The Hasler Series and Trophy are named after Major Herbert ‘Blondie’ Hasler, DSO, OBE, a distinguished Royal Marines officer in World War II who famously paddled 85 miles upstream, at night, into occupied France in a successful attempt to blow up enemy shipping and survived to tell the tale.
The Marathon Racing Committee is responsible for choosing a host club to organise and run the Hasler Final event each year.
In recent years attempts have been made to encourage a wider variety of clubs who have not regularly hosted this event to become involved.
Two were captured, but Major ‘Blondie’ Hasler and Marine Bill Sparks made their way to Spain – the only two of the original ten who survived.
In a fictionalised version of the true story of the canoe raid, Operation Frankton became the subject of The Cockleshell Heroes, a 1955 Second World War film with Trevor Howard, Anthony Newley, David Lodge and José Ferrer, who also directed.