• Hawkesbury Canoe Classic home page
• HCC 2019 ENTRIES - open NOW
• 2006-2018 Results Chart, 2019 Pace Guide
• LCRK's 2018 HCC Report
• HCC Facebook Chat Group
• HCC Flyover Video (6 minute version)
• LCRK HCC 2019 Race Report
• 2017 Finish line candid video commentary on Youtube
• LCRK's 2018 Hawkesbury Classic Pages

HCC 2019 Tides and Weather and Moon

The conditions for 2019 (at least from a moonlight and tide perspective) are likely to see some high and low tides. Noting the current change lags the changing of the tide. There's a new moon due on 28 Oct which means no moonlight, besides which it sets at 5pm Saturday! It's going to be a DARK night!

Club Support

2019 HCC 'Calculator'

LCRK is please to provide this Microsoft Excel based 'calculator' which is preloaded with HCC 2019 Tides all the way up to Windsor and incorporating associated tidal and riverine flows (all other things being equal which they never are!!). To use, download the tool, open up Excel, adjust ONLY the yellow shaded cells ie:-

1. Update your Windsor start time
2. Update your expected base speed (either constant for whole 100km, or you can slow yourself down as your energy flags)
3. Adjust your expected stop time (eg if it's 1/2hr then enter as =0.5/24 to keep excel happy!)
4. The calculator will then derive your ETA at respective checkpoints, including adjustments for current.
5. The course map (separate worksheet) will be automatically updated and can be printed out/laminated on a single A4 page for you &/or your landcrew.
6. Print out different versions eg at 9km/h, 10km/h, 11km/h base speed - you'll know by your first stop which one you should be using!
7. How do you work out your base speed? See Tom Holloway's excellent article for more detail but he recommends assuming you paddle at 90% of your time trial speed. Stops are additional as are delays waiting for one or more car ferries. Your average speed overall will probably be around 85% of your time trial speed, all else being equal. See this PDF.
8. Note that whilst there's a bit of science behind this tool - there are many other important variables in play including wind, river knowledge, washriding etc - which can make the tool a bit of sideshow. Use the tool in conjunction with ALL your planning.

Download the 2019 calculator

For those wanting more detail. The new calculator identifies tides at Fort Denison (HH, LL, H, L), then adjusts that tide all the way up to Windsor some 5-7 hours later. Current patterns have been modelled for 4 sections of the river (between stops) using data from MHL, DPW etc. Your ETA at a particular checkpoint is adjusted based on your base paddle speed and the anticipated current at the time you are travelling. Short or long stops will affect the tide you catch (or are caught by). Further fine tuning CAN be done - but no point over-engineering it, you might be affected by winds, broken down ferries, unplanned swims etc. Good luck!

LCRK Club Hawkesbury Training Paddles 2019

With a full competition calendar, including the Wyong Ultra Marathon, the Myall Classic and the Clarence 100 the week before this year’s Hawkesbury Classic there are good opportunities for getting some excellent competitive kilometres under your belt.

For this reason and to try and help you improve your preparation we have added some distance into the Club’s Hawkesbury training paddles. They are designed to help you with refamiliarising yourself with where you should be and when on the night given the expected tidal conditions.

The first of this year’s training paddles will be focusing on the section below Wiseman’s from Low Tide Pitstop through to Bar Point, Milson’s Passage and to the finish.

The second training paddle will focus on maximising distance and time through the Big W where the tide is expected to turn to carry you to the finish.

Training Paddle 1

• Training Paddle #1 details (please download (2 page PDF)

Aim: To get some distance training and plan route approaching Spenser, Bar Point through Milsons Passage to finish.
Date: Sunday 15th September - Mooney Mooney to Low Tide Pitstop Return
Distance: 45kms OR choose your own distance to return but paddle at least to Spencer 21kms return
Meet: 7:00am at Deerubbin Boat Ramp and Car Park. Briefing: 7:40am First start at 8:00am
Tides: Mooney Mooney Bridge High at 09:14am, Singleton Mill (Low Tide Pitstop) High at 10:21am
The idea is to paddle up with the tide and return on the outgoing tide.
NOTE: This paddle is weather dependent.

