mixed crew.
But for all the increasing success at the top, female
DW competitors continue to make up just one fifth
of the entry field. Organisers hope that the success of
women in DW2015 will start to push entries higher.
A fair wind blows - DW2015 weather
For newcomers and seasoned DW watchers, the
conditions always play a surprising hand. The weather
was fair for the time of year. Slightly cooler than ideal, a
steady northerly wind – particularly strong on the
Saturday – was the greatest obstacle to progress.
TV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing competitor
Steve Backshall recalls the fierce headwind that slowed
him and partner George Barnicoat to a snail’s pace along
the canal section. A snapped rudder wire after 17 miles
slowed progress further, and another broken cable
required a 30-minute run to get it repaired. Despite the
obstacles, they still finished with an impressive time of 23
hours and 17 minutes. Hopefully the pain and
frustrations of a troubled race are softened by raising
over £45,000 for the World Land Trust to save rainforest
in Colombia.
Paddlers on the four-day race endured the worst of the
head wind from Reading to Henley, and had to contend
with standing waves along the Henley Straight. Paul Ralph
called the conditions on day two “hideous,” reporting
some chose to portage rather than fight conditions along
the mile long Straight, made worse by cruisers making
the most of the long bank holiday weekend.
Steve Backshall and George Barnicoat
raising over £45,000
Hopefully the pain and frustrations of a troubled race are softened by
for the World Land Trust to save rainforest in Colombia
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