Jonathan Mayne C4 Trophy

Roger French a stalwart of West Lakes Canoe Club has donated a Perpetual C4 Trophy for the 2013 Australian Canoe Sprint Championships that were held in Perth. The  "Jonathan Mayne C4 Trophy" is named in honor of Jonathan Mayne of FCC who at 74 years of age has had a continuous involvement in National Canoe Sprint Championships for 58 years. Jon has been competitive in C1, C2 and C4 over many years, winning his first National Title fifty eight years ago on the Goulbourn River. He paddled as recently as the 2009 National Sprint Championships in Penrith, paddles mainly right handed – but can also paddle on the left if a C2 or a C4 crew needs one. He has also won 38 National Sprint Titles over this period. He has also been a volunteer AC official for the past forty years and was recently awarded the service to canoeing award by Australian Canoeing.

The aim of the C4 perpetual trophy is to encourage interstate rivalry and to get more C4’s on the water. Points awarded by places in each of the three events for C4 1000M, C4 500 M and C4 200 M with highest winning state (or crew) winning bragging rights for that year.

Jonathan presented the trophy to the winning crew after the medal presentation for the C4 200 M. The winner was the Big V with competition coming from the  Croweaters and the Banana benders. The winning crew of Steve Vegh (PLCC), Steve Corney (PLCC), Predrag Bradilovic (ECC) and Marius Florian from Paddle NSW Direct club used the new FCC C4 to bring home the bacon.

Which FCC member will be the first to challenge for the right to hold the Jonathon E Mayne C4 up high as a member of a Victorian C4 team?

Alex James

Jonathon Mayne reports on his visit to the Aussies in Perth

Jenny and Jonathan Mayne have just returned from the Aussies in Perth where our new C4 paddled by Predrag Bradilovic, Steve Vegh, Steve Corney and Marius Florian won gold in the 200mm winning by 1m, another gold in the 500m, this time by half a length and then promptly capsizing halfway over the line and then finished 2nd for the silver medal in the 1000m. This effort won for them the trophy which Roger French had provided for the aggregate winners over the 3 events which he graciously declared the "Jonathan Mayne Cup".

This result against strong opposition was fantastic as the 'gun team' consisted of Jake Donahey and Alex Haas who paddled C2 for Australia at the London Olympics, WA paddler, Ferenc Szekszardi and fellow WA paddler, Fulton Lazlo, who dominated all the C1 events and whose father won a gold medal in the C2 500m for Hungary at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Roger French and his SA team finished 3rd on each occasion but all credit goes to Roger for his efforts for keeping the "Brothers of the One Blade" alive and making the C4 class happen at Champion Lakes in 2013.

Jonathan who joined the Club in 1953 holds 38 'C boat' Australian Championship gold medals spanning 50 years, has been the commentator for the Australian

Championships for the last 40 years and called 374 races over this 5 day event. Jenny volunteers in the race secretariat and assists with the overall administration of the regatta. Jonathan and Jenny are both ICF accredited officials. Jonathan is perhaps best remembered for waking us on the Murray Marathon at the crack of dawn to the strains of "Morning has Broken".

There was a noticeable shortfall of Victorian competitors in Perth but what this State lacked in numbers we certainly made up for in the under 18 division. In another century our FCC regularly chalked up the top points against all clubs across the Nation.

With selection to the Junior World Championships in Welland, Canada up for grabs, Patterson Lakes’ duo Kieren Carson and Jarrad Campbell, and Bendigo’s Rebecca Mann swept all before them.

Kieren Carson completed the ultimate clean sweep, adding the K1 500 and K2 500 U18 titles to the K1 and K2 200 and 1000 U18 finals. In the K1 500 U18 final, Kieren narrowly got the better of Currumbin Creek’s Joel McKitterick in a topsy-turvy final, with the lead chopping and changing throughout. Carson won in 1:49.27, 0.18 seconds ahead of Joel McKitterick with Sean Lohse finishing third, 1.38 seconds further behind.

In the K2 500 U18 it was another victory for the Patterson Lakes pair, Kieren Carson and Jarrad Campbell, finishing half a second ahead of Sean Lohse and

Jared Lee, with McKitterick and Peter Euers finishing third.

Bendigo’s Rebecca Mann continued her excellent form adding the U18 WK2 500 gold medal. She combined with Queensland’s Alyssa Bull to seize the title in 4:13.04, 4.86 seconds ahead of Sydney Northern Beaches’ duo Mackenzie Labine Romain and Deandra Godoy. Queensland’s Tara McAleenan and Jessica Rosskelly of NSW combined for third. Rebecca then went on to claim the WK1 1000 title ahead of Alyssa Bull and Madison Davies.

Cheers

Jonathan Mayne

Photographs: Steve Vegh. 

Second Top: Paddlers in the C4. Middle: Jon Mayne presents the Jon Mayne trophy. 

Top: The winning crew.