Wightlink-sponsored Ryde Rowing Club’s difficult season continued as they competed at Newport Rowing Club’s Annual Regatta over the weekend.
In the Fours Regatta on Saturday, the Clubs Novice “A” crew of Tom Kearney, Joel Smith, Dom Douglas and Joe Groves – with Austin Smith coxing – performed reasonably well finishing 2nd in their heat, but the three boat racing format over the Newport Regatta course meant that they failed to make the final.
There was further disappointment for the Men’s Novice B of Jacob Redstone, Tom and Ed Newnham and Luke Stubbings – with Austin Smith coxing again – who fell foul to some inconsistent starting and marshaling procedures, which saw them fail to make the start line on time and miss their race.
The Men’s Senior Four of Ben Ade, Andy Hicks and Stephen Johnson – with last minute replacement Ollie Gove standing in for Tom Clark who had let the crew down – raced well in the circumstances finishing 3rd in their final.
Two Ryde Ladies, Julie Cole & Lisa Murphy with their coach Allan Evans coxing, competed in a composite crew Newport and BTC and produced an encouraging performance for a scratch crew although they to failed to make the final.
On Sunday in the Small Boats and Junior Regatta, Ryde Novice Sculler Dale Buckett produced a strong performance in his heat, finishing first to take his place in the semi-final but disappointingly failed to make the final following an inconsistent performance.
The Ryde’s Boys J16 Coxed Quad of Ben Toms, Jacob Redstone, Dom Douglas and Joe Groves – with Austin Smith in the Coxswains seat once again – sculled well to take their place in the final where they lost out to pre-race favorites from Itchen. In the same event Joel Smith competed in a composite crew with Shanklin but failed to make the final.
Joel, along with Jacob Redstone, competed in the Boys J16 Single Sculls where they both finished 2nd in their respective heats failing to make the final. Finally Coxswain Austin Smith took to the water to race in the Boys J14 Single Sculls and performed well to finish in 2nd place in the final.
