Ryde Rowing Clubs Junior Squad travelled to Southampton on Saturday to compete in the Itchen Imperil Rowing Club Junior Regatta.
Although the squad was unsuccessful of this occasion, in terms of wins, the event provided some useful experience for all squad members which included several who were making their Club debut at this level, and the opportunity was taken to tray the squad members in a number of different combinations and boat types.
The best Ryde performance probably came from Joel Smith and Steven Soal who won their heat of the J14 Boys Double sculls and finished 2nd in the final. The other two J14 Boys Double scull crews – Jacob Redstone and Joe Groves and Tom Kearney and Dom Douglas were defeated in the semi-finals. Tom Kearney also competed in a J15 Double Scull with Will Ford who finished 3rd in their final.
Joe Groves competed in the J14 Boys Single Sculls narrowly missing out on a place in the final – and Steven Soal finished 3rd in his J14 Single Sculls final. Ryde’s youngest sculler – Austin Smith – competed in the Boys J11/J12 Single Sculls were he finished 3rd in his first mainland sculling race.
The Club also had two coxed quads racing – a Boys J14 Coxed Quad of Jacob Redstone, Steven Soal, Joel Smith and Dominic Douglas with Paddy Kearney coxing – and a Boys J15 Coxed Quad of Joe Groves, Joel Smith, Tom Kearney and Will Ford – with Austin Smith coxing.
The Club would like to thank Wightlink for their support – and Newport Rowing Club for lending the Club their minibus – while Ryde’s is still out of action – to tow the Ryde trailer which transported Ryde and Shanklin’s boats to the event.
