For those who prefer to canoe at speed in straight lines, sprinting is the choice. This is an Olympic sport over 200, 500 and 1000 metres, usually in lanes of 6 or 8 canoeists. The locations in the UK that can accommodate this are the National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham and Dorney Lake at Eton (the venue for the 2012 Olympics).

Unlike Marathon Racing this is not for beginners, as a minimum standard (based upon the time to cover the specific distance) is required to enter the races. Canoeists have normally paddled for a least a year before reaching this standard.

Having reached the minimum standard canoeists are categorised by Men, Women, Boys (under 18) and Girls (under 18) and within each category a ranking of A, B, C or D, with D being the slowest. Progression through the ranks is by winning races.

There are five competitions at Nottingham during the year (April, May, June, July and September), each one over a weekend. Many people camp, although there is some accommodation available at the centre and obviously local B & B and Hotels. September is the National Club Competition, so we try and get as many canoeists from Wey to compete, particularly as we have been UK Champions on numerous occasions, most recently in 2009.

A diagram that shows the relationship between the various bodies that run Flatwater Sprint Racing is show here.