I was called up to the starting position for my Wild Water kayak sprint through the rapid.

I watched Berny, who started before me, plunge into the first drop, then hit the series of waves. Suddenly he capsized and then rolled the kayak up before being capsized again. Swirling current drew him closer to the rock groyne and he was in the hands of the rescue crew.

Good advice I had received the night before from dear friends Matthias and Katrin, immediately came to mind.

“Your minimum goal should be not to drown”

My number was called and given a 5 second countdown. No turning back now, no matter the outcome. “Paddle hard, don’t stop”, Through the drop and into the rapid, slightly off-line, but still powering on. I was through the worst of it and into calmer waters, keeping the power on until I crossed the finish line. Happy not to meet the rescue crew.

Fellow paddler, Berny and I had entered several events at the Eildon Festival of Paddling in Victoria, Australia. There were two sprint races through the main rapids and on the second run Berny told me he was not going to meet the rescue guys again. Funnily enough he was right, he capsized soon after the first drop and as the rescue guys started to move he rolled back up and immediately powered on, with the crowd cheering and clapping. That was the fastest roll I’ve ever seen him do.

So I was beaten again by Berny. We both entered the Packraft Challenge. A single raft race through the same sprint course with 4 rafts at a time challenging for the win. More like a game of bumper boats as we made our way down the course, having to touch a banner placed on a rock at the finish. Not everyone survived the experience, but I took revenge on Berny by bumping him out the way to touch the banner first in our second heat.

There was also a Wild Water K1 paddle for me on the upper section of the course. Having broken my racing paddle earlier I bought myself a brand new one from the Canoes Plus pop up shop. OK, so new paddle, unstable racing kayak was not the best combination, but I stayed upright thankfully. Not the place to go for a swim with lots of holiday campers lining the bank.

Next morning it was another early start at the 3km Classic Wild Water race. I decided to paddle my more stable, but slower kayak in the 3km of fast flowing water and then through the main rapid section

Berny and I started along with another veteran paddler, but I was soon distanced by both. I concentrated on keeping my technique together and at least looking the part, all the time thinking/hoping that one of them might not make it through the final rapid. The main rapids approached, and I concentrated on keeping a good line through the first drop and held momentum through the waves, but I could see that the other two paddlers had crossed the finish line and I had cemented myself in that last place position again.

Great fun with lots of other paddlers, all of whom were faster than me, But I made it and managed not to drown. Good Advice I thought; Your minimum goal should be don’t drown.

Thanks to all the volunteers who gave up their time and to the Canoes Plus Racing Team for helping Berny and me along the way.