• Hawkesbury Canoe Classic home page
• 2024 Results (via webscorer)
• 2024 Results incl Handicap (via HCC website)
• HCC photos on LCRK Flickr (LCRK specific album)
• 2024 HCC photos on LCRK Flickr (all paddlers)
• Race tracker - active during race
• 2006-2018 Results Chart, 2019 Pace Guide
• HCC Facebook Chat Group
• HCC Flyover Video (6 minute version)
• LCRK's 2023 HCC Page
• LCRK's 2019 HCC Page
• LCRK's 2018 HCC Page
• LCRK's 2017 HCC Page
• LCRK's 2016 HCC Page

Volunteers report – Andrew Pearce

Once more the LCRK volunteers kicked into full gear to support the intrepid HCC team, whilst the overall numbers were down, we still had some 15 paddlers on the water in 14 boats, along with an impressive support team at all stops.

First on the scene at Windsor were John Duffy, Jeff Collins and Rodrigo, the very first LCRK paddlers to arrive at Windsor and were totally responsible for paddler registration. Great effort and personal sacrifice in giving up almost a full day - and to top it off John Duffy paddled 111km after!

The reinforcements, Kevin Mulally and Tim McNamara, secured the regular LCRK spot at Windsor under the trees, and waited patiently for the rest of the volunteers, paddlers and their respective land crew to turn up along with the logistics support team of the author and Tony Hystek with the LCRK marquee and the new floppy signs that miraculously turned up on Friday afternoon (final art work was only approved on Tuesday 22). Once on site, all hands quickly had the marquee up and the signs erected all relaxed and enjoyed the banter from other volunteers, land crews, and paddlers.

The time was then spent by the paddlers and the teams cross checking their boats, and other equipment such as food, water and all the other little things that are so important for a race of this length in the dark, then the boats were all taken across to the mandatory scrutineers for a final check and sign off, this includes the tracking beacon that all must carry (see more on this latter). Jana, Ian and David Little all had cameras with various Lens options so would get some great shots

Following the briefing and listening to the inspiring comments from the respective presenters the paddlers and their crew moved the boats down to the water line for the start, all were away on time.

9km downstream At Pitt Town Bottoms, Ian Wrenford was in his usual location in the water with camera capturing the fresh faces and providing useful advice (eg "10% complete, only 90% left to paddle").

At Ebenezer the cheer squad/photography team of Tony Hystek, Kevin Mulally, Jana Osvald, Wade Rowston, Andrew Pearce, Dave Little and Pauline Findlay all stopped at the small Ebeneezer church park to wave the paddlers on, they probably could not hear much but would have seen the hands waving from the other side of the river.

Then onto Sackville to provide any assistance required, some confusion on where to pull in, however some LCRK paddlers opted not to stop, at Sackville Craig Ellis was the first retirement, due to a strange reaction to something and a swim, he was picked up by his land crew and transported to Wisemans (according to his tracker the first to arrive and in record time), in the meantime the advance team (Renae Watkins, volunteers/mud larks) managed to find the normal LCRK spot at the NSW Ski Park and waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

Once the rest of the Wisemans team arrived the marquee was quickly erected along with the banners, light poles were wound up and lights turned on, tables were set up and the ground sheets laid out, during this process Renae braved the treacherous waters to swim out and put some warning lights on a tree trunk that jutted out into the river right where our paddlers came into the corner, whilst others installed a rope down to the water to assist the paddlers climb up. Kevin took on the difficult task of removing any errant rocks out of the way and used them to build a new rock garden, he spent some time trying to lift a particular rock out of the way by scraping away the sand and silt, gave up after a while and placed another rock on top of as a warning sign, it was only when the tide had gone out that he realized the rock he had tried to move was actually the rock shelf. Soon after the tables were put up, Tony Carr and Chris (catering crew) turned up with fresh sandwiches for all.

All was then set for the arrival of the paddlers, trackers were monitored and checks made by the land crews to make sure all was ready, paddlers specific food and drinks laid out etc, the only real hiccup was the lack of mobile phone coverage making it hard to communicate.

Around this time, the Wisemans base camp was surprised when security guards came down to make sure all was ready for his regal Majesty King Charles (aka Tony Carr) and her regal Majesty Queen Camila (aka Chris Deng) looking resplendent in royal robes, bejeweled crowns and tiaras, appropriate blessings were bestowed on all present, not sure if the SES crew embraced the levity, however the king and queen certainly shared the warmth.

As the paddlers stopped, the highly trained mud larks (Kevin, Renae, Matt, Tim), went into full gear, paddlers were gently assisted out of their boats and escorted to the base camp, drinks were administered, boats were corralled into the corner and the respective land crews then checked equipment changed maps, water bladders were refilled and all made ready for the final push down river to the finish line, fortunately the weather was kind with light winds and clear sky, although quite dark as Chris Johnson knows well.

There was a high level of concern for Chris at one point as his tracker indicated he was off course and heading up a river/creek there was some mention that he heard some dueling banjos playing and wanted to investigate (not true) the SES were quickly advised and they went into full rescue mode, raced to locate Chris and kindly escorted him back to the main river flow and pointed him in the right direction. The safety benefit of these personal trackers was fully vindicated as Chris could have spent a very lonely night up a creek although with a paddle.

All paddlers were finally cleared past Wisemans around 1am, the camp was dismantled, and packed up into Tony’s van, and some left over sandwiches taken to the SES team with a personal thank you from the LCRK crew for all their efforts.

