Hawkesbury Canoe Classic

The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic is a marathon canoe race taking place on the Hawkesbury River in Northwest Sydney usually at the end of October. The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic consists of a 111 km paddle downstream starting in Windsor (a western Sydney suburb) and finishing in Brooklyn (northwest Sydney). The Hawkesbury remains one of the toughest marathon events in the canoe world ranking as Australia's second-toughest canoe event after the 404 km Red Cross Murray Marathon. The overnight conditions are gruelling and although a large percentage of competitors withdraw prior to the race finish, many kayakers view participation in even part of the course as a badge of honour.

Notable competitors on the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic include Olympic competitors, seniors, 12yr olds. Two men, John Harmer and Wayde Hawkins, have both completed all 31 Classic races.

Entry fees and sponsorship monies raised by the Classic have resulted in more than AUD 1,600,000 being raised to support medical research. Over $275,000 was raised by paddlers in the 2006 Classic. As a result, the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic Association Inc. was able to donate a record amount of $222,000 to the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation

Craft Types/What to Use

The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic accommodates boats of all types (canoes, kayaks, outriggers) provided that they are propelled by human muscle. The majority of paddlers use canoes and kayaks with C1, C2, Canoe racing|K1, K2 and TK types being the most popular choices. TK2 boats are technically designed to be the best boats for the Hawkesbury as they provide stability and speed at the same time. Despite the obvious strengths of the TK boats, professional and elite paddlers opt with Olympic-class boats for the extra speed componnent.

External links

http://www.canoeclassic.asn.au