West Coast Outrigger Canoe Club

World Sprint Championships Singapore 2026. George and Annie have been training hard all winter for this event and are very grateful to Hekili for inviting us to paddle with their fabulous club and for supporting us all the way. Thanks to Coach Emma and the whole coaching team and committee for all you do and thanks to Shona for the stunning design work. We already look like winners. .

Big thanks to Lucy and Terry for getting in early to tie all our canoes down before the storms came through last weekend. The damage was minimal but the sand washed into our compound is the deepest we’ve ever seen. Ten minutes on a shovel to make the gate entrance easier barely touched the surface. Good warm up for our sprint training session though. 😳😀

A stunning sky for our paddle this evening. Beautiful calm conditions made it even better. Making the most of the good weather while it lasts. 😀

Five of us out on the water tonight and Linda had her first try on an OC1. As a new paddler she was very tenacious and tackled the tide coming through the floodgates with gusto. Learning to paddle an OC1 is always a challenge as there is a lot to remember but Linda did it in style. We also had a beautiful sunset to make things even better.

A surprisingly pleasant afternoon on the water for Westies today. The wind dropped a little and the rain cleared for us to enjoy a great session coached by Gina. She kept us focussed on our technique then made us work a little harder to improve our fitness. A great session thanks Gina.

Another fun Wednesday out in Koombana bay for West Coasters. We had 8 paddlers so got two OC2 s on the water and had a little relay race. We tried to match our paddlers teams so that racing would be close and it certainly was. The first four were inseparable at the end of the 2 km and came in for a slick change. Lu and terry took off first but turned back to assist when Garry and Nat went in for a little swim. Always good to have some practise at getting back on after flipping it so it was all good. A warm shower and a few drinks were all we needed to round off the night. Happy Easter everyone. We will see you next Monday if we get enough for a boatload.

Westies had a great paddle on Wednesday with two crews on the water for our first race afternoon. Lucy was nursing an injured hand so was our starter and race judge. The teams were kept as even as possible and both crews were within ten metres of each other for the whole way. Terry’s team were gaining in strength throughout the race and were edging ahead of Georges team making for an exciting finish. Terry’s team crossed the line first with George’s team right on their tail and all paddlers had given it everything in that last 100 metres. Once the canoes were stowed away it was off to the bar for a few frothies and some questionable race stories from both teams. It was a great night and a good chance for a bit of competition in a good natured forum. We loved it.

West Coasters made the most of the big moon last night and headed out for our annual Moonlight paddle. A little bit windy but a beautiful clear sky and a great bunch of paddlers made it a fun evening on the water.

A great evening out on the water tonight with Alex having her first ride on an OC2 and doing really well. We also welcomed back our super secretary Gina from her holidays and Graham also joined us after his Christmas break. A quick drink afterwards rounded things off nicely. Gotta love summer on Koombana Bay.