Guy Dresser - Royal Canoe Club - Well, yes and no. Or no and yes, in fact. The International Canoe Federation Congress in St Petersburg, Russia was due to vote on these proposals this week.

We’re still awaiting puffs of white smoke from St Petersburg and in the absence of news on the ICF website the outcome of some of the voting on these key measures is, as yet, unknown.

However, we have received some clarification on the proposal to ‘ban’ wash hanging in marathon races – it would appply only for competitors trying to get a ride from boats in other classes – so, in other words, inter-class wash hanging will be outlawed.

I struggle to think of instances where that might happen – perhaps a female K1 straggler gets caught up by the main Canadian doubles race and dragged back up to the leaders? Theoretically this might happen but is this set of circumstances really that likely, let alone common?

That proposal may also sound  fine in principle until you recall that at races like the 76 mile (120km) long Tour De Gudena in Denmark, different classes frequently get caught up with each other and wash hanging between them is inevitable. The proposal (see photo) seems to have been badly worded in as much as the words ‘inter-class’ were omitted. Even now it’s not clear exactly what problem the proposal aims to stamp out.

Not so the disciplinary measures for marathon. These are a good idea if they prevent some of the aggression seen at portages recently. The proposals arise out of incidents at international level, one or two resulting in disqualification. It looks like the ICF marathon committee wants to clamp down on the some of the barging and shoving that was seen at an event this year.

Experts present at the course in question commented that the designers seemed to have built portages that were way too steep and it was almost certain there would be some accidents – as, indeed, there were.

If you’re building artificial portages, which is inevitable now that the ICF has adopted the short-circuit format for marathons, the least you could do is construct user-friendly ones. Perhaps there should be a motion about this in time for the next Congress?

Another proposal that might usefully be enacted by marathon canoeing officialdom would be one to outlaw tight lycra cycling shorts for men – these items of apparel, which we understand are called “budgie smugglers” in Australia are unsightly and an affront to sartorial decency. Anyone want to second the motion?