Chelmsford Canoe Club held its second annual regatta last Saturday.

The majority of the racing took place on the river Chelmer just in front of the Canoe club making it an 'easy to watch' event and visitors to the Meadows shopping centre also enjoyed the entertainment.

There were 30 competitors who first took place in time trials over distances of 350m and 200m.

The competitors were then placed in order by their times so that more competitive head to head races could take place.

At 1pm it was time for the K2 races and everyone managed to find a crew boat partner, and in a way which is becoming a Chelmsford tradition, the fastest paddlers offered to paddle with some of the younger newcomers to the sport.

So young Kirsty Doman, Sarah Linnell, Laura Richards, James Howe and Melanie Duncan suddenly found themselves in fast boats with Keith Moule, Steve Moule, Mark Cole, Tom Head and Doug Herbert.

Medals were awarded to the fastest girl and boy in each age group, the winners in the under 12 age group being James Howe from Chelmsford, and Kirsty Doman from Leaside.

The under 14's winners were Gavin Hickman from Chelmsford and Melanie Duncan from Bishop's Stortford.

The under 16's produced close events with a tie over both distances between Matthew Dabbs from Chelmsford and Matthew Westall from Bishop's Stortford, and Dabbs went on to win in the head to head races. The fastest girl in this age group was Sarah Thurley from Bishop's Stortford.

The Under 18 girls winner was Lisa Gobell and there were no under 18 boys racing.

The fastest under 23 man was Keith Moule and the fastest under 35 male was Doug Herbert, while there were no ladies in these age groups.

The veteran winners were Paul Doman and Lesley Doman from Bishop's Stortford.

When the sprints were finished two longer distance events were held, racing up to the viaduct in Central Park and back to the Clubhouse, first in K2's and then in singles.

The paddlers were split into marathon divisions for the singles event and medals were presented to the winners of each division.

Divisions one to four was won by Keith Moule while the division five and six winner was Gavin Hickman.

The winner of division seven and eight was Cheryl Dunn, and the winner of division nine, with a tremendous lead on the rest of the group, Lindsey Wilcox.

Paddling hard: There is a battle for the lead during Chelmsford Canoe Club's regatta on Saturday.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.