WS 2023-24 Race 2: Maidstone Results

A select group of Winter Series devotees, plus a few from Ealing CC, Tonbridge CC, took part in the inaugural WS race at Maidstone - a total of 76 competitors in all.

The river levels had reduced since the previous week, enabling the postponed race to go ahead, but a rolling start was used because of the amount of flow.

The combination of modest numbers in many of the classes, combined with a wide river, saw many of the starts grouped together.

The venue has the advantage of free parking and a large indoor room where paddlers can congregate after the race - particularly welcome as the day was bitterly cold.

The race was run very efficiently by the organising team at Maidstone, and everything went off smoothly. We hope that WS "regulars" from the Eastern Region clubs enjoyed the change of scenery, and that Maidstone will have us back again next year!

Class winners were:
Class 1 (K2 16+ M) - Scott Leblanche & Domas Malinauskas (BAD)
Class 2 (K2 16+ Mixed) - Matthew Johnson & Leah Falltrick (CLM)
Class 3 (K2 16+ F) - Naomi Fuller & Tara Karthikeyan (CLM)
Class 4 (Marathon C2) - Peter & Helen Kruszelnicki (PRA)
Class 5 (K1 Sen M) - Tim Gannicott-Porter (CLM)
Class 6 (K1 Sen F) - Leanne Jordan (MAI)
Class 7 (K1 Vet M) - Doug Herbert (CLM)
Class 9 (K1 u18 M) - Ali Kabeer (WOK)
Class 10 (K1 u18 F) - Eilidh White (BSF)
Class 20 (K1 SuperVet M) - Matthew Villaruel (EAL)
Class 21 (K1 SuperVet F) - Catherine Ayling (EAL)
Class 22 (K2 u16) - Rebecca Perrin & James Johnson (CLM)
Class 23 (K1 u16 M) -  Euan Bates (LBZ)
Class 24 (K1 u16 F) -  May Perrin (CLM)
Class 30 (Touring C2) - Adrian Pyke & Tan Shanzheng (CAM)
Class 31 (K1 u14 M) - Matteo Bose (CLM)
Class 32 (K1 u14 F) - Libby Gaulton (BSF)
Class 35 (GP 16+ F) - Deborah Wilkes (CLM)
Class 37 (GP u16 F) - Maeve Redsell (MAI)
Class 38 (K1 u12 M) - Conor Bates (LBZ)
Class 39 (K1 u12 F) - Lucy Myers (LBZ)

Chelmsford were the winners with 246 points, followed by Stortford (96) and Barking & Dagenham (60). Leighton Buzzard won the most Dick Grieve points (based on performance of juniors Div 9 or below). The full club results are included on the end of the main results.

See

• full results on the WS results page
  
• a few other photos on Google Photos
  

The next race will be the held at Cambridge on Sunday 3rd December.  The online entry system will close on Friday 1st.