The need to have sweep paddlers is NOT an admission that the group is fractured - it is a safety procedure.

Is wearing a seat belt the admission that one is a bad driver and about to have an accident ? No ! It is a safety precaution.

Most paddle groups spread out to some extent on the water. These are casual paddles and tight en' echelon formation just isn't
maintained. There is no harm in that and this only becomes a concern if the group is spread out too far. "Too far" is subjective - for some,
that may be only be several yards - to others that may be a quarter mile. It is usually dictated by conditions and most ConnYak paddles
are not in those type of conditions. Pods usually materialize as smaller groups form from the bigger group. These pods may be 2 people
or several people. Everyone needs to stay aware of the group dynamics.

I am familiar with a TNP paddle on the Thames that is similar to your event. I am not aware of any ConnYak paddles where this occurred. Channel
crossings in traffic is serious business and ConnYak paddles often avoid these and/or get the group across en' mass.

If your event was a ConnYak paddle, please contact me off-line and we will discuss further.