Junior athletes from Ryde Rowing Club and Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club returned from the Itchen Imperial Junior Regatta in Southampton on Sunday (28th September) with an impressive collection of medals, following a strong showing across multiple age groups and boat classes.
The event, held over a 450-metre straight course on the River Itchen, featured 3-boat races in both competitor and novice categories. Crews aged 12 to 16 raced in a range of boat types including singles, doubles, quads, and fours – with several Isle of Wight rowers securing top podium finishes.
Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink, enjoyed particular success in the Open J16 category. The River Four of Joe Bird, Charlie Watts, Cameron D’Arcy and Max Locke, coxed by Harry Watt, won their heat and went on to claim victory in the final. The same rowers also took gold in the Open J16 River Quad, this time with Mai Read stepping in as coxswain.
In the Open J16 Double Sculls, Charlie Watts and Cameron D’Arcy secured another first-place finish. Meanwhile, Joe Bird and Max Locke finished second in their heat of the J15 Double Sculls. The youngest Ryde crew – Dexter Robson and Rosie Morris – placed second in their heat of the J12/13 Double Sculls.
Individual success came in the single sculling events, where Charlie Watts won both heat and final in the Open J16 category. Joe Bird won his heat and finished second in the Open J16 novice final. In the J15 singles, Cameron D’Arcy and Max Locke each won their heats, with D’Arcy going on to win the final and Locke securing second place.
Two Ryde rowers also joined Shanklin Sandown RC boats for the regatta. Dexter Robson helped secure victory in the Boys J14 Quad, while Rosie Morris contributed to a gold-medal finish in the Girls J14 Quad. Both crews were coxed by Shanklin’s Esme Walters.
Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club entered 28 crews across both categories and finished the day with 8 gold medals and 6 silvers. Novice success came from Evie Selway, who won her race in the single sculls by 3 lengths in her competitive debut.
Single sculling remained a strong discipline for the club, with Digby Ridgwell and Connie Batley Smith winning the Boys and Girls J14 1x events respectively. In the quads, Batley-Smith was joined by Martha Eggleton, Amelia Chambers and Rosie Morris (RRC) to win the Girls J14 final, while Ridgwell teamed up with Batley-Smith, Alex Collier and Dexter Robson (RRC) to take the Boys J14 title.
More wins came in the doubles, with Rose Collier and Summer Marvin securing gold in the Girls J15 event. Digby Ridgwell and Josh Batchelor won the Boys J14 race, while Batchelor and Alex Collier added another win in the J12/13 category.
Shanklin’s club captain, Garry Walters, has said:
“I was most impressed with the depth of talent displayed and with two thirds of the crews entered making finals and 11 athletes competing in single sculling events.”
All Ryde competitors also returned home with medals, marking a successful conclusion to the junior rowing season for both Isle of Wight clubs.
