Both Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club and Ryde Rowing Club enjoyed a successful time on the water at the Ball Cup in Eton recently. Juniors from Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club juniors travelled to Dorney Lake for the Ball Cup on Sunday and came away with 5 podium finishes. The newly formed double of Ella Haydon and Connie Batley-Smith won the silver medal in both the Girls J14 & J15 events whilst there was also a silver medal performance by the J14 Girl’s Quad of Poppy Lawrence, Izzy Bounds, Rose Collier, Layla Katirewa & Arlo Adds (cox), who won their heat in securing a place in the final. Layla Katirewa also took the bronze medal in the J14 sculls, whilst there were personal best performances in the J18 single sculls events for Arlo Adds and Esme Walters. Another new crew who were making their competitive debut, were the J13 double of Josh Batchelor and Digby Ridgewell. Josh and Digby raced the J14 event in the morning finishing in a creditable eighth place before contesting the J13 event in the afternoon. The pair led from the start pulling away from the opposition to win by three lengths. Louis Sheasby and Carter Horrix continued their good form by winning the OJ16 Double at the Junior Sculling Regatta at the same venue the week before. The boys won their time trial by ten seconds before securing the victory in the final by two lengths. There was also success for club members Ethan Walters & Daisy Faithfull at the recent BUCS regatta. Ethan was a member of the Reading University crew that won gold in the Championship Quad whilst Daisy secured two bronze medals in the Women’s Eights and Coxed Four events. The club travel to Milford on Sea this weekend for the start of the Hants & Dorset season.
Ryde Rowing Club’s J15 Sculler – Charlie Watts – took 1st and 2nd spots in the Ball Cup Regatta at Dorney Lake, Eton, on Sunday (12th May). The Ball Cup Regatta lets schools and clubs which cannot compete in a semi-final or final at national events row against each other on a multilane course. The Ball Cup gives small and emerging clubs and their competitors the chance to experience true competition and to win. Charlie took part in two events: the J15 Single Sculls event and the J16 single sculls event. In the J15 Single sculls event, he finished 1st in his heat and in the final. In the J16 Single sculling event, he again finished 1st in his heat and 2nd in the final: an outstanding performance against some strong competition. Another Club Sculler – Ben Sanderson – competed at Shoreham Regatta in the Men’s Coastal Sculling event on Saturday (11th May). Unfortunately, Ben capsized just after the turn in some pretty rough condition, failing to complete the course. 
