Crew in canoeing challenge in Den Helder

Crew have been canoeing in the canals of Den Helder for a sightseeing tour of the North Holland town.

Pentathlete, Olympic medallist and Jamaica Get All Right crew member Heather Fell was victorious with team mate and GREAT Britain crew member Owen Jones in a sprint challenge at the end.

Heather beat former England rugby sevens captain and GREAT Britain crew member Ollie Phillips and his canoeing team mate Tasha Hacker, a Henri Lloyd crew member, as well as two other teams made up of other crew members from GREAT Britain, Switzerland and Invest Africa.

Heather said: “I am very relieved I beat Ollie and we stormed to victory. We had been practising the sprint throughout the day so were well warmed up when it came to the challenge.

“The day was a lot of fun and it was good to see the typically Dutch style landscapes and houses from the water.”

Ollie added: “It is fair to say that I had my fair share of navigation problems today, and at times we did zig zag across the riverbanks which caused everyone a lot of amusement.”

The day included a Dutch lunch with guides pointing out the landmarks of Den Helder and its historic port’s buildings to the crew.

Clipper Race chairman and founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who is also a canoeing enthusiast, joined the crew.