Hasler Final 2024 Race Programme

This event will be run under the Marathon Racing Rules, per the 2024 Racing Handbook. A copy of this programme and further updates can be found on the event website.

Courses

Timings

Saturday

• 18:00-20:00: Check-in open for Team Leaders at Richmond Canoe Club (81-83 Petersham Road, Richmond, TW10 6UT)

Sunday

• 07:15: Site and car park opens
• 07:30: Check-in opens for Team Leaders at Race Desk
• 09:45: Briefing for Division 1-6 and Geoff Sanders Mini K2
• 10:30: Division 1-6 and Geoff Sanders Mini K2 starts at approx. 2 min intervals
• 12:45: Briefing for Division 7-9 and Geoff Sanders A, B, C
• 13:30: Division 7-9 and Geoff Sanders A, B, C starts at approx. 2 min intervals
• 15:30: Prize-giving ceremony
• 16:30: Close

Fees

• Senior Divisional Races: £20 per seat
• Junior Divisional Races: £20 per seat
• Geoff Sanders / Mini K2 Races: £10 per seat

Results

Live results will be available at the race site on the day.

Provisional results will be published live on the Hasler Final website on the day in a mobile-accessible format. Final results will be published on the Richmond Canoe Club website and the Marathon Canoeing site within seven days following the race.

Getting There

• From the North: Use M1 to J1 and continue West onto North Circular Road. At Chiswick Roundabout, follow signs for South Circular Road, followed by local signs for Richmond.

• From the West: Leave M4 at J2 or use M3/A316, following signs for Richmond.

  After arriving in Richmond, proceed through the town centre, following signs for Kingston. After passing through Petersham village, follow brown signs for Ham House to car park or white signs for CANOE RACE.

• From the South: Use A3 to Kingston. Then, proceed through the town centre following directions to Richmond. After passing past Ham Common, follow brown signs for Ham House to the car park or white signs for CANOE RACE.

For Satnav, use postcode TW10 7RS. This will take you to the Ham House stables; carry straight on to the race parking.

Parking

Ample parking will be available on the Ham Riverside Pitches, adjacent to the Ham Street Car Park. Access is controlled by bollards, which will be locked at 17:00, so all cars must have vacated the area by this time. Please do not park in the main riverside car park, as this is reserved for visitors to Ham House. The cost of parking will be £5 per vehicle.

There is no allocated parking for anyone at Richmond Canoe Club car park.

Site Facilities

Event-quality portable toilets, including disabled facilities, will be available on-site, but there will be no showers. Competitors may use the facilities at the clubhouse, which is a 15-minute walk from the race site.

Site Map

Please check the race programme for the latest site map.

Environmental & Sustainability Guidelines

At Richmond Canoe Club, we are committed to hosting a sustainable and environmentally responsible event. The River Thames is a precious natural resource, and our collective responsibility is to protect it. To help us achieve this, we kindly ask all participants and attendees to consider the following actions:

1. Carpooling and Boat Transport: To reduce the number of vehicles travelling to our event, we encourage participants to carpool and share v-bars for transporting boats. We have arranged convenient trailer parking close to the boat check area for clubs bringing larger numbers of boats.

2. Reusable Water Bottles and Cups: We strongly encourage everyone attending the Hasler Final to bring reusable water bottles and cups. Water will be available on-site to minimise single-use plastic waste.

3. Recycling: Please make use of the recycling bins provided throughout the venue. We ask that you separate and recycle as much of your waste as possible to reduce the event's environmental impact.

4. Biosecurity Measures: Protecting the River Thames from invasive non-native species is crucial. A Biosecurity Risk Assessment is available. Please ensure that all participants read this document before attending. We also urge everyone to Clean, Check, and Dry all boats and equipment thoroughly to prevent the spread of harmful species between waterways.

Your cooperation is essential in making the Hasler Final 2024 a successful and sustainable event. Thank you for helping us protect the environment and the beautiful River Thames!

Food and Drink

A selection of food, including pizza, burgers, cake, snacks, and hot and cold drinks, will be available for purchase throughout the day from 8:00 am. Please bring a water bottle and a cup with you.

Competitors’ food will be available from the catering area after the race on the production of a valid number board.

Littering

Disposable drinks, bags, or any other items in a personal kit must not be discarded anywhere on the course or the race site. The penalty for non-compliance with this rule, whether by the competitor or their support crew, is an immediate disqualification.

Entries

Entries must be submitted on the entries website by 27th September at 10 pm at the entries website.

