Shanklin Sandown Rowing Clubs juniors rowed excellently at Itchen Junior Regatta, with the regatta not only providing debut races for some rowers, but also some winning performances.
The regatta has been hosted by Itchen Imperial for eleven years and is an excellent opportunity for both experienced and inexperienced alike, to race for a final time before the season comes to a close.
The club had two quads entered on the day, with an inexperianced boys J14 boat and an experianced girls J15 boat. The boys boat featured Liam Nigh, Lewis Jenkins, Henry Mudge and Jamie Gamble, with Ryde’s Paddy Kearney coxing. The crew did an excellent job to lead their BTC opposition from start to finish, taking the victory in all four rowers first competetive race. In the girls race, Dasiy Faithful, Rebecca Nigh, Megan Jones and Sophie Swallow were also coxed by Paddy, where they were beaten in a close race by crews from BTC and Poole. Another excellent race, where Megan debuted and rowed fantastically.
The club had a number of double sculls entered on the day too, with two experianced and two inexperianced crews entered. In the experianceed J15 double, boat problems meant that Harry Miselbach and Joe Robertson were unable to win their heat. Joe’s luck didnt improve as he joined Andrew Swallow in the J14 experianced, where boat problems once again prevented their success, as the fin on their boat left them unable to steer a straight course. The clubs luck did improved however in the inexperianced events, where Sophie Swallow and Dasiy Faithful rowed well in the J15 double, but just missed out the win in their final, and Harry Hopper and Henry Gove winning their J16 event convincingly, by over three lengths.
Harry Miselbach and Rebecca Nigh also single sculled on the day. With Rebecca racing well, but unable to make her final. Harry won his heat in dominant style, before facing a tough task in the final, nevertheless, he lead the final from start to finish with absolute confidence.
The clubs final race of the day came in the shape of a J16 four, where a scratch crew of Andrew Swallow, Henry Mudge, Henry Gove and Harry Hopper raced Ryde in their heat, and were unable to make the final. Unsurprising since they were only put into a crew together on the day.
The regatta showed that after an excellent season, the club has not only got a small pocket of successful rowers, instead it runs much deeper, right down to the newest rowers at the club.
The club would finally like to thank Itchen for another excellent event, and Ryde RC and BTC Southampton RC who leant the club river fours on the day.
The club now looks ahead to the winter season, with head races taking hold until the 2015 season in May next year.
Photographed: Quad – J14 boys B race winners
