h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A call from my son came yesterday evening. Could I help? He was needed to work today and was due to take granddaughter to their kayak club to get a k2 (two seat racing kayak) ready for a race which takes place tomorrow (Sunday). Granddaughter had been paired last week with another girl to paddle in a race for the club. They had paddled together only a couple of times but were getting on well together and should score reasonably well for the club. The boat had to be adjusted to fit the two girls and readied for the race. They could also get an hours last minute practice in. My son couldn’t get her down there to the club, could I take her.

Two years ago I had suggested that granddaughter might like to take an introductory course in paddlesports that my club was running during the early part of the year. She thought she would and for twelve weeks on Tuesday nights we went to the club here she learned to paddle all sorts of boats, fall out of them and get back in, make them run on the water and turn quickly. In short, she learned to paddle. From there she teamed up with another girl and between them raced k2s in the National Hasler competitions, scoring for the club and on several occasions placing in the first three home. Last year she moved to another club. This one has a strong youth section and is focussed exclusively on racing. With this club she made it to the national finals which was run in September.

Mrs D and I duly delivered her to the club this morning and went for a walk with the dog along the towpath while she did her thing with the boat. She and her partner handled it like professionals, skipping in and out of it getting the seats adjusted to their liking and trimming it to sit on the water correctly. A little later we were returning back along the towpath when we saw them coming towards us accompanied by a couple of other boats, all crewed by youngsters. They raced along, keeping a fast pace, one riding on another’s wash as they went. They were soon past us enjoying and laughing at the experience. They were quite oblivious to us.

Just for a moment everything seemed right with the world.