All paddlers must hold a comprehensive current PUK/CSA/WCA/CANI membership or youth membership of an affiliated club. Where the rankings list does not indicate a current valid membership on the day of the race, proof of this membership must be submitted to the RMA along with the entries. RMAs are responsible for checking expired memberships and updating these as required with correct details.

For enquiries, please contact marathon@richmondcanoe.club.

Regional Entries

Regional Marathon Advisers are responsible for checking the entries supplied by clubs and ensuring the correctness of the three completed races for each paddler per the marathon rules.

We kindly request that Regional Advisers check that proof of PUK membership has been submitted where required and that the PUK Number and Expiry fields in the entries are updated with the new details supplied by the team leader.

Regional Advisers must submit all checked entries by 27th September.

Late Entries/Crew Changes

Hasler Divisional Races

No late entries are possible, but modifications after the deadline above are permitted for scratches and swaps between singles and doubles of previously-entered crew members, e.g., in the event of illness or unavailability of one member of a K2 crew.

Geoff Sanders

Race changes and additional entries are possible up to two hours before the races. Payment for late entries in the Geoff Sanders class is required at the time of entry.

Late entries and changes must be requested by Team Leaders only via direct email to marathon@richmondcanoe.club or at the team leaders’ check-in, but please note:

• The deadlines for all late entries and modifications are:
  • The Friday before the event, if via email to marathon@richmondcanoe.club
  • Two hours before the scheduled race start if made at team leaders’ check-in on the day before or the day of the race (8:30 am for Divisions 1-6 and Mini K2 and 11:30 am for Divisions 7-9 and Geoff Sanders).

Checking In

Checking in must be completed by team leaders only and can be done either on the evening of 5th October from 6-8 pm at Richmond Canoe Club or on the day on-site at the Racing Desk (see site map) from 7:30 am. Check-in for a race will close fifteen minutes before the briefing for the same race takes place.

If you are checking in on Saturday, note that parking is limited at Richmond Canoe Club, but on-street parking is available on nearby Nightingale Lane (near the Petersham Hotel, but please do not park in the hotel or nearby pub car parks) from 6:30 pm.

When all required items have been provided, team leaders will be supplied with a pack of number boards for their crews, which they are responsible for allocating correctly to their paddlers. Team leaders must notify the check-in desk of any boats that have not been entered and are not starting the race.

Team leaders are responsible for ensuring the safe return of number boards after racing.

A charge may be applied for missing number boards not returned after the races.

Number Boards

Official race number boards will be provided to team leaders and must be used.

Boat Buoyancy

Boats must contain sufficient buoyancy to remain afloat and support the crew in rough water in the event of a capsize.

Sandwich construction boats are not presumed to have sufficient inherent buoyancy and must carry additional foam or other non-porous buoyant material. Closed and watertight compartments built in by the original manufacturer may be accepted at the organisers’ discretion, but all boats must have adequate buoyancy at both ends.

Marshals may inspect boats at any time for adequate buoyancy. The penalty for any non-compliant boat is disqualification of the crew.

Boat Checking and Boat Park

A Boat Check area will be located at the lower end of the car parking area on the Ham Riverside pitches (see Site Map).

• All crews must pass through the Boat Check with their boat and race number board before getting on the water.
• Crews should present boats for checking at least an hour before their race starts. However, those taking part in the B starts in the afternoon are requested to wait until the A races have started.
• At the boat check, boats will be inspected for adequate buoyancy, structural integrity, and correct craft specifications, as defined by Rule 5 of the Marathon Rules. Any boats not meeting the requirements there will not be permitted on the water.
• After completing the boat check, crews must pass through with their boat to the Boat Park area in the car park, where boats must then remain until getting on the water.
• Boats may not be taken away from the designated Boat Park area. No boats are permitted to use the riverside area directly in front of the get-in and out to leave their boat. Marshals will be present to direct crews to place their boats in an appropriate area, and crews must obey any instructions given by them.
• Marshals may inspect boats at any time before, during or after the race to ensure compliance with these safety rules. The maximum penalty for breaches is disqualification.

Briefing

Competitor Briefings will take place 45 minutes before the start of the relevant races.

All competitors must attend the briefing on the day, where up-to-date course information, hazards, and obstructions will be made available, in addition to or in place of the information in the race programme.

Getting on the Water

Floating pontoons will be provided to get on the water before the races and to get off afterwards. The pontoons will be directly accessible from the boat park area. Crews must always obey the marshals' instructions when getting on or off the water.

Start Order

Starts will commence approximately every two minutes from the first start in each set of races. The start order will be as per the recommendations in the racing handbook.

