DW 2024 Finish details confirmed
The Devizes to Westminster Organising Team has now confirmed the finish details for the 2024 edition of the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race.
The Senior Doubles race will complete at the traditional finish line, below Westminster Bridge in 2024, however, for a variety of reasons, this year’s Stages Race will finish at Thames Young Mariners, Ham.
It means the Stages Race will comprise of three days and a total distance of 108 miles.
This decision comes due to the fact that the tideway stretch below Putney has become increasingly hazardous with significantly greater commercial traffic in recent years.
Running a race that is as safe as possible is absolutely paramount and remains the number one priority for the DW organising team.
Several other options for the Stages Race were explored, however the organising team were unable to secure a suitable site that satisfies all of the requirements for the race finish.
A large part of the safety concern is wash from commercial traffic, such as the Thames Clippers high speed passenger service. In order to maximise safety, DW is now working pro-actively with Thames Clippers which will help mitigate any safety issues going forward.
DW Director Paul Fielden said: “The Directors are pleased to confirm that the Senior Doubles Race will finish at Westminster in 2024. This is as a result of extensive and successful discussions with various authorities and organisations over the last 6 months.
“There will be extensive mitigation measures put in place for 2024 to increase the safety of the paddlers, particularly on the lower stretches of the tideway.
“The Stage Races will finish at Thames Young Mariners, so will be a 3 day race as was the case in 2022.
“We will review the success of the measures put in place on the tideway for this year after the race and make a judgement on the viability of the Stages returning to a Westminster finish for 2025.
“We know this decision will disappoint some paddlers, but the Organising Team have been working right up to early this week with a suitable alternative finish point option just above Putney.
“After several months of discussions and meetings we were told on Monday that it was not going to be possible to end the 2024 race there.”
In order to further mitigate safety issues on the Tideway, further safety measures are being introduced to the Senior Doubles race, which will include:
DW will provide specific input into the Notice to Mariners issued by PLA detailing the nature of the event and risk to paddlers, and avoiding action that should be taken. We will also prepare a detailed briefing for the Thames Clipper pilots and crews.
A shorter tide window will operate for Senior Doubles, allowing us to better manage the location of paddlers on the Tideway and make it easier to de-conflict DW traffic with the Clippers and other commercial traffic, as well as more efficient tasking of DW safety resources.
DW personnel will be stationed on the bridge of each Thames Clipper during the finish window. They will advise the Pilots and crew of paddler positions in near real time using the DW Tracker data, enabling the Clippers to take early avoiding action.
Additional safety measures will be in place for paddlers, including the requirement to wear dayglow hats, and for buoyancy/deck coverings to be fitted to canoes (it is already mandatory for spraydecks to be fitted to kayaks).
The new DW Handbook for 2024 will be published in a few days, closely followed by the new Entry Form. Please keep checking on the DW Website for updated on these, and other important updates on the 2024 race.
Full details surround the decision taken in regards to the 2024 finish can be found here.