Newport took 4 crews to Christchurch for the latest round of the Hants & Dorset regatta season on Saturday (7th June).
First up were the Women’s Novice crew of Flora Lockey, Julia Coulson, Grace Garner, Helen Hopper, coxed by Fiona Brookes. They came up against tough opposition from Itchen, the eventual winners, in the 1st round. They rowed well, but didn’t have the same power as their opposition. A similar fate befell the Open Masters 40+ crew of Julie Clarke, Chris Clarke, Ed Hopper, Harry Hare, coxed by Mariana Hare, who lost out to eventual winners BTC.
The Novice Open crew of Freddie Hollis, Max Gasper, Jude Williams, Riv Szawiel, coxed by Fiona Brookes, led the 1st half of the race, but lost too much ground at the turn, finishing behind Lymington.
The Junior Open crew of Boris Hare, Connor Garner, Jake Garner, Eric Williams (in his first race at this status) and coxed by Mariana Hare were last to compete. They breezed through the 1st round, and beat Ryde comfortably in the semis. In the final they faced the championship leaders BTC.
Newport led from the start, and won by a clear margin. Taking their 1st win of the season.
5 Coxed Fours crews from Ryde Rowing Club also competed at the Christchurch Rowing Club Regatta on the River Stour).
The outstanding performance of the day for the Ryde Club came from their Open Junior Senior Four of Isaac Gibson, Joe Roberts, Paddy Kearney and Charlie Watts – with Harry Watts coxing – who won their semi-final, after the race was stopped and a re-row ordered and went on to win the Final fairly comfortably.
The Club’s Women’s Senior Four of Lisa Murphy, Maggie Sanderson, Stella Baisley, Mai Read – coxed by Ruby Reed – lost out in the semi-final. The same fate befell the Clubs Open Coastal Junior Four of Cameron D’Arcy, Ben Robotham, Yogi Ashworth, Lars Groothuis – with Mai Read coxing – who also lost out in the semi-final of their event.
The Club had two coastal Women’s Junior Fours competing – the B Crew of Demi Cranham-Ede, Carla Jenkins, Maggie Sanderson and Amy Nicholls-Taylor – with Ruby Read coxing – who lost out in the heat but the A Crew of Abi Locke, Fiona Owen, Alexis Owen and Emily Kellerman – also coxed by Ruby Read – fought their way through several rounds to reach the final, where they were narrowly beaten into 2nd place.
Shanklin & Sandown RC also put in some fine performances at the Christchurch Regatta.
The Novice Men’s Four of Huseyin Yolcu, Tobin Green, Sam Meadowcroft, Fin Diffey and Esme Walters (cox), reached their semi-final, having had an excellent row in their heat. Beaten by eventual winners, Lymington, they demonstrated significant improvement and promise for the future.
The Junior Ladies Four of Sam Travis, Lottie Pettitt, Anna Scott, Esme Walters and a cox from Itchen, strode out from the start, to establish a fluid rhythm, well matched to eventual winners, BTC, who won by just ¾ of a length.
Also showing steady improvement were the Novice Ladies of Anna Visser, Chloe Walker, Theodora Travers, Rose Collier and Lottie Pettitt (cox), who after a shaky start, soon found their length and power against a well-drilled Lymington crew, ultimately missing out on a place in the semi finals.
