Hawkesbury Canoe Classic 2010

Malpas Training

Click here to go to the official Hawkesbury Canoe Classic website

Hawkesbury Canoe Classic 2009

Click here to go to 2009 photograph album (including Grafton training run)

The 32nd Hawkesbury Canoe Classic took place on October 24 and 25, with TAS again entering a large squad of paddlers, all hoping to complete the 111 kilometres from Windsor to Brooklyn Bridge under the light of a full moon.

This continued the proud tradition at TAS of challenge and service through this unique event.

The Classic is still one of the great physical and mental challenges available to our students in a relatively safe environment. It is also the primary source of funds for bone marrow research and has contributed over $1.5 million in the past 31 years.

Hawkesbury Canoe Classic 2008

The TAS pair of Ricky MacCormick and Richard Nixon recorded a handicap time of 12:38:45 to better the record in the Junior Mens Rec2 class by an hour and 40 minutes. Similarly the 2 NEGS crews of Kate Miles and Courtney Waugh and Polly Witts and Aysha McCoy finished with identical handicap times of 11:13:32 to claim the record in the Junior Ladies Rec2 class.

The fastest boat was that of staff member Will Caldwell and parent Angus McDouall in 12:58:08. The slowest boat to finish, an honour celebrated by the ‘Up the Creek’ trophy was the only Dou in the event paddled by the TAS Headmaster, Murray Guest and his wife Joanne in a little over 19 hours.

In all, 20 boats finished the race, representing 71% of the squad, with a number completing milestones such as their 5th or 10th finish. The senior paddler in the group and event organiser, Peter Hall, paired with James MsEwan to complete his 10th Hawkesbury Classic in just under 15 hours.

Despite the large numbers, the event ran well from a TAS point of view and this was largely due to the six team captains: Pip Warrick, Anna Barnier, Geoff Derrin, Sue Wheaton, Catriona McCrae and Alan Jones. Alan also jumped in a boat at the 65 km mark to help his son, Nick finish after he had lost his partner through fatigue.

A big thankyou to Tim Scott for driving, and Keldin Malik, Dean Moritz and Sebastian Ferrier for all their logistical support and cooking throughout the night.

A special thankyou to Max Tavener, Jack Abbott, Denise Coombes and Simon Ball who had the enormous job of packing, delivering, setting up and returning all the support gear as well as cooking at various major checkpoints.

This event has become part of the fabric of the school and has all the hallmarks of TAS: real challenge, service and a community effort. We also raised over $35000 for the major charity, The Arrow Foundation, supporting research into stem cell and bone marrow transplants.

This was particularly relevant to TAS and NEGS, who lost former students Arjun Daniel and Fiona Reynolds to cancer recently. Funds raised at the two schools had earlier enabled new boats, named after the two students, to be constructed and paddled in the event.

I would like to finish by thanking all the parents and friends who travelled long distances with little sleep to support their paddlers. I hope that it was a rewarding experience. If you have any photos, we would appreciate you sending a copy to Anne White on awhite@as.edu.au for our web gallery and later press articles.

Peter Hall

2007

There were 7 singles, 29 doubles and the only open Canadian to enter the event. They were supported by a land crew of over 80 parents, staff and friends. The first paddler to finish was TAS Old Boy, John Forsythe in 9 hours 41 mins, breaking his record by 3 minutes. The last to finish were Murray and Joanne Guest in just over 19 hours, also breaking their best time.

There were only three withdrawals: a single at 68 km and a double just outside the cut off time at the 98km mark. This meant that TAS had a 95% completion rate; one of the best in our race history.

Despite the large numbers, the event ran well from a TAS point of view and this was largely due to the six team captains: Pip Warrick, Hugh White, Kel Hardingham, Anna Barnier, Gary Baker, Will Caldwell and Andrew Murray. Will also jumped in a boat at the 68km mark to help one of his paddlers finish who had lost his partner through fatigue.

A big thankyou to Kel Hardingham for returning for his 28th year on the river and Grant Harris who completed 26 Hawkesbury Classics, both as landcrew and paddler. Also to Tim Scott for driving and Benjamin Hall and Duncan Ritchie for all their logistical support and cooking throughout the night.

A special thankyou to Max Tavener, Jack Abbott, Denise Coombes and Simon Ball who had the enormous job of packing, delivering, setting up and returning all the support gear as well as cooking at various major checkpoints.

This event has become part of the fabric of the school and has all the hallmarks of TAS: real challenge, service and a community effort. We also raised over $65000 for the major charity, The Arrow Foundation, supporting research into stem cell and bone marrow transplants.

This was particularly relevant to TAS and NEGS, who lost former students Arjun Daniel and Fiona Reynolds to cancer this year. Funds raised at the two schools had earlier enabled new boats, named after the two students, to be constructed and paddled in the event.

I would like to finish by thanking all the parents and friends who travelled long distances with little sleep to support their paddlers. I hope that it was a rewarding experience. There will be further details in coming editions as the results and the monies raised become known.

Peter Hall

Click here for an album of 2006 photographs from several contributors