About Us
| Our Canoe Club |
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Solihull Canoe Club is based on the Grand Union Canal in the village of Catherine-de-Barnes in the West Midlands. (Find Us) We meet every Saturday afternoon between 2:00pm and 4:00pm throughout the year.
The Club is a registered charity with the aim of encouraging people to try Canoeing and Kayaking; as well as promoting the sports of flat water and wildwater racing. We are affiliated with the British Canoe Union (BCU) and have BCU qualified and trained coaches. The club has links with various schools, and youth organisations in order to encourage people to take part in, and enjoy canoeing. We have approximately a hundred members, of which around a third of these are under the age of eighteen.
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| Try Canoeing & Kayaking | ||
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Beginners and potential members are most welcome to come along for a "taster" sessions on Saturday afternoons except for the first Saturday of each month; this is reserved for skills training of club members. The club has boats, paddles and buoyancy aids, which new and prospective members may use.
No special clothing is required; sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms worn with a pair of light trainers or plimsolls are adequate. Paddlers should bring a cagoule in case of poor weather, a towel and a complete change of clothing. The fee for a "taster" session is £5, to confirm that you wish to have a go, please contact us by email or phone. During the spring and summer months we can become very busy, so can you please contact us to pre-book a taster session. If you enjoy paddling at Solihull Canoe Club, then membership is £30.00 for Juniors and £35.00 for Adults for the year up until August 2012. You will then be able to paddle at Solihull Canoe Club during the year with no additional payments. |
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| Marathon Racing | ||
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Marathon Races are held over four miles (Juniors 2 miles) and increase in mileage as you improve.
The great thing about marathon racing is that the races are classified according to ability. This means that if you are a newcomer to the sport you will be competing with other fellow beginners; and you will find that there is nearly always someone slower than you. We race on various canals and rivers throughout the Midlands and you will get to compete in some very picturesque areas. The routes are placid water, so you don't have to worry about weirs and tidal races. As you begin to improve, you will get promoted into higher 'divisions' competing against more able paddlers. Also you will pick up various skills and techniques: such as getting a free ride by slipstreaming competitor boats; learning how to read the flow on rivers; those ever so crucial sprint starts to avoid the wash of other boats; and how to time your sprint finishes. The good news is that technique and skills are more important that brute strength and you will often see mums beating younger male paddlers, and there are also paddlers in their 60s and 70s putting in respectable performances. You can either race in Kayaks or Canoes, however most people compete in the kayak. The two seat kayak (K2) is very popular. Many people are happy just to compete in the 4 mile races, however, if you wish, there are plenty of longer races around the country, the longest being the world renowned Devizes to Westminster race at 125 miles long. Some people will take up canoeing solely in order to compete in this race. If any of this has wetted your appetite for marathon racing, then please contact us to find out more. |
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| Wildwater Racing |
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Wild water racing has the very simple aim of paddling down stream through rapids in a short a time as possible. There are three type of races:
Solihull members currently compete at a novice level, however former members have represented Great Britain at this sport. A good introduction to wildwater is at the Nene White Water centre in Northampton. There are three races a year held there on a 300m long artificial white water course. To find out more please contact us.
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| Club Sponsors |
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We would like to thank the following organisations who have generously supported the club:
Solihull MBC
Solihull Community Foundation Taylor Woodrow plc
British Canoe Union Solihull Sports Council Birmingham Airport trust
Awards for all
Lightpower Ltd
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