Gliding to Glory: Highlights from Head of the Dart 2023

On Saturday 29th April, the Head of The Dart event returned to the waters in Dartmouth with 240 stand up paddle boarders taking part, bringing excitement and energy to the town. 

The largest paddle board event in the UK, participants started in Dartmouth and paddled 12 km to the finish in Totnes, with over half the fleet taking part for the first time. Participant ages ranged from 18 to early 70's. The event featured races for all skill levels, from novice to elite, and showcased the beauty and athleticism of SUP boarding.

For the first time in seven years, the annual event was able to run the full course (previous events were altered due to poor weather) and with the sun out, it made for a fantastic day.  The event saw people travelling from all around the country to take part, with paddlers coming from as far as Cumbria, Northumberland and Jersey.

Participant, Alasdair Conn commented: “It's the first time I've paddled that part of the Dart and I'm looking forward to going back and taking my time to explore, it is a beautiful estuary and river.”

This year saw Starboard SUP UK team rider Hector Jessel, 19 years old, win the '14' Men's race fleet' improving on his third place from last year, with local Will Keetley coming in second.   Ginnie Betts, who has raced across Europe, took home first place in the '14' Women's race' having not taken part since 2019.  

The Head of the Dart event is not only a great day out for participants and spectators, but also provides a boost to the local economy, with over 60 per cent of participants coming from outside Devon.

Howard Davies, Co-Founder and Director of sponsor, Salcombe Gin said: "It is brilliant to sponsor such a fantastic event year on year, we are always blown away by the amazing support that is shown by those taking part and those coming to watch. The Head of the Dart is a fantastic event that brings people together from all over the country to enjoy the beauty of the River Dart and the excitement of competitive paddle boarding."

John Hibbard, CEO of sponsor, Red Paddle Co added: “It was fantastic to see so many seasoned paddlers and new SUPers out in force for this year's Head of the Dart event.

“It was a perfect day with a vast number of people having the absolute best day out, with the sun shining and an incredibly positive atmosphere. It's great to be able to welcome so many paddle boarders to Red's home turf and experience South Devon in its prime. The Head of the Dart is a very special event with paddlers from all walks of life and experience levels all coming together, encouraging each other to complete the challenge."

For more information visit the event's website at headofthedart.wordpress.com.

 

[ENDS]

 

For more information or images, please contact RAW PR:

Danielle Merchant on danielle@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk or Emilie Morris on emilie@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk

 

EDITOR'S NOTES

Event images are available here. 

Sponsors: Red Paddle Co, Starboard SUP UK and Salcombe Gin

Organisers: SUP Event Management Ltd and Waterborn SUP

Credits: Coast to Coast Water Safety who provided on the water cover, CBT Marine Ltd for the press boat, Dartmouth Rowing Club and Totnes Rowing Club for the use of the facilities, West Coast Catering for feeding everyone at the end and Devon & Cornwall Police Cadets for helping marshal the event.

 

2023 Results

 

Men's 14 Race

1st Hector Jessel in 1hr 17mins, Starboard SUP UK Team Rider

2nd Will Keetley in 1hr 18mins  - local, member of Waterborn SUP

3rd Bruce Smith in 1hr 20mins

 

Women's 14 Race

1st Ginnie Betts in 1hr 24mins

2nd Natalie Rendle in 1hr 30mins

3rd Karen Greener in 1hr 34mins

 

Men's 12'6 Race

1st Alistair Hughes in 1hr 30mins

2nd Jamie Harmen in 1hr 32mins

3rd Simon Day in 1hr 34mins

 

Women's 12'6 Race

1st Felicity Hurst in 1hr 38mins

2nd Sara Maxey in 1hr 42mins

3rd Clare Elliott in 1hr 44mins - NOTE: local individual who works for Salcombe Distilling Co.

 

12'6 Red Sport 

1st Man - Tom Doyle in 1hr 46mins

1st Women - Helen Ambler in 2hrs 16mins

 

<14 Inflatable

1st Man - James Hyde in 1hr 28mins

1st Women - Clare Elliot in 1hr 44mins

 

Dragon Team  - this is 4 people on a 22ft long board

1st - Team Splash from Braylake Watersports in Berkshire in 1hr 20mins

2nd - Team SUPSect from Essex, last year's winners in 1hr 31mins

3rd - Team No SUP'ing Idea from Exeter in 1hr 37mins