Paddle UK Sprint Racing National Regatta, 11-12 April 2026, Nottingham. A brutal headwind, hail and torrential rain, and Norwich turned up anyway, coming home with golds, podiums, promotions and a GB selection.
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.
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. 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 and was competitive across every crew boat he entered. 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), and 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). 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. A huge congratulations to Lucy, and a proud moment for the whole club. Her dad Clifford was out on the safety boat all weekend volunteering in the worst of the weather.
Senior & U23
James How raced at Senior/U23 level across all three distances into those punishing headwinds, qualifying for the A final in the 1000m, reaching F2 in the 500m (1:54.53) and F3 in the 200m. Estelle Widdows, now a qualified race coach, helped support some of the younger members throughout the weekend while also racing the 200m and 500m heats herself. A real asset to the squad.
Men’s C
Aiden Davis bounced back brilliantly after illness, putting 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, qualifying through heats in the 1000m, 500m and 200m, and making the 1000m final. Another regatta’s worth of national-level experience banked.
D Division
The D division squad showed real depth, with strong performances from both the boys and girls. George Bugden pulled it all together when it mattered most, winning the Boys D K1 200m F3 final (1:05.44).
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. Thomas Collinson qualified 3rd in his 200m heat and reached both finals, crewing up in K2 with Callum Yaxley and the all-NOR Boys D K4. Leonard Bugden and Jack Collinson also featured across the K2 and K4 crews.
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, placed 3rd in his 200m heat (1:28.55) and made the final. Avalon Bugden braved her first K1 and K2 at national level, and Remi Fowler made her debut in the Mini Sprint B K2 200m alongside Avalon. Getting into a racing kayak for the first time at a national regatta, in those conditions, is something to be proud of.
The K2 races
Sam Fowler and Jon Blanchard teamed up in the Men C/D K2 500m, finishing 5th in 2:51.78. Gemma Bugden and Leah Fowler were the highlight of the K2 races, taking on the Women C/D K2 500m and finishing 4th in 3:14.39 with massive smiles all the way down the course.
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. As Tim 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 about first-timers finding the courage to race, experienced paddlers supporting the squad, parents getting in boats, and a community that turns up in terrible weather and comes home with stories, experience, and a bit of pride. If you’re already a 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. See you on the water.