Paddle UK Sprint Racing National Regatta, 11-12 April 2026
Nottingham’s National Water Sports Centre. A brutal headwind all weekend. Hail. Torrential rain. Conditions more suited to the North Sea than a sprint lake. And Norwich turned up anyway.
This weekend saw a brilliant squad of NOR paddlers, many racing at national level for the very first time, take on some truly awful weather at the Paddle UK National Regatta. The relentless headwind made every race a battle, and turning at the end of the lake felt more like open-water sea kayaking than flat-water sprint. Less than ten minutes after the Mini Sprint K2 races finished, a hailstorm and torrential downpour swept through, a reminder of just how close everyone cut it.
None of it would have been possible without Tim Scott, club coach and team manager for the weekend. Despite having just had ankle surgery, Tim spent most of the weekend riding up and down the lake supporting the team. With a relatively inexperienced squad and many paddlers racing at this level for the first time, his calm presence, encouragement and experience made a massive difference. Thank you, Tim.
The Headlines
Ollie Knott had a statement weekend. He topped his 200m heat (57.01), then delivered in the final to take gold in the Boys D K1 200m with 55.41, nearly two seconds clear of the field. He added a 500m podium finish (3rd in the A final, just 2 hundredths off 2nd) and was competitive across every crew boat he entered, racing K2 with George Bugden and multiple K4 combinations. His performances earned a well-deserved promotion to BCK. Ollie arrived as a D paddler and left as a C. Brilliant.
Darcy Fowler was equally impressive. She took 2nd in the Girls D K1 500m final (3:09.84) having qualified 2nd from her heat, and was strong in the 200m, finishing 2nd in her heat before a rudder cable issue in the final took her out of contention there. The 500m result tells the real story of where Darcy is right now. Paired with Cece Blanchard in the K2, they won the Girls D K2 500m outright (2:56.03) and took a close 3rd in the 200m. A weekend to be very proud of.
Lucy Lee-Smith was superb across the board. She won her 1000m heat outright (4:55.11), made the A final at every distance, and delivered a 3rd place in the Women’s 500m A final (2:18.64) alongside 4th in the 200m A final and 6th in the 1000m A final. And the big news: Lucy’s performances have earned her selection to the GB Canoe Sprint 2026 Senior Athlete Pool for World Cup 1 and 2. The actual entries for the two World Cup races will be announced on Thursday 23rd April. A huge congratulations to Lucy, and a proud moment for the whole club. She will be aspiring to qualify for the 2028 Olympics, and this is a massive step on that journey. Her dad Clifford was out on the safety boat all weekend volunteering in the worst of the weather. That kind of support makes a difference.
Senior & U23
James How raced at Senior/U23 level across all three distances into those punishing headwinds. He qualified for the A final in the 1000m (2nd in heat), reached F2 in the 500m (6th, 1:54.53) and F3 in the 200m. At this level, in those conditions, every place is hard-fought, and James was competing right through the card.
Estelle Widdows hasn’t had as much water time recently, but she contributed to the team effort both on and off the water. Now a qualified race coach, Estelle helped support some of the younger members throughout the weekend while also racing the 200m and 500m heats in Women Senior/U23 herself. A real asset to the squad.
Men’s C
Aiden Davis bounced back brilliantly after illness disrupted his recent BUCS performance on home water. He put together a clean, consistent weekend with 2nd in the Men C K1 1000m (4:52.77) and 3rd in the 500m (2:22.28). Good to see Aiden back in form and racing with confidence.
Girls U18
Jasmine Sargeant had a solid weekend across all three distances in a competitive Girls U18 field. She qualified through heats in the 1000m, 500m and 200m, making the 1000m final (8th) and gaining valuable experience at every distance. She did miss one race due to the weather, but competed hard throughout the rest of the programme. Another regatta’s worth of national-level experience banked.
D Division
The D division squad showed real depth this weekend, with strong performances from both the boys and girls.
George Bugden learnt some valuable lessons about boat selection. In those windy conditions, anything unstable was seriously punishing, and the lake wasn’t forgiving. Upon inspection of his boat, it became clear his seat needed a few more bolts in it as well!