A Races

B Races

Courses

Starting from Ham, this year's course runs along the picturesque stretch of the River Thames between Ham and Teddington. The route passes through the iconic Richmond Bridge and around Eel Pie Island, known for its rich musical history. With a mix of straight sections and challenging turns, the course will test the skills of all paddlers.

The start and finish line is located at Ham Car Park. There are no portages on any course. Race distances are as follows:

• Divisions 1-3 (K1 and K2): 19.5 km (12 miles) - 3 full laps
• Divisions 4-6 (K1 and K2): 13 km (8 miles) - 2 full laps
• Divisions 7-9 (K1 and K2): 6.5 km (4 miles) - 1 full lap
• Geoff Sanders A, B, C and Mini K2: 3.5 km - 1 small lap

Main Course

1. Start at Ham Car Park, heading downstream.
2. Use the full width of the river (unless other races are coming upstream, then leave space on the Twickenham bank side).
3. Go on the outside of Glover's Island, staying centre-right of the river.
4. Pass a separation buoy A above Richmond Canoe Club (RIC) to avoid cutting the corner.
5. Between the separation buoy and Richmond Bridge turn, keep centre-right of the river.

Richmond Bridge

1. Turn around Richmond Bridge:
   • Go through the centre arch
   • Turn left and come up through the arch near the Twickenham bank
2. The arch between these two is out of bounds
3. Going upstream, stay close to the Twickenham bank.
4. At Glover's Island, paddle up the inside (not main channel) side of the island.
5. Stay to the right-hand side of the river, but outside the pontoon of moored boats on the Hammertons straight.

Eel Pie Island

1. Keep river right and go around the back of Eel Pie Island.
2. When going up the right of Eel Pie, stay in the main channel (do not go on the island side of any moored boats). The left-hand side of the channel is the racing line.
3. Above Eel Pie Island, keep right and head straight for the turn buoy at Radnor Gardens.

Radnor Gardens

1. Turn around the buoy and head downstream, now centre-right of the river.
2. Avoid potential shallows on the inside bank just above Eel Pie Island (stay at least 20m from the bank).
3. If doing another lap, stay in the centre of the river and continue downstream. Do not paddle through the finish funnel.
4. If finishing, go to the right-hand side of the river and enter the funnel to finish between the buoy and Ham bank.

Geoff Sanders and Mini K2 Course

1. Start at Ham Car Park, heading downstream.
2. Bottom turn will be around the end of moored boats downstream of Glover's Island.
3. Top turn will be around the upstream end of Eel Pie Island.
4. Paddlers must stay right of boats moored at the top end of the island and go around the turn buoy above the island.
5. Finish at Ham Car Park.

Important Course Notes

• All turns will be marshalled, with additional safety boat cover along the course.
• There will be separation buoys in place; paddlers must stay to the right of all of these.
• The start is from the race site (towards Richmond) opposite Marble Hill House (white villa) on the opposite bank.
• Finishes will be directly in front of the race site and can be viewed from the riverside area adjacent to the Boat Park.

Remember to attend the race briefing for any last-minute changes or additional instructions. Safety is our top priority – please follow all instructions from race officials and safety boats.

We reserve the right to make changes before or on the day if conditions require us to do so. A detailed description of the course map will be provided soon. Please check the Hasler Final website, look out for email updates, and attend the on-the-day briefing for the latest information.

Spectators

The race starts are visible from the Prize Giving/Briefing area shown on the Site Map. The start is from the race site (towards Richmond) opposite Marble Hill House (white villa) on the opposite bank.

If you wish to follow the races by bicycle, you will find that the towpath follows the races all the way along the course.

Good views are available from the towpath between the race site and Richmond town centre, where all divisional crews will come down to turn before proceeding upstream to finish.

Finishes will be directly in front of the race site and can be viewed from the riverside area adjacent to the Boat Park.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to the first three finishing crews in each class.

Trophies available for the Hasler Final are:

• The Hasler Trophy: Awarded to the club scoring the most points at the final
• The Adam Thomasson Trophy: Awarded to the winner of the Division 2 race at the final
• The Ross Warland Memorial Trophy: Awarded to the highest-placed junior in the Division 4 race at the final
• The Committee Cup: Awarded to the highest place junior woman K1 in the highest division at the final
• The Ken Pereira Cup: Awarded to the highest place Junior C1 in the highest division at the final
• The Rhodes White Trophy: Awarded to the senior man K1 with the fastest time over the 12-mile course
• The David Shankland Trophy: Awarded to the senior or junior woman K1 with the fastest time on the 12-mile course
• The Barber Trophy: Awarded to the junior K1 with the fastest time over the 12-mile course
• The Bill Sparks Trophy: Awarded to the highest-placed veteran K2 in the highest division at the final

Buoyancy Aids

• Buoyancy aids are compulsory for all paddlers ranked in Division 7, 8, and 9, irrespective of the class entered. This applies across age categories and in singles and doubles.
• All competitors in the Geoff Sanders races must wear buoyancy aids.