Training Paddle 2

• Training Paddle #2 details (please download (2 page PDF)

Aim: To work out best route through Big W for the Hawkesbury
Date: Sunday 13th October - Naughty Wiseman’s Beach to Lower Portland Ferry Return
Distance: 37kms OR choose to return at 14km mark to return through the Big W. (option for 47km return to Dargle but requires an even earlier start - see the PDF)
Meet: 8:00am sharp at Naughty Wiseman’s Car Park. Turn left off end of Old Northern Road opposite Wiseman’s Ferry Public Wharf.
Briefing: 8:30am First start at 9:00am
Tides: Wiseman’s Ferry High at 10:28am (1.4m), Lower Portland High at 11:39am

At Windsor - From 10am to 5pm

• LCRK Marquee for shade and meeting point
• Club shirts and caps for sale
• Issue paddler, start list and contact list
• Experts to offer advice, smiles and positive vibes
• Group photo 2:30PM (Be at the LCRK marquee at 2:25pm)
• Mandatory race briefing is at tba pm
• Marquee will be moved to Wisemans at 5:30pm

At Sackville - from 6:30pm until last LCRK paddler through

• Radio warning to your land crew of your approach
• Illuminated LCRK sign to identify our shared meeting point
• Shared land crew support in landing and re-launching each paddler
• Informal tracking of LCRK craft passing through\\Reminder to paddlers to check out at 2nd Sackville checkpoint

At Wisemans - from 8:30pm until last paddler through

• LCRK meeting point 40 metres downriver from main launching ramp (see photos below - look for the red electronic timing board used for our Time Trials)
• LCRK marquee
• Free catering for LCRK land crew and social HCC paddlers (thanks Tony Carr!)
• Informal tracking of LCRK craft passing through
• Club support for land crews in landing and re-launching their paddlers
• Reminder to paddlers to check out at 2nd Wiseman's checkpoint.

Low Tide Pit-Stop

If you need a last stop on your down-river run and succumb to the "sirens", you will, as usual, be offered smiles, "mud angel" landing and re-launching services, sometimes "paddle through" service; fire for warmth; smiles; hot food and drink; and more smiles - this is not a club facility but a wonderful service volunteered annually to all participants. Remember the location this year is about half a kilometre upstream from its old spot –it is at a boat ramp (= less mud!)

Preparation Reading

General Advice

• Tips for First Timers by Paul van Koesveld
• Race Strategy by Rob Vallis
• Race Strategy by Graeme Jeffries
• Race Tactics 2013 by Tom Simmatt
• LCRK Seminar Takeaways 2013
• Race Rules by Roger Deane
• Pace Guide: How Fast Can You paddle the Classic by Tom Holloway
• 2006-2017 Results Chart, 2018 Pace Guide

Nutrition

• Ultramarathon Nutrition by Tony Hystek
• Classic Food by Ian Hofstetter
• Nutrition by Vitality Health Services
• Energy management for the Hawkesbury Classic by Phil Geddes

Clothing

• Race Clothing by Michael Mueller
• What to Wear by Tom Simmat

Stretching/Injury Prevention

• Basic Stretch Routine by Vitality Health Services
• Injury Prevention by Vitality Health Services
• Stretching Exercises by Matt Blundell

Landcrew Advice

• HCC Landcrew Talk by Alanna Ewin
• Tips For Landcrews by Justin Paine

Maps & Planning

• HCC in one section
• HCC in three sections
• HCC in 5km sections

Garmin GPX Track

• HCC.zip Unzip, copy into your Garmin, and set to visible using garmin menu.

For planning and safety purposes please note: The HCC is not 111km, it is actually 100km. Also, it does not finish at Brooklyn, it finishes at Mooney Mooney (Deerubbin Reserve)

HCC - Current Class Record Holders

LCRK members past and present currently hold over 20 class records.

