Easter and the DW

Happy Easter everyone!

Hope you all had a nice relaxing break - I certainly did (still am actually). However there were several hundred for whom this Easter was anything but that, as it was time for another Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race.

The DW (as it is known) is the world's longest non-stop canoe race, 200 km from its start in the sleepy rural Wiltshire town of Devizes along the Kennet and Avon canal to Reading and then following the Thames to finish in the heart of London at Westminster. As well as the roughly 125 miles it requires portage around 77 locks along the way.

That would be a tall order doing it gradually in stages but to do it all in one go is mental / inspiring (delete as you feel fit). The overnighters starts on the Saturday morning and most finish the following day, roughly 24 hours later, though looking at the times on their web site here you'll times ranging from around 17 to 38 hours.

Yesterday morning, Easter day, woke up to see the first ones heading downstream while I entertained my visiting sister with a latte made with Venezuela coffee. And in the evening there were still the one or two struggling to finish.

This morning there was a flood of canoes, this time from those that were doing it over the four day long weekend (as in the picture above).

Well done to all those that finished especially from those from my local canoe club.