The mighty Nepean River hosted Race 3 of the Penrith Valley Canoeing Club Championship on Sunday the 24th of April. The weather was looking ominous in the early hours of Sunday morning as the PVC club members set up for the race.

Twenty competitors registered for the event and the weather started to clear for the beginning of the race. Eight paddlers from our neighbouring club, Windsor Canoe Club joined the event and their presence and competitiveness was greatly valued.

The race begun at 8am with Division C, followed by Division B and then by Division A. each division started with the quick strokes of paddles as the competitors made their way upstream towards the first turn at the Penrith Valley Bridge (M4 bridge).

As the pace of the race settled the competitors formulated their race tactics and they found their rhythm that would carry them over the 12km course, while saving a small amount of energy to use for the sprint across the finish line.

Paddlers from the quicker divisions slowly caught those from the slower divisions as the race entered its final kilometres.

The sun appeared as the competitors crossed the finish line and the smell of the post-race BBQ enticed them out of their kayaks. The winners of each division added their points to their overall scoreboard tally while the other competitors compared their race times to see how they fared in the overall handicap standings.

As per usual the beautiful Nepean River provided the paddlers with excellent race conditions and a scenic way to spend a Sunday morning.

The Nepean River is on of Western Sydney’s greatest assets and Penrith Valley Canoeing would like to welcome anyone who enjoys paddling or is interested in paddling to join us as we enjoy the tranquillity of the river.

We are open to any paddle sport joining in the event and sharing the Sunday morning with us. The championship is made up of 10 races held each month on a Sunday morning with the next race being held on the 22nd May.

The race distance is 12km and there are three divisions to cater for differences in paddling speed and is open to all members. If you are interesting in becoming a member of the club or simply more details on the Club Championships please visit our website at pvc.canoe.org.au/ or our Facebook page.