How do the classes, batches and seeding work?

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Classes (rule 12): you can enter K1, K2, K3, K4 or White Water/Touring/SUP. Touring includes all K3s, K4s and plastic kayaks, and touring boats may have rudders. Touring Canadians are open canoes paddled with single-blade paddles. SUPs are part of the Touring class unless the organisers make them a separate class. Main class: this alternates each year between K1 and K2. 2026 was a K2 year. Day 1's first batch is for main-class boats only. Boats outside the main class get no early batch starts on Days 2 and 3. No gold or silver medals or prizes go to boats outside the main class, except in special categories. Day 1 (rules 19 to 22): batches are set by the Dusi Seeding Rules, based on results in advertised seeding races. Places within the A Batch rows are drawn at random. The 2026 schedule started A Batch (20 seeded men's K2s) at 06:00, followed by further seeded men's batches and D Batch for seeded women's K2s. After that came the charity batch, the 40+ and 20+ Dusi batches, then general batches of up to 30 boats. Boats in the women's D Batch may not ride the wash of boats from other batches on Day 1. Day 2 (rule 23): batched on Day 1 finish times. K2s within 60 minutes of the leader start in elapsed time from 06:00, then batches from 07:05. No K1s start in elapsed time or A Batch. Day 3 (rule 24): batched on overall times from Days 1 and 2. Men's and women's K2s within 60 minutes of their leaders start in elapsed time from 07:00, then batches from 08:05. Batch lists are published on dusi.co.za and the KNCU Race Information WhatsApp group. Numbers of batches and boats can change with entries.