Boat	Class	Name	Year	Time
K1	Ladies 40+	Ruby Ardren	2018	11:08:15
K1	Vet60+	Tom Simmat	2009	11:09:12
K1	Ladies Vet60+	Ann Lloyd Green	2016	13:57:29
K2	Vet50+	Bruce Goodall, Jeremy Spear	2014	9:33:57
K4	Ladies 40+	Anjie Lees, Jana Osvald, Wendy Andrews, Kerrie Murphy	2018	12:27:40
K4	Ladies	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Buzz Powell, Sandra Burwood	2006	9:29:40
K4	Mixed Vet40+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Warren Huxley, Bernard Craggs	2008	10:07:36
K4	Mixed Vet50+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Warren Huxley, Rob Cook	2010	10:18:23
K4	Ladies Vet50+	Our Rae Duffy with Merridy Huxley, Dee Ratliffe and Clare McArthur	2013	10:53:59
TK1	Ladies	Margaret Cook	1985	10:44:49
TK2	Ladies Vet40+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley	2003	10:46:04
Short Rec	Vet50+	Tom Simmat	2007	9:58:35
Short Rec	Vet60+	Tom Simmat	2012	10:35:24
Short Rec	Vet70+	Tom Simmat	2018	11:24:30
Med Rec	Open	Toby Hogbin	2010	9:18:22
Med Rec	Ladies Vet50+	Rae Duffy	2012	10:55:09
Med Rec	Vet60+	Tom Simmat	2010	9:54:05
Long Rec	Open	Bruce Goodall	2000	9:37:50
Long Rec	Ladies Vet50+	Liz Winn	2008	10:59.33
Long Rec	Ladies Vet60+	Ann Lloyd-Green	2013	14:02:57
Long Rec	Vet50+	Bob Turner	2014	10:02:49
Long Rec	Vet60+	Tom Simmat	2011	9:59:07
Long Rec 2	Mixed	Kristy Benjamin & Bob Turner	2012	8:58:02
Rec 2	Vet40+	Kenji Ogawa, Genkai So	2000	10:36:34
Long Rec 2	Mixed Vet 50+	Urs Mader, Arni Mader	2007	10:06:20
Ocean Racing Ski	Ladies Vet50+	Roz Green	2015	12:47:59
Ocean Racing Ski	Ladies Vet40+	Anjie Lees	2014	11:08:12
Ocean Racing Ski	Vet40+	Brendan Trewartha	2017	8:38:47
Ocean Racing Ski	Vet60+	Tony Hystek	2016	9:06:32
SSK2	Mixed Vet40+	Joy and Rich Robinson	2015	9:28:31
Unrestricted	Open	Toby Hogbin	2012	8:18:19
Unrestricted	Ladies	Julie Stanton	2006	10:13:30
Unrestricted	Ladies Vet40+	Anjie Lees	2015	11:41:14
Unrestricted	Vet60+	Tony Hystek	2018	10:12:14
Unrestricted	Vet70+	Adrian Clayton	2017	11:54:12
Unrestricted 2	Mixed Vet40+	Bruce Goodall, Christine Lalor	2007	8:57:57
Unrestricted 2	Mixed Vet50+	Alanna Ewin, Tony Hystek	2017	8:50:42
Unrestricted 2	Vet50+	Tony Hystek, Timothy Hookins	2007	8:57:00
SSK2	Mixed Vet40+	Joy and Rich Robinson	2016	9:05:38

HCC - The Whiddon Trophy (Fastest Time)

• 2009 Matt Blundell
• 2010 Matt Blundell

HCC - Participation (incl 2018)

Completed	Name
35 or more	Richard Barnes
20 or more	Kenji Ogawa
15 or more	Margaret Cook, Don Rowston, Merridy Huxley, Peter Fitzgerald, Tom Simmat, John Duffy
10 or more	Martin Dearnley, Bruce Goodall, Rob Vallis, Warren Huxley, Urs Mader, Derek Simmonds

(go to LCRK's 2018 Hawkesbury Classic Pages)