Sydney Harbour – could there be a better paddle race location?

It’s that time of year again, when some of the more famous paddling races fast approach. One of the major races in Sydney is the Bridge to Beach held on the magnificent Sydney Harbour, with some of the best scenery in the world as the backdrop. Team Fat Paddler takes part in this race each year amongst hundreds of paddlers and look forward to the annual event coming around.

The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and even the Manly Ferry. Paddle past Sydney landmarks!

But the B2B can be a hard test for newer paddlers, with an 11km course that includes a pass of Middle Head and a section of open ocean water coming through Sydney Heads. This can be a touch daunting for some but the best way to prepare yourselves is to get a little training in beforehand. My mates over at Benefit Active in Manly fortunately have just the thing – a weekly paddle session that takes in different routes on the Harbour, culminating in the race itself.

Breakfast with the Benefit Active crew. Hmmm, muesli!

If you’ve always wanted to take on an iconic sporting event in this beautiful city then there’s not many better than this. Get some training in and be a part of it, and if you’re lucky, you might get to laugh at me falling off my surf ski on the way! Cheers, FP

Official Details

The Bridge to Beach kayak race is fast approaching on March 18. If you are interested in doing the race that takes you right through the heart of Sydney Harbour, however you don’t have a kayak or a way of transporting your own. The Benefit Active team has you covered!

We are offering the ultimate Bridge to Beach package. This includes kayak hire, a healthy breakfast of homemade muesli, fruit salad and coffee from Ciao Belli Cafe back at Manly.

When you arrive at Blues Point on race day we will have your kayak ready for you. When you get to the finish line you can leave your kayak on the beach and enjoy breakfast. We’ve taken care of all of the hard work so you can just focus on enjoying the race!

Single Kayak Hire – $49 Double Kayak Hire – $79

Every Sunday morning leading up to the race the Benefit Active team will be putting on a kayak training session from Manly OceanWorld at 7am. We will paddle a different course each week. The courses will include:

SUNDAY 19th FEB: Spit Bridge (city bound side) to Chinamans, Balmoral, Castlerock, Clontarf and back (7AM-9AM)

SUNDAY 26th FEB: Spit Bridge to Rosevill Bridge and back (7AM-9AM)

SUNDAY 4th MAR: Manly to Fairlight, 40 Baskets Beach, Reef Beach, Crater Cove, Quarantine Beach, Store Beach, Colins Flat, Little Manly and back (7AM-9AM)

SUNDAY 11th MAR: Mystery Kayak Course, Meet at Spit Bridge (7AM-9AM)

SUNDAY 18th MAR: Bridge to Beach 2012

B2B training classes cost $30 per person including kayak hire. Double or single sit-on-top kayaks.

For further details about the race day or to book in for a training session simply visit our website www.benefitactive.com or PHONE/SMS Ben on 0402-190-400