Rideau Canoe Club

The Rideau Canoe Club is a canoe club located on the Rideau River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The club is located at Mooney's Bay, where the Rideau Canal splits away from the river prior to joining up with the Ottawa River.

The club's emphasis is on sprint canoe and kayak racing, that is, long and slender boats raced over distances up to 1000m (sometimes marathon events over longer distances are held as well). Sprint canoes and kayaks differ greatly from recreational boats in that they are designed only for speed, and have a remarkable lack of stability as a result. An experienced paddler is able to paddle at great speeds while giving the impression that the boat is in fact very stable, however, novices should expect to swim quite frequently when first attempting to paddle the racing boats.

History

The club was founded in 1902 and had a clubhouse on the Rideau Canal until the 1940s, when it was destroyed by winter ice. The club was then relocated to more or less its present location at Mooney's Bay, where it remains today. Club facilities include a club house with five boat bays and a repair shop, and two 'annex' boat storage buildings set somewhat back from the water. The club is directly adjacent to a set of locks on the Rideau Canal. [http://www.rideaucanoe.on.ca/history.php] A book on the history of the club has been written by member Mike Scott. [http://www.canoekayak.ca/eng_newsarticle.cfm?ID=95]

Programs

Traditional events include K-1, K-2, K-4, C-1, C-2, C-4 and C-15 (War Canoe), where a K-2 is a 2 person kayak and C-4 is a 4 person canoe, etc. Several programs are offered, encompassing children and teenagers of varying experience and skill levels, high-performance paddlers, and Masters paddlers (age 25 and up). Rideau traditionally hosts a Canada Day regatta, drawing high-performance athletes from across Canada and the United States. Dragon Boat practices are frequently held at the club and the [http://www.dragonboat.net/home.php Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival] is held on the club's course, with visiting teams setting up across the river. The Club also offers courses in more conventional recreational canoes and kayaks, and is the venue for the Head of the Rideau rowing regatta, held annually in late September by the Ottawa Rowing Club.

Off-season

In the winter, club members will carry out a variety of exercises in order to stay in shape and prepare for the next summer. Typically, the club will put on a weights program and a swimming program, and many members will jog, cross-country ski, or skate as well.

Notable successes

The club has a long history of excellent performance, having fielded many Olympians and Team Canada members over its lifetime. The club has won the overall Canadian Championship six times: 1924, 1925, 1927, 1973, 1985 and 2002.

Several high-level Canadian athletes call Rideau their home club, including Angus Mortimer and Ian Mortimer.

External links

* [http://www.rideaucanoe.on.ca/ the Rideau Canoe Club]
* [http://www.canoekayak.ca the Canadian Canoe Association]