We recommend that all juniors wear buoyancy aids. It is the responsibility of team leaders to enforce this, but they may, at their discretion, allow suitably able paddlers in Divisions 1-6 to be exempted from this rule. There is no requirement to inform the Race Desk of such exemptions, but team leaders must immediately inform us of any of their crews who they believe should not be wearing buoyancy aids. Please speak to the check-in desk.

In the event of significant river flow on the day, it may be required that other groups wear buoyancy aids whilst on the water, e.g., all juniors, all Div 4-6 paddlers, or all crews.

It is the responsibility of team leaders to determine which of their paddlers should wear buoyancy aids based on these safety rules, on paddlers’ abilities, and according to conditions on the day. They also need to ensure that this is carried out.

Team leaders must also bring to the race organisers’ attention any competitors who are known to suffer from medical conditions that could adversely affect their safety. The race organiser will then decide what, if any, extra control measures to put in place to ensure the safety of these competitors.

Team leaders will be assumed to have read and understood this policy by completing the Team Leader registration process.

Retirements

All competitors who fail to finish must report to a Marshal and inform them of their boat number and the fact that they have retired.

Supporters

Supporters must act responsibly towards their own crew and others. Please be aware of other towpath users.

Club Colours

Only crews wearing the correct club colours will score points towards the club competition.

Protests

MRC rules for any protests shall be used:

• The Race Organiser shall provide a Protest Committee consisting of three officials or members of the organising body to hear and settle all protests by any competitor in that event.
• The protests must be received within 30 minutes of the completion of the relevant race and before the announcement of the final results. Failure to observe this will invalidate the protest.
• The protest must be in writing (via email to marathon@richmondcanoe.club) to the Race Organiser and must give full details of the alleged infringement of the rules.
• The Protest Committee must meet immediately to hear all the evidence and to consider the protest's validity in accordance with PaddleUK and Marathon Racing Rules.
• The organiser shall retain the details and outcome of the protest, together with any appeal, and also inform their RMA, which will collate the information with other protests in their region.

Important Safety Notes

• The race organisers reserve the right to CANCEL the event up to and including on the day in the case of an incident, emergency, or conditions. We will do our best to notify team leaders, but please check the website for the latest information.

• Should circumstances require the ABANDONMENT of the race whilst in progress, the following procedure will apply and will be strictly adhered to:

  • Crews hearing continuous short blasts on air horns and/or seeing marshals waving red flags will immediately STOP. They will wait for a marshal to instruct them on how and where to proceed. Crews must be aware that other crews may not have heard or seen the warnings and must pass on instructions received to any such crew who they see still racing.
  • Depending on crews’ locations, whether or not the race has started, and the number of crews still being marshalled, they may be asked to either paddle to a specified get-out point or turn towards one of the banks and await further instructions.

• Competitors should be aware that the River Thames can be busy with pleasure cruisers, rowers, and other craft. Competitors must be mindful of these and other hazards. Competitors must follow all instructions from the Port of London Authority crew, Thames Lock Keepers, Environment Agency Officials, and Race Marshals.

• Competitors must support any other paddler in distress and should attempt to raise the attention of the safety boats or Marshals along the course.

• The Tidal Thames can experience sudden increases in pollution, especially after heavy rainfall. Any paddler who feels ill after the race should draw this to the attention of their medical practitioner.

• This part of the river is semi-tidal and experiences two tides a day. Care should be taken while getting in and out at the start and finish and when carrying boats.

• Canoeing and Kayaking in all its forms is an ‘Assumed Risk – Water Contact’ sport. The organisers have done their best to provide a safe racing environment, but competitors are reminded of their duty of care to themselves and all other competitors. Safety is a shared responsibility.

To report any emergencies on the day, please telephone 07787 751757. Please do not use this for any other purposes.

Thank You

We thank the following organisations for their help and assistance with the event:

• Port of London Authority
• Richmond Borough Council
• Twickenham Yacht Club
• Chromatic Brands

We look forward to welcoming you to the Hasler Final 2024 and wish all competitors the best of luck!