A team of CJC canoeists was once more out in force at the OSCAR Dragon Boat Race, which this year took place on September 13th with London Shipping Week in full swing. Alongside 26 other teams, CJC was delighted to participate for the 6th time in what has become a special event in the maritime calendar that combines competition with our peers, fund-raising and fun.
Launched in 2014, the campaign is the inspiration of Phil Parry, Chairman of Spinnaker Consulting Ltd, whose son Oscar received life-saving care at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children to beat leukaemia twice after a cure involving some pioneering research. Over the years the campaign has raised more than £1.8 million to help advance the work of the leading children’s bone marrow transplant and cellular medicine experts in the world.
The weather was fine and spirits were high as our 11-strong team (10 canoeists and one drummer) took to the water for time trials over a distance of 250m at the Docklands and Watersports Centre. This year, our intrepid crew consisted of Jonathan Campbell, Andrew Gray, Carlo Sammarco, Danyel White, Debo Fletcher, Angeliki Panera, Simran Lajmi, Christopher Chane, Sam Jones and Kelsey Adams, plus Dave Wisse of Smit.
We can report that the CJC team continues to make steady improvement, building on its previous experience to post thoroughly respectable times (pictured, for corroboration). Or, as a team source puts it, “We didn’t do so badly, compared to previous years at least!” Congratulations are offered to winners Borealis Maritime, who pipped Swire Bulk to the post by just under a second.
The OSCAR dragon boat race will return in 2020 on Friday 11th September 2020. Those interested in reserving sponsorship slots (the flags on the boat usually go first, followed by the bar and beer mug sponsorship), can find out more: https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/oscar-dragon-boat-race-2018.