AuSUP

Ke Nalu 2015 Australian Flatwater SUPFest

13-03-2015 12:00 – 15-03-2015 15:00

Penrith Regatta Centre Penrith NSW

2015 Australian Flatwater SUPFest Fri March 13 to Sun March 15

Penrith Regatta Centre Penrith NSW

Events for 2015 will comprise 200m, 1000m and 5000m races.

Note: We have successfully negotiated with Australian Canoeing to allow Race entries to be separated to allow paddlers to enter one or more races. This will allow many local (NSW) racers who previously mayhave been restricted from attending for 3 days to participate in this great National event.

Prices are $100 for all 3 races for AuSUP Members [$115 for Non_members]

OR $40 per race for AuSUP Members [$45 for Non-Members]

The ticket price is $100 for the event (all three races) for AuSUP members. NOTE - entries close this Tuesday the 10th of March at midday.

The response to this years event in Adelaide was excellent, building on the formats of the successful Black Blade Regatta in WA and similar international flat water and sprint events. The Penrith Olympic Regatta Centre is an outstanding venue and many NSW SUP paddlers have participated in the PaddleNSW 2014 Sprint Series at this venue. The race formats are simple and encourage participation at all levels and the facility set up allows great spectator access and a team environment.

In line with last years event and the recent success of the Forster Island Paddle Festival - the 2015 Ke Nalu Flatwater SUPFest is focused on paddler participation with accessible and fun flatwater racing formats within the unique environment of the Sydney Olympic Regatta Centre.

The heat formats guarantee all paddlers at least 2 races in each distance and its a fun way to do your best against your mates and some of the greats.

The event will consist of 3 races:

1. The Hobie 1,000m Race

This is a race in lanes with 8-9 paddlers per heat with a line of sight or boat held start. This distance gives you a chance to really stretch out and lots of things can happen in 5-7 minutes of racing.

2. The WindSurfnSnow, Jamieson Parke Paddle, SUP 5.0 - 5,000m Race

This is a circuit race around a marked course within the 1,000m racing area and a chance to practice your racing tactics and buoy turns.

3. The 200m sprints - sponsored by Bic SUP, Starboard, Fanatic and JP

This is a true test of fast twitch paddle speed and reaction times. Starting in lanes with 8-9 paddlers in each heat from a gated controlled start - this format really gets your heart racing and is 60 seconds of intense drag racing ! Getting off the line smoothly and quickly is the key - the field is wide open across all categories. Which paddlers will be Australia's fastest sprinters and possibly get into the record books ?

There will be trophies across the following categories for each race format :

Mens - Open, Over 40 and Over 50

Women's - Open, Over 40 and Over 50

and there will also be an Overall Champion for each Category based on performance across the 3 races.

Event timetable

The timings for individual heats will be determined once entries are received and sorted.

The broad timetable for the event is:

Friday 13 March - 1,000m heats from 12-00pm

Sat 14 March (AM) - 1,000 m Finals

Sat 14 March (PM) - 200m Heats

Sun 15 March (AM) - 200m Finals

Sun 15 March (PM) - 5,000m races.

This means competitors should aim to be at Penrith on Friday morning to allow time to prepare for 1,000m races.

Coordinating Club - Sydney Paddle Surfing Club (SPSC) will act as the event coordinator and liaise with State based SUP clubs & groups and NSW SUP clubs to support participation and event planning, promotion and logistics. Boards and transport - We are expecting to have most major SUP brands represented on site in a mini SUP Expo during the event with opportunities to demo a variety of race boards. Most state groups will organise some form of board transport for participants and we will work with NSW retailers and clubs to provide demo or spare boards as required.

Accommodation - Penrith is located at the foot of the Blue Mountains and there are a variety of local accommodation options including holidays parks, rental houses and hotels. The Regatta Centre is easily accessible from major arterial motorways which opens up a huge variety of accommodation choices within a 20- 30 minute radius. Sydney CBD is around 75 minutes and 90 minutes to Northern and Southern Beaches.

SUPAA Rules - this is a SUPAA endorsed event, which means the SUPAA guidelines will apply for board dimensions. Medallists from each divsion will submit to board measurement at the conclusion of their race. 14' length and no less than 23" at widest part of the board. Competitors will use the one board only for the 3 race series.

This really is a great fun and participation format with the opportunity to race alongside your mates and some of the best paddlers in the world. We will see who are the fastest male and female paddlers in Australia and perhaps we will see some flat water records fall

AuSUP