Canoe: Sprint Championships 2024-25

Saturday 15 – Sunday 16 March 2025

Large Broad Whitlingham Country Park

Whitlingham Adventure, Whitlingham Lane, Trowse Newton, Norwich NR14 8TR

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Whitlingham Adventure Map

Whitlingham Adventure Map Close Up

5K Course Map

Accepted entries can be found on the accepted entries tab. 

Canoe Sprint Saturday 15 March Racing Schedule

Canoe Sprint Sunday 16 March Racing Schedule

Check in is at Whitlingham Boathouses (the location of Norwich Canoe Club)

This can be found 100 meters away from the Regatta Lake between the small broad and the river. Please see the map.

Check in times:

Friday 14 March 18.00 - 20.00 (Main room upstairs at Whitlingham Boathouse)

Saturday 15 March 8am - 10.30 am (Gym - Upstairs at Whitlingham Boathouse)

Please park in Lime Tree Car Park which will be signposted. (Also see attached map) It is the closest car park to the Regatta Course on the Large Lake at Whitlingham. Parking is Pay and Display.

Camping is available next to the regatta lake at Whitlingham Broad Campsite in Whitlingham Country Park. They also hire camping pods. The website is here.

Betty’s Bar (Upstairs at Whitlingham Boathouses - home of Norwich Canoe Club) has a large kitchen which serves great food and is opening longer hours especially for the BUCS event.

• Cooked All Day Breakfasts
• Snacks
• Hot and Cold Drinks
• Cakes

Opening times are:

Saturday 15 March 9.30 to 14.30

Sunday 16 March 9.30 to 14.00

Medal presentation ceremonies will take place on the main deck at the Whitlingham Adventure Centre (at the top end of the lake). See the race schedule for the times of the ceremonies. Photos will be taken by the event photographer on the day and published on the Racing Canoe Clubs Facebook page.

The Sprint Racing Rules in the 2025 Racing Handbook will apply to BUCS Championship races. Failure to observe sprint racing rules may result in a time penalty or disqualification. The ICF Canoe Sprint Competition Rules 2025 can be found here. 

Safety

There is a safety boat on the Big Lake during racing (but not on the river.) (If you warm up on the river - you do so at your own risk).

Canoe Sprint Water Safety Briefing 

Warm Up Paddling

The lake is open at the following times for warm up:

Friday - The Regatta Lake is closed

Saturday 9.00 - 17.15

Sunday 9.00 - 13.00

Return Lane and Warm up Area Once Racing Has Begun

The return lane is on the near side. Please use this to access the start of the 200m and 500m. You can warm up in the top half of the lake beyond where racing is taking place at any time. The safety launch may not see you if you go to the very top of the Broad so we recommend you stay within 500m of the start.

Accessing the Lake

There are two points to launch - one with a hard bank where you can keep your feet dry opposite the finishing line and one from a beach area near the 200m start.

Boat Weighing

K1’s must weigh 12 kilos or more and K2s 18 kilos or more for all Championship races including the 5K. There will be boat weighting scales on the site which you can use from 9.00am Saturday and 9.00am Sunday. Boats will be called to boat weighing randomly after each race. If your K1 or K2 is found to be less than the prescribed weights you will be disqualified. To access the boat weighing tent and scales be watchful for racing finishing - the scales will be on the main deck.

Lane Numbers

Please bring racing lane numbers for your boat if you have them. It will make it easier for officials. Lane numbers will also be available by the entry point at the top of the lake. Please return them after use.

Lanes

The lanes are numbered 1 to 5 starting from the car park side. Lane 5 has  buoys on one side only. There are no buckets so please listen carefully to the race starter. There will be three commands eg “Ready Set Go” Please wait for the Go. They will call you back in the event of a false start. You may receive a time penalty.

Buoyancy Aids

All paddlers ranked in Men’s D or Women’s D must wear a buoyancy aid.

The safety committee will make a decision on any buoyancy aid requirements for all other paddlers in the event of bad weather.

Any paddler who is required to wear a buoyancy aid but who is found on the water not wearing a BA will be immediately disqualified.

Race Numbers

Please wear the race number you are given at check in when racing on the front. These should be returned at the end of racing on Sunday to Race Control at Whitlingham Adventure centre.

University Colours

Please wear university colours under your bib.

Scratching / retiring

Please contact Race Control which is located at Whitlingham Adventure to inform them if you are unable to race.

Progressions

The timetable, lane numbers and progressions will be available on the Linktree App.

Please see the QR code attached here to view the Linktree or click the link here. 

PLEASE BE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR LANE NUMBER FOR HEATS AND FINALS BEFORE GETTING ON!

Race Protests

Any protests concerning racing must be made in writing within 30 minutes of the race starting to Tim Scott +44 79 44 209 522.

Boat Park

There is an area set aside if you wish to leave your boat overnight. You are welcome to use it. While we have never had an issue with security we cannot guarantee the safety of your boat or take any responsibility for it overnight.

Showers

There are showers at Whitlingham Adventure and at Whitlingham Boathouses (Where Norwich Canoe Club is located).

Toilets

There are toilets at Whitlingham Adventure and at Whitlingham Boathouse (Where Norwich Canoe Club is located).

First Aid

There is a First Aider on standby on the deck of Whitlingham Adventure during racing. There is a defibrillator at Whitlingham Adventure as well as at Whitlingham Boathouses.

Boat Loan

If you wish to loan a boat for the event (eg K2) please get in touch with Tim Scott +44 79 44 209 522 in advance. There is a charge of £5 a boat for each boat hire for weekend use. K1s will be borrowed from Club members so we may not be able to exactly match the make / model / size of boat you normally paddle but we’ll do our best!

For available BUCS Points, please see Appendix 1.

All questions should be communicated by an institution’s athletic union or students’ union staff member to:

Tanyel Mustafa
BUCS Event Coordinator

or

Tim Scott (Race Director) +44 7944 209 522.

Anyone wishing to take photos or video at this event must complete the BUCS Media Accreditation Form prior to the event.

BUCS reserves the right to prohibit photography equipment being used at a BUCS event. BUCS reserves the right to request that the individual ceases to take photographs, deletes any images and, if considered necessary, leaves the venue.

If you wish to take photos or videos at this event, please contact the BUCS Event Lead. 

BUCS’ mission is to provide exceptional student sporting experiences that inspire, develop and unite.

Critical to our success is our commitment to always providing safe, friendly and enjoyable environments for all participants. Whether competing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, working or spectating at these events, the welfare of all is critical to our mission.

To find out more or report a concern, please click here.

The sustainability of our event matters to us and these are the positive steps we are taking to manage our environmental impact:

• All staff and volunteers are encouraged to travel to the event via public transport
• We have used local suppliers where possible
• Event programmes are all online, minimising paper use
• We are beginning to track our carbon footprint across BUCS events to identify areas of improvement.

How can you help at this event? Here’s some ideas:

• Be self-sufficient by bringing your own refillable bottles and coffee cups to reduce waste.
• Ensure you are disposing of waste correctly – Check around the venue for specific recycling and food waste bins.
• Travel smarter – as a team on a minibus, cycle or use public transport.
• Go paperless - use your phone for all event information