PADDLERS from Duddon Canoe Club have been showing off their water skills in a series of competitions.

The team tackled the 10.5-mile Summer Solstice Race on Windermere, going the full length of the lake from Waterhead to Fell Foot.

Duddon entered an adult four-member kayak in the race in the shape of Kat McDowell, Alistair Hornsby, Scott Wilson and Alex D’Amico.

Last year’s winners were former multiple world champions Ian and Alan Tordoff in a record time of 1:14:00, narrowly beating the GB dragon boat team by 15 seconds.

There was a large entry, and overcast but calm conditions meant Duddon felt confident for the challenge ahead.

A bad start, seeing the team go off course and lose track of a leading duo, was put behind them as Duddon found their rhythm.

After passing the car ferry, the South Cumbrian team chose a route down the east of the lake, while two rivals chose a more central route in third and fourth.

The individual K1s took a slight lead, but increased lake traffic created wash which disrupted them and Duddon came home third in 1:22:50, four minutes behind the winning Tordoff brothers, who finished in 1:18:33.

A shorter 5.5-mile race on the same waters the next day saw two Duddon teams entered, with the adult team of Kat McDowell, Alistair Hornsby, Alan Ashby and Alex D’Amico taking on juniors Brandon and Owen Wilson, Rhiann Taylor and Nadine Merrick.

A circular course starting and finishing at Fell Foot saw stronger winds and more testing conditions, but the adults prospered as wind forced their rivals into collisons.

Conditions on the out circuit, with the wind behind the paddlers, meant fast speeds, but it was rough on the way back.

Waves crashed over the adult team and they were eventually passed by an individual K1 100m from the finish, finishing second by three seconds in 35:49.03.

The Duddon juniors finished fifth in 42:23.00.

A further 11 Duddon members headed to the River Calder, in Yorkshire, for the Pennine Canoe Club’s Hasler Marathon.

It was the first time Harvey Petcher had raced over eight miles, on a course which also involved portaging. His older sister Jasmine was making her bow, while Victoria Longstaff raced the four-mile distance without her K2 partner.

There was a small but competitive field in good conditions and Lee Bentley and Harvey Petcher were well in the pack up to the first portage – where paddlers have to get out of their boat and run a set distance before returning to the water.

The exit presented problems for the pair. However they managed to negotiate the obstacle and continue, finishing fourth and fifth.

Longstaff did not fare so well and finished well down the field – a new experience for her.

Andy Longstaff completed the division seven race in second, beating his previous best by 20 seconds.

Duddon had four paddlers in division nine, with Emily Longstaffe third in his first race after finishing her GCSEs and Ruth McKenny only 12 seconds behind.

Connor Bentley defeated brother Ryan in the under-10s lightning race.

Results: Division Six: 3. Lee Bentley, 4. Harvey Petcher.

Division Seven: 2. Andy Longstaff, 5. Victoria Longstaff.

Division Nine: 3. Emily Longstaff, 4. Ruth McKenny, 7. Jasmine Petcher, 8. John Sherwen.

Under-10s Lightning: 1. Connor Bentley, 2. Ryan Bentley.