THIS weekend will see the 40th running of the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, and there will also be a most unusual sight among the canoes leaving Governor Phillip Park.
For the first time, the classic will feature three dragon boats, who will paddle their way along the Hawkesbury River.
Hawkesbury Canoe Classic Association president Kent Heazlett said the boats would be a welcome addition to the race this year, and each boat would have 20 paddlers.
“They've been keen to be involved for some years. A lot of the dragon boat guys cross over and paddle in outriggers, they came to us and said how about you let us in,” he said.
Heazlett said this year, the association had introduced a short course, which is only 65-kilometres long, called the Wisemans Dash.
The race is traditionally 111-kilometres from Windsor to Sackville, whereas the shorter race will run from Windsor to Wisemans Ferry.
He said the dragon boaters would be in the shorter race.
“Normally a big race for a dragon boat is about two kilometres, so to take on something like 65-kilomtres will test their limits,” he said.
“There has been a lot of talk about it. We've got one extreme to the other, there are more stand up paddle boarders coming in this year too.”
Heazlett said there were 500 people in this year’s race, well above last year’s 360.
He said the 40th anniversary of the charity race had drawn people back.
“Hopefully we'll raise some good money,” he said.
“The major beneficiary is the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation, and we have been raising money for them for many years now.
“We are up to about $3.7 million all up over a number years.”
Heazlett said the association had set a lofty target of $400,000.
“Arrow is a small, hands on charity trying to find a cure for Leukaemia,” he said.
Heazlett said this would be his 24th time doing the classic.
“I did my first race in about 1992 or 1993. I had never done anything like it before, I had done a very small amount of whitewater paddling and that was it,” he said.
Heazlett said despite how physically demanding his first race was, he grew to enjoy the challenge.
“I think as time goes on, you become a bit more immune to the pain,” he joked.
“It is a fantastic challenge. it is a physical one and a mental one and it is an opportunity to raise some good money for charity.”
Heazlett said about 100 people had registered for the Wisemans Dash, while the other 400 would go the full 111-kilometres to Sackville.
Heazlett added that 500 volunteers would give up their time to help ensure the race ran smoothly and safely.