But George pulled it all together when it mattered most, winning the Boys D K1 200m F3 final (1:05.44). He raced the K2 with Ollie Knott (1st in their heat), was part of the mixed NOR/RLS K4, and showed that once he finds the right setup, he can really move.
Cece Blanchard raced the 200m and 500m K1 heats, was part of the Girls C-D K4 crew, and alongside Darcy delivered that K2 500m gold. Her racing improved through the weekend and she showed real composure in the crew boats.
Thomas Collinson raced well across the 200m and 500m, qualifying 3rd in his 200m heat and reaching both finals. His 500m heat (4th, 2:52.42) got him into the F2 final, and he crewed up in K2 with Callum Yaxley as well as the all-NOR Boys D K4. Callum got his first taste of national racing in the 200m heats and crew boats, and both boys showed they belong at this level.
Leonard Bugden and Jack Collinson also featured across the K2 and K4 crews, getting stuck in at national level in a big, windy, intimidating environment. For many of these younger paddlers, just getting to the start line in those conditions takes real courage.
Mini Sprint B – The Youngest Squad Members
Casper Fowler deserves a huge shout-out. He overcame his nerves to get out on the start line, and once he was racing, he committed fully. He placed 3rd in his 200m heat (1:28.55), made the final (5th), raced the K2 with a partner from SLP, competed in the A/B K4 and the B K4 500m. In conditions that would test anyone, that took real guts. Well done, Casper.
Avalon Bugden also braved her first K1 and K2 at national level. She raced the Mini Sprint B K1 200m (heat and final) and paired up with Remi in the K2. Getting into a racing kayak for the first time at a national regatta, in those conditions, is something to be proud of.
Remi Fowler made her debut too, racing the Mini Sprint B K2 200m alongside Avalon. Another first-timer who can say their first-ever race was at a national championship. Welcome to the sport.
The K2 Races
Sam Fowler and Jon Blanchard teamed up in the Men C/D K2 500m, finishing 5th in 2:51.78. Jon is an experienced paddler, Sam can be wobbly (the self-labelled torpedo) in flat water and was racing for the first time, so the fact they stayed upright and finished deserves its own celebration. Gemma Bugden and Leah Fowler were the highlight of the K2 races though, taking on the Women C/D K2 500m and finishing 4th in 3:14.39 with massive smiles all the way down the course. Proper racing, proper fun, and a performance that had the whole team cheering from the bank.
The Full NOR Squad
For the record, every Norwich paddler who raced this weekend:
Senior/U23: James How, Lucy Lee-Smith, Estelle Widdows Men C: Aiden Davis K2 Crews: Jon Blanchard, Sam Fowler, Gemma Bugden, Leah Fowler Girls U18: Jasmine Sargeant Boys D: Ollie Knott, George Bugden, Thomas Collinson, Callum Yaxley, Leonard Bugden, Jack Collinson Girls D: Darcy Fowler, Cece Blanchard Mini Sprint B: Casper Fowler, Avalon Bugden, Remi Fowler
Team Manager & Coach: Tim Scott
One more thing worth highlighting: the entire NOR squad came through the weekend without picking up a single penalty point, and was not called to the race tower once. At a national regatta with this many entries, that speaks volumes about how organised and well-prepared the team was.
As Tim himself put it:
“The team should be hugely proud of not picking up a single penalty point and we were not called to the tower once, which shows how organised they were. They have set the bar really high for other club members for the rest of the season!”
Come and Join Us
This weekend showed exactly what Norwich Canoe Club sprint racing is about. It’s not just about the results, though the golds, podiums and promotions were brilliant. It’s about first-timers finding the courage to race. It’s about experienced paddlers supporting the squad. It’s about parents getting in boats. It’s about a community that turns up in terrible weather and comes home with stories, experience, and a bit of pride.
If you’re already a club member and haven’t tried sprint racing yet, come along. If you’re not a member yet and this sounds like your kind of thing, get in touch. There’s a place for everyone, from Mini Sprint beginners to national-level racers.
See you on the water.
