Unfortunately we’ve made the decision not to host the Twenty Groynes Community Paddle this year (2023). The Georges River 16ft Sailing Club is hosting the Oceania & Australian Open and Youth Laser Sailing Championships during the period we would normally hold the Groynes. The Race Committee considered alternate courses and dates but sadly came to the conclusion that it would not be practical to hold the event this year. The Twenty Groynes will be back bigger and better in early January 2024.

The Sutherland Shire Canoe Club and Dolls Point Paddlers are delighted to host the 2024 20 Groynes Community Paddle on in early January, 2024. Starting and ending at the beach in front the Georges River Sailing Club on Botany Bay competitors paddle a 4 kilometre lap course, completing as many (or as few) laps as possible within the 4 hour period.

Photo of paddlers on Botany Bay heading towards Doll's Point, past a sandy beach.

About Event

Sutherland Shire Canoe Club and Dolls Point Paddlers have been running this community paddle since 2019.

The “20 Groynes” is a fun Community Paddling event, run over 4 hours, offering a paddling challenge on the ever changing waters of Botany Bay, where competitors will paddle a 4 kilometre lap course, completing as many (or as few) laps as possible within the 4 hour period. The event starts and ends at the Georges River 16ft Sailing Club, Sandringham.

Paddlers should expect to pass at least twenty (20) of the infamous Botany Bay ‘Groynes’ each hour.

This is intended as a ‘fun’ event, and paddlers of all craft and ages are encouraged to enter.

You can paddle the full distance/time on your own, or you can get a few mates together, have a bit of fun, and paddle the event as a Relay.

Relay Teams can be any combination of boats/gender/ages (Singles, Doubles, Combination).

As an example, in the “Relay” category, it is absolutely acceptable to enter a Team made up of combination of OC6’s, OC2’s and Ski’s, and even SUP’s, paddled by a mix of ages and genders.

You must nominate a Team Name in your entry, whether you are a Team of 1, or a Team of 20.

It is important that in Teams of more than 1, that ALL paddlers enter EXACTLY the same Team Name.

Your Entry Fee also includes a drink in the bar at the Georges River 16′ Sailing Club afterwards, where, COVID guidelines permitting, presentations will be made while we all enjoy a few laughs and swap some tall tales.

Course Map

Event Schedule

Registration Closes	Midnight Thursday 5th January
Race Briefing	Sent out Friday 6th January
Race Day	Saturday 7th January
Arrival	6am – car parking opens 7am – check in opens 7:40am – check in closes
Race & Safety Briefing	7:40am – Reserved* *At time of publication, an on-site pre-race in-person briefing is not planned. In the event of adverse weather conditions, the Race Director may elect to do a safety briefing.
Start	8am
Finish	12pm midday
Presentation	1pm – COVID Guidelines permitting a post-race presentation will be held at the Georges River Sailing Club

Safety & Compulsory Equipment

There are compulsory minimum equipment requirements for participation, which must be observed by all entrants.

Each paddler must wear a Level 50 non-inflatable lifejacket for the full duration of the event.
Each paddler must have a pea-less whistle.
Each craft must have positive buoyancy, and float upright and level with the surface in order to provide support for a paddler.
Each paddler must carry sufficient fluids and foods for their chosen distance.
All paddlers and craft will be checked for minimum compliance prior to start.

Parking

Participants must park in the dedicated parking area at the Depena Reserve end of McMillan Avenue, Sandringham.

Parking attendants will provide each driver with a parking ticket to be displayed on the dashboard. They will ensure that participants drive safely and park in the designated area. The gate will be locked at the end of the event.

Do NOT park in the Georges River Sailing Club parking area (Sanoni Ave). This parking area has time limited parking and is reserved for use of the general public.

Race Categories

There are 3 race categories with trophy’s presented:

Single Female – Queen of the Groynes
Single Male – King of the Groynes
Team Relay – Multi Groynes

Tides & Weather

The conditions of Botany Bay are variable with wind and tides effects. Weather and Tide information will be available closer to the event.

Preparation

Paddling on Botany Bay presents challenges to both uninitiated and experienced paddler. The more thought that paddlers give to their preparation, the more enjoyable and successful the race!

Clothing

Prepare for your event by considering several clothing options, bearing in mind that protection from the sun should be a major consideration. Determine what works best in different weather conditions so you know what to wear on the day. Wear a hat or cap, and sunblock and rub vaseline or gurney goo on body parts that are subject to rubbing on clothing or your boat.

Food

Many competitors choose to stop at the beach near the start/finish line and have food and drink breaks. So you can keep your snacks cold in an esky on the beach. All paddlers should, however, carry sufficient water for the distance they indent to paddle between breaks.

For those who intend to paddle the full four hours more thought need to be given to your paddling food and the quality of water you carry with you. Test your paddling food before the event, and under paddling conditions. And ensure it sits well in the stomach. In long distance paddling, paddlers can consume 50g carbs and 15g protein and up to 600ml water an hour in warm conditions. There is a great deal of information in the internet about nutrition. Conduct your own tests and find out what works best for you.

Your Boat

Choose a boat that gives you the best mix of comfort and speed, with just enough stability for your ability. Conditions could change over the course of the race, so a more stable boat could be beneficial.

Training

You will enjoy the 20 Groynes more if you have done some training. “The more you put in, the more you get out.” But as this is intended as a fun event, extensive training is not essential.

If you are new to paddling, try and get some coaching from a PNSW accredited coach to help you master the best paddling technique.

Volunteer

All events need volunteers and the 20 Groynes is no exception.

If you’re not planning to paddle, why not email committee@shirekayaking.info to join the volunteer team?

Race Archive

The 20 Groynes Race Archive

2023

Unfortunately we’ve made the decision not to host the 2023 Twenty Groynes Community Paddle. The Georges River 16ft Sailing Club is hosting the Oceania & Australian Open and Youth Laser Sailing Championships during the period we would normally hold the Groynes. The Race Committee considered alternate courses and dates but sadly came to the conclusion that it would not be practical to hold the event this year.

2022

The 2022 Dolls Point Point 20 Groynes was run and won in some super fun conditions on the Bay.

The King of the Groynes mantle has been passed to Michael McKeogh

The new Queen of the Groynes is the one & only Naomi Johnson

The Unused Groynes (Gareth Stokes, John Denyer, Mark Moro and Jason Hodder) won the coveted Multi Groynes trophy

View the results on webscorer

Race Photos

2021 and 2020

The 2021 20 Groynes- Saturday 9 January

COVID restrictions meant we could run the race in 2021.

The 2020 20 Groynes – Saturday 11 January

Strong winds and poor air quality from the NSW bushfires made it unsafe to run the race.

2019

The inaugural 2019 20 Groynes – Saturday 12 January

Queen of the Groynes – Robyn Bingle
King of the Groynes – Doug Peres
Multi Groynes – Rob Mercer, Tim Pearse, Caroline Marschner, Mark Hemphil (The Salty Groynes)

View the full results on webscorer

2019 20 Groynes Race Report

2019 Race Photos