WS 2025-26 Race 1: Stortford Results

Several course records were broken at the opening event of the Winter Series. William Stroud of Chelmsford CC, racing in K1 Senior Men, completed the 7-mile course in 53:17, shaving 30 seconds off the previous best time of 53:47 set in 2014 by Keith Moule.

The ladies record for the same course also fell. The ladies race was only moved to this distance in 2023, with the fastest time of 1:19:08 set by Tori Elliott-Moulden (CLM) last year. Two paddlers beat that this year. Rebecca Perrin (K1 u18 F) finished in 1:17:40, but the new record holder is Chelmsford CC teammate Lauren Avery (K1 Senior F) with a time of 1:13:23.

In K1 u14 Boys, Marco Mangiantini of Royal CC shattered the time of 25:57 set by Ali Kabeer of Woking CC in 2019, completing the 3 mile course in 25:15. 

Class winners were:
Class 1 (K2 16+ M) - James Doran & James Walkinton (CLM)
Class 2 (K2 16+ Mixed) - Richard Winstanley & Hannah Crofts (BSF)
Class 3 (K2 16+ F) - Sienna Payne & Gayle McKenad (CLM)
Class 4 (Marathon C2) - Andy Porter & Dean Williams (CLM)
Class 5 (K1 Sen M) - William Stroud (CLM)
Class 6 (K1 Sen F) - Lauren Avery (CLM)
Class 7 (K1 Vet M) - Joao Spinola (BSF)
Class 8 (K1 Vet F) - Zoe Norford (BSF)
Class 9 (K1 u18 M) - Cassian Payne (CLM)
Class 10 (K1 u18 F) - Rebecca Perrin (CLM)

Class 20 (K1 SuperVet M) - Robert Molnar (WEY)
​Class 21 (K1 SuperVet F) - Emma Watts (CLM)
Class 23 (K1 u16 M) -  Matteo Bose (CLM)
Class 24 (K1 u16 F) -  Libby Gaulton (BSF)
Class 25 (C1 Adv) - Petr Luksan (BSF)
Class 30 (Touring C2) - Adrian Pyke & Yan Ma (CAM)
Class 31 (K1 u14 M) - Marco Mangiantini (ROY)
Class 32 (K1 u14 F) - Edith Smerdon (CLM)

Class 34 (GP 16+ M) - Chris Sharp (NOR)
Class 34 (GP 16+ F) - Deborah Wilkes (CLM)
Class 38 (K1 u12 M) - Ethan Tingay (LBZ)
Class 39 (K1 u12 F) - Summer Norford (BSF)
Class 40 (K1 Open) - Marta Rakowskia (CLM)

The overall winners were Chelmsford, with Stortford second and Leighton Buzzard third.

See

• the full race results on the Winter Series results page (and a simplified version on the MRC results site)
• a few  photos of the race on Google Photos

Congratulations to Cally De Silva of Lee Valley Paddlesport club who has been awarded a promotion to Division 6 by the MRC on the basis of these results.

The next race will be at Maidstone on Sunday 16th November.  The online entry system will close on Friday 14th.