Lee Valley - Div 2/3 Race This Saturday

Neil Footitt · Post by **Neil Footitt** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:49 am

I'm so confused I'm bored !!!

So do people entering the Div2/3 races this Saturday on the Legacy Loop have to have undergone the asessment before they can race ?

Some one please fill in the gaps in my understanding / misunderstanding......thanks

jhall · Post by **jhall** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:59 pm

Is there any information about the 2/3 event yet? or when and where any information will be available?

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:32 pm

Hopefully later tonight or at the latest tomorrow - all just back from Test event and struggling to catch up!!

Neil H · Post by **Neil H** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:08 pm

Neil Footitt wrote:I'm so confused I'm bored !!!

So do people entering the Div2/3 races this Saturday on the Legacy Loop have to have undergone the asessment before they can race ?

Some one please fill in the gaps in my understanding / misunderstanding......thanks

It seems to me if you complete your run - thereby having demonstrated break-ins/breakouts/crosses which is more than you do on the Legacy assessment. All they have to do is work out how to ascertain a moving water roll which is a requirement of the Legacy assessment
Just because you can complete that course doesn't mean you can roll I guess.

Then you can come back another time, pay your tenner and complete your assessment on the Olympic course. This would mean dispensation from Lee Valley that you didn't have to pay twice - which is what you would do if you did a too stage assessment otherwise.

They'll be covered for there insurance if that is what they are worried about, they'll still have their tenner

However, it would be a bit of a task to check every competitors moving water roll. Unless you found someone committed enough to stand their with a start list and checking the individuals with bibs related to it.......onerous

Neil Footitt · Post by **Neil Footitt** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:43 pm

I'll lay money on Div 2 and three paddlers not being Lee Valley rollers !!!

Munchkin · Post by **Munchkin** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:49 pm

Neil Footitt wrote:I'll lay money on Div 2 and three paddlers not being Lee Valley rollers !!!

The rolling test even for the Olympic course is in the lake...

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:13 pm

My understanding is that any paddler that completes the course with little problem will be passed.

Neil Footitt · Post by **Neil Footitt** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:15 pm

thanks, Michelle,

So Louis cannot roll pastry let alone his Kayak, does that mean he cannot race on saturday in Div 2 ?

slink · Post by **slink** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:13 pm

So, if I can eat a cheese roll on moving water, I can compete at Lee Valley? Excellent news...off to train now :;):

Seriously though, faced with a 7 hour (at best) drive, and hoping to put some of the kids on the water on Sunday to train on the legacy course having competed on Saturday, it would be nice to know if our runs will count as assessment...even if we do need to roll on the course at some stage to complete it.

Rumours at Abbey Rapids were that the assessments would take so long we'd end up racing in the dark - not good when we've got some paddlers driving back to Scotland afterwards! And as yet, we don't even know when we should get there, whether there will be any practice runs (or whether these will be replaced by assessments), and what time it's all supposed to start and finish, let alone whether we'll be passed to paddle there the next day.

Bored is one word, frustrated bordering on fed up is more like it...

Munchkin · Post by **Munchkin** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:33 pm

Neil Footitt wrote:thanks, Michelle,

So Louis cannot roll pastry let alone his Kayak, does that mean he cannot race on saturday in Div 2 ?

Nope because to do the event you don't have to have an assessment. It's only those who want to paddle on the course another time that need an assessment.

Though we will have to get to work on Louis roll before it gets too cold!

It's interesting to hear the rumours that were going around at Abbey Rapids... Not sure how the event could be seen to be going on so late "you would be paddling in the dark" when it's been made clear on one of the numerous threads that the cost of the course is prohibitive. There will be minimal practice time then an event hopefully run spot on to time (so no being late for runs) so that the water time can be minimised. At £200 per hour it can't afford to be late...

It's also been made clear (by me) that the start list couldn't be worked on until today as the organisers were all working bloody hard at the Test event last weekend. Perhaps if people got into the habit of a) entering on time (over 50 entries were recieved after the 2 week deadline) and b) filled out the entry cards properly (Andy has spent the past 3 hour filling out missing info and is still working on it) then the list could have Bern put up earlier. Unfortunately given the time limitations put on the event due to cost the start list needs to be spot on rather than just provisional.

jim croft · Post by **jim croft** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:19 am

Having been an organiser for many years entries that are not on time and cards only half filled in are a pain in the backside. Having worked at the Test event I was there for 10 days starting mainly at 07:00 and some times upto 19:00 - so give Mr Munchin (Andy G) because if he is knackard as I feel then he is doing a sterling job.
Jim

slink · Post by **slink** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:59 am

Jim/Michelle et al, I am not having a go at the organisers here, as it seems to me that the problem is coming from Lee Valley, not the event organising team. I phoned and emailed the course several weeks ago asking if I would need an assessment to paddle on Sunday (I had already entered the event). LV couldn't answer me on the phone, but the lady promised to call me back after speaking to her manager. No call, so I emailed. No response. There has then been much talk on here about every paddler needing some form of assessment...which is where the late running rumours have come from. Indeed, even in this thread, Anne stated

My understanding is that any paddler that completes the course with little problem will be passed

which hopefully will be the case but shows that 4 days from the event there is still some doubt - this follows from her previous comment of

The centre wish to do familiarisation with all those paddling , not sure how this will happen yet and I am in the process of discussions re assessments for those racing, now whether just racing will be enough I do not yet know but all being well anyone that wants assessing whilst there should be able to do so.

which wasn't followed up on...you can see where the rumours and concerns have come from!

As regards the start list, Munchkin responded to a previous post by me telling me there wouldn't be one until late as all the committee were at the test event. That's no problem except that Anne (the email info contact) posted on Thursday 21/7

We will be posting a start list in the next few days ( closing date for entries is tomorrow, 2 weeks before) and further details will be posted as we get them!!! So watch this space.

...but there wasn't - hence my question a week after that. We now have a situation where at least one competitor will shortly be en route to the event, with no info as to assessment, start times, practice availiability, etc - not even the usual "bracketed" start list we see at other events (e.g it will start at 0800 in this order...times TBA depending on entries) which would have been a lot better than the current situation. Perhaps that's due to LV, perhaps due to late entries, bad entry cards, the test event etc, as a competitor & club coach with a 7 hour drive it's annoying...as an organiser I can sympathise and you will have no doubt seen my post elsewhere expressing horror about the apparent encouragement of late entries by awarding them judging runs!

I am hoping when all said and done we'll have a great event with a lot of paddlers being able to experience LV, and taking away a good impression of the course and the event, so fingers crossed and see you on Saturday!

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:17 pm

The start list and info has now gone to Nick - unfortunately all this work is being done by already VERY busy people who are trying very hard to get this info out. I got home from Lee Valley at midnight Sun - as did many others and I know Andy who is taking the results was also very late and was back working a very long day yesterday!

I can confirm that if you successfully negotiate the course that will count as your assessment.

Neil H · Post by **Neil H** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:17 pm

Munchkin wrote:The rolling test even for the Olympic course is in the lake...

In my assessment I had to roll on the lake and then demonstrate a roll on the Legacy course!

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:25 pm

So Louis cannot roll pastry let alone his Kayak, does that mean he cannot race on saturday in Div 2 ?

.......Though we will have to get to work on Louis roll before it gets too cold!

Pastry is better made when it is cold, so would be better to wait for that sort of roll :;):