Date: 2nd & 3rd Of May 2020

The Bucca Kri is a 55km ocean paddle event along the north coast of the Cornish peninsula, the South Western most point of the UK. Starting from the Ocean Sports Centre at Carbis Bay beach, rounding Trevose head finishing on Harlyn beach. The event format can be completed as an Iron, for elite paddlers only completing the event in one hit. Or it can be paddled as a challenge event with mandatory check points at St. Agnes and Newquay harbour. Or teams or 3 can do the event as a relay, changing paddlers at the same check points.

With an early start from Carbis Bay, St. Ives we have the option of running the event in reverse from Harlyn if the wind is from the north east; Sunday will be our back up day.

We will include the following craft prone, ski, outrigger canoe and SUP in the following craft categories:

• Prone: 10. 6 (challenge relay only), 12ft and 14ft
• Ski: single and double
• Outrigger canoe: OC 1, 2 & 6
• SUP: 12. 6 (challenge relay only), 14ft

Age categories are as follows:

• Youth 16 to 21 years*
• Open 22yrs+
• Masters 60yrs+

* Youth categories will only be able to complete the event as part of the challenge relay

Challenge and relay paddlers will complete mandatory check points coming in at St. Agnes and Newquay harbour and must stay ahead of the Bucca Kri, the mandatory cut off time for all paddlers. If the Bucca Kri is heard paddlers must withdraw from the event at that check point.

Where did it come from

The Bucca Kri is from Cornish Folklore, originally a sea spirit from West Penwith but more commonly associated by local fisherman as a raging storm coming in from the south west, the kind of swell event we need to surf the 55km toward Trevose head. It is said that fisherman have heard the  Bucca on prevailing south westerly winds foretelling of the impending storm, in the Cornish language the cry of the Bucca is known as the Bucca Kri. Such providence is in keeping with the ethos of the event, the goal of the every paddler is to make it home before they hear the cry on of the Bucca chasing them on the wind.

What’s Involved

The event will cater for Elite and Intermediate paddlers; only Elite paddlers can complete the event as an Iron (straight through, no stopping) whereas less experienced paddlers, relay teams and changeover outrigger crews must reach mandatory check points at St. Agnes and Newquay.

Change over check points:

• Carbis to St. Agnes 23.4km
• Agnes to Newquay head 14km (16km to harbour)
• Newquay head to Trevose head 14.5km (17.7km to Harlyn)

We have chosen tides which allow for the course to be run in reverse, leaving on a 7am tide from the Ocean Sports Centre, at Carbis Bay allows a full six hours of tidal assistance. If the wind is from the North East we will be able to run in reverse leaving midday from Harlyn beach, finishing at Carbis bay.

The event will involve some immense logistics along with unprecedented safety cover; based upon interest so far we are looking at possibly a hundred paddlers, this will require at least ten water safety crews, a staff of land based spotters on standby at key locations throughout the route as well as real time online tracking systems giving competitors the greatest degree of safety.