Ryde Rowing Club’s fortunes changed for the better at last weekend’s double-header action in Southampton with the club winning a total of 7 events.
In the 3 regatta’s since the Hants & Dorset ARA Competition re-started following the pandemic, Ryde had faced some frustration with many 2nd and 3rd places but only 3 wins. But last weekend’s BTC and Woolston Regattas’ – both held at Western Shore in Southampton – saw the Wightlink-sponsored club win 5 events at BTC Regatta on Saturday and a further 2 at Woolston Regatta on Sunday.
In the Men’s Senior Fours, the Ryde crew won at BTC Regatta but could only manage a 3rd place at Woolston, although their 2 wins still gives them a share in the lead for the Hants & Dorset ARA Championship. 2 of the crew – Matt Allsopp and Mike Ewing – went on to win the Men’ s Senior Pairs at BTC and repeated this performance at Woolston. Mike Ewing also went on to win the Men’s Senior Sculls at both regattas, achieving the rare feat winning all 3 Men’s Senior events at BTC.
There was further success at BTC Regatta with Joel Smith winning the Men’s Coastal Sculling event to take his 3rd H&D ARA Championship Point – although he could only manage a 2nd at Woolston on the Sunday.
Emily Faithfull won the Ladies Coastal Junior Sculls – her first win in this discipline.
In the Men’s Novice Scull Austin Smith easily won his heat at BTC and finished 2nd in the final, a performance he repeated on the Sunday at Woolston Regatta having finished 2nd in his heat. But there was disappointment for the other Ryde Novice Scullers – Ben Sanderson and Tye Cameron – who failed to reach the final on either day although they did compete together in the Men’s Coastal Junior Pair of the Saturday, finishing in 5th place in the final.
The 2 men’s Novice crews rowed well on both days to reach the final boy’s each day – the A Crew of Paddy Kearney, David Baer, Elliott O’Sullivan and Bradley Whiting (coxed by Emily Faithfull on the Saturday and Bryony Reeve on the Sunday) finished 3rd on both days. The B Crew of Yogi Ashworth, Gulley Rhogan, Seb McEwan and Will Hall (with Cayman Adams coxing) finished 8th on the Saturday and 7th on the Sunday.
The Ladies Novice Four of Beth Walpole, Julie Clark, Stella Baisley and Ella Nichols (with Emily Faithful coxing on the Saturday and Jo Gabber on the Sunday) maintained their recent form to finish 2nd on both days.
The club also had a Boy’s J16 Four of Yogi Ashworth, Elliott O’Sullivan, Bradley Whiting and David Baer (with Cayman Adams Coxing) also competing on both days and doing well to finish in 2nd place on each occasion.