Onto the finish line, the land crews by this time were all feeling the strain and very tired, we waited patiently for the paddlers to arrive, Richard Andrews was on hand to retrieve the trackers and carry the boats up to the lawns while the respective paddlers were escorted/assisted to the waiting cars, changed into dry clothes, boats were packed up and placed on the cars for the tip home for a well earned rest.

Special thanks to all the Volunteers that assisted with the whole process, Tony H, Kevin M, Matt S, Renae W, Tim M, Tony C, Chris D, Wade R, Justin P along with the great assistance of the land crews that made this entire process run like a well-oiled machine.

Andrew Pearce (HCC Wrangler 2024)

LCRK Club Support

2024 HCC 'Calculator'

LCRK is please to provide this Microsoft Excel based 'calculator' which is preloaded with HCC 2024 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, and read the instructions:

1. Update your Windsor start time, your base speed, your stop times.
2. The calculator will then derive your ETA at respective checkpoints, including adjustments for current.
3. 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.
4. How do you work out your base speed? See Tom Holloway's excellent article for more detail - 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. See this PDF.
5. Note that whilst there's a bit of science behind this tool - there are many other important variables in play including wind, river knowledge, ferries, swims etc - which can make the tool a bit of sideshow. Use the tool in conjunction with ALL your planning.

Download the 2024 calculator

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

• Sackville stop point is no longer at the beach around the corner, due to residents concerns about hundreds of feet damaging the flood remediation work. Stop point will be 50 metres downstream from the ferry, before the right hand bend into the beach

• 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
• 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 40 class records.

Boat	Class	Name	Year	Time
K1	Women Open	Naomi Johnson	2019	9:28:55
K1	Women 40+	Ruby Ardren	2019	10:3:19
K1	Men 60+	Tony Hystek	2019	9:39:00
K1	Women Vet60+	Ann Lloyd Green	2016	13:57:29
K4	Women 40+	Anjie Lees, Jana Osvald, Wendy Andrews, Kerrie Murphy	2018	12:27:40
K4	Women	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Buzz Powell, Sandra Burwood	2006	9:29:40
K4	Mixed 40+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Warren Huxley, Bernard Craggs	2008	10:07:36
K4	Mixed 50+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley, Warren Huxley, Rob Cook	2010	10:18:23
K4	Women 50+	Rae Duffy with Merridy Huxley, Dee Ratliffe and Clare McArthur	2013	10:53:59
TK1	Women	Margaret Cook	1985	10:44:49
TK2	Women Vet40+	Margaret Cook, Merridy Huxley	2003	10:46:04
DRR1	Men 50+	Richard Barnes	2014	11:19:20
Short Rec	Men 50+	Tom Simmat	2007	9:58:35
Short Rec	Men 60+	Tom Simmat	2012	10:35:24
Short Rec	Men 70+	Tom Simmat	2018	10:27:00
Med Rec	Men Open	Toby Hogbin	2010	9:18:22
Med Rec	Women 50+	Rae Duffy	2012	10:55:09
Med Rec	Men 60+	Tom Simmat	2010	9:54:05
Med Rec	Men 70+	Phil Newman	2024	13:29:19
Long Rec	Men Open	Bruce Goodall	2000	9:37:50
Long Rec	Women 50+	Liz Winn	2008	10:59.33
Long Rec	Women 60+	Ann Lloyd-Green	2013	14:02:57
Long Rec	Men 60+	Tom Simmat	2011	9:59:07
Long Rec	Men 70+	Tom Simmat	2019	10:46:38
Long Rec 2	Mixed	Kristy Benjamin & Bob Turner	2012	8:58:02
Rec 2	Men 40+	Kenji Ogawa, Genkai So	2000	10:36:34
Rec 2	Mixed 50+	Urs Mader, Arni Mader	2012	10:40:12
Ocean Racing Ski	Women Open	Naomi Johnson	2023	9:38:56
Ocean Racing Ski	Women 50+	Roz Green	2015	12:47:59
Ocean Racing Ski	Men 40+	Brendan Trewartha	2017	8:38:47
Ocean Racing Ski	Men 60+	Tony Hystek	2016	9:06:32
Ocean Racing Ski 2	Men 50+	Brendan Trewartha & Peter Manley	2023	8:35:15
SSK2	Mixed 40+	Joy and Rich Robinson	2015	9:28:31
Unrestricted	Men Open	Toby Hogbin	2012	8:18:19
Unrestricted	Women	Julie Stanton	2006	10:13:30
Unrestricted	Women 40+	Anjie Lees	2015	11:51:14
Unrestricted	Men 70+	Adrian Clayton	2023	11:29:07
Unrestricted 2	Mixed Open	Joy and Rich Robinson	2016	9:05:38
Unrestricted 2	Mixed 50+	Alanna Ewin, Tony Hystek	2017	8:50:42
Wisemans Dash	Open	Andrew Love, Toby Hogbin	2016	4:45:00

HCC - The Whiddon Trophy (Fastest Time)

• 2009 Matt Blundell
• 2010 Matt Blundell
• 2023 Peter Manley and Brendan Trewartha

HCC - Participation

Completed	Name
40 or more	Richard Barnes
25 or more	Kenji Ogawa
20 or more	Margaret Cook, Peter Fitzgerld, Merridy Huxley, John Duffy
15 or more	Don Rowston, Tom Simmat, Warren Huxley
10 or more	Martin Dearnley, Bruce Goodall, Rob Vallis, Urs Mader, Derek Simmonds, Matt Swann, Richard Yates, John Harrison, Chris Thompson, Richard Robinson, Darren Williams

(go to LCRK's 2023 Hawkesbury Classic Pages)