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Success for IGA Honorary Medical Adviser Carl Clinton in the longest kayak/canoe race in the world

Thu, 24 Jul 2008

Whilst most of you were enjoying the hospitality of the Aland Organising Committee you may have given a thought to the absence of your Honorary Medical Adviser, though in truth you probably didn’t even notice that I wasn’t there! Either way to explain my absence I have produced a short 'report' which I am asking our General Secretary to circulate to everyone. Having taken part in the longest rowing race in the world, the Race across the Atlantic in 1997, I decided to have a go at the world's longest canoe and kayak race as well and with friend Rob Cassin completed in the Men's Pairs Kayak class of the Yukon River Quest in 2006. We competed as complete novices, having had to change from rowing to kayaking and with only 8 hours experience of paddling a kayak! However despite this lack of preparation we still managed to finish in 22nd place covering the race distance of 470 miles in a total time of 53 hours. Encouraged by this achievement we decided to try again and so undertook 80 hours of training in a kayak before returning in June this year. The Yukon River Quest is the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world and except for 2 mandatory rest stops totalling 10 hours, the paddlers' race the 470 miles to from Whitehorse to Dawson City non-stop. The race is held every year in the Yukon Territories, Northern Canada during the last week of June at the time of the Summer Solstice and is a true race to the midnight sun. It is recognised as one of the toughest adventure marathon events in the world today. This historic race traces the old Klondike Gold Rush path - the only route the gold prospectors could take from Whitehorse to Dawson City to reach the gold discovered there. Many of them perished on the journey because of the traitorous nature of the river leaving many historic sites and old relics of the gold rush era along the river still visible now. The wildlife to be seen during the journey is stunning with sightings of brown bears, grizzly bears, moose, otters and eagles being made by the competitors. This race is full of adventure and danger from the unpredictable wildlife, several rapids and some very difficult stretches of water to negotiate. This year the race started on 25th June with over 100 Teams with 250 paddlers, competing in the different categories, from Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Latvia, South Africa, United States of America and last but not least the small Island of Jersey. We finished the race in 9th position overall and 1st in the Men's Pairs Kayak class in a time of 47 hours and the win came as a complete shock to us both! The 2 compulsory stops, the first at Carmacks for 7 hours and the second at Kirkman Creek for 3 hours were our only breaks from paddling in the 47 hours. In winning our class we beat teams from all over the world including a pair from South Africa who were due to participate in the World Championships and an American pair who were elite adventure racers as well as several ex-Olympic paddlers. Both of us have completed several serious and arduous challenges in the past but this race is the hardest either of us has ever undertaken and both continue to be surprised at both our overall placing and winning our class. If you would like further information and photographs of the race can be obtained from the very informative website http://www.yukonriverquest.com For more photos from the Yukon River Quest 2008 please click the link below. http://www.islandgames.net/cms/image_collection_25038.html Regards Carl Carl Clinton IGA Honorary Medical Adviser Sponsored by RBS International 'Yukon Make it Happen Team'