There was a mixed set of results for Ryde Rowing Club crews and scullers at Southsea Regatta, where the Hants & Dorset ARA Clubs met with the Coast ARA Clubs in the largest 1-day rowing regatta in the country.
The highlight of Ryde’s performance came from the Smith brothers – Austin and Joel. Joel finished 3rd in the Coastal Junior Sculls event and went on to win the championship point as the first HDARA Sculler to finish. Austin, competing in the Men’s Novice Sculling event was a comfortable 2nd in his heat easily reaching the final where he finished 2nd. The club’s other Novice Scull, Ben Sanderson, finished 7th in his heat, failing to make the final.
Austin and Joel then joined together to compete in the Men’s Coastal Junior Pairs event where they finished in 4th place – and they would have competed in the Men’s Junior-Senior Fours race but were forced to withdraw after a crew member had to self-isolate.
Mike Ewing finished in 3rd place in the Men’s Senior Sculls after being impeded at the turn resulting in disqualification for the other sculler involved – but surprisingly no re-row.
The Men’s Senior Four of Tom Hammond, Mike Ewing, Matt Allsopp and Alex Miller – with Allan Evans coxing – showed an improvement of the previous week’s performance finishing in 3rd place in an event won by a CARA Crew from Deal.
There was a welcome return of a Ryde Senior Ladies crew after a number of years away from competition with the crew of Ayesha Russell, Lisa Murphy, Catherine Oatley and Emily Faithfull – coxed by Mick Jenner – finishing in 4th place.
There was an impressive performance from the 2 men’s Novice crews; the A Crew of Paddy Kearney, Frankie Leftley, Bradley Whiting and Harry Jones – with Emily Faithfull – Coxing and the B Crew of Yogi Ashworth, Gulley Rhogan, Seb McEwan, Tom Kerver – with Graham Reeve coxing. They were drawn in the same heat but finished 2nd and 4th to both qualify for the final where the A Crew finished 4th and the B Crew 7th.
The Ladies Novice Four crew of Beth Walpole, Niamh Murphy, Stella Baisley and Julia Clark – coxed by Emily Faithful – finished 5th in their final. Emily had a busy day as she also competed in the Ladies Junior Sculls event finishing in 4th place.
Ryde Rowing Club also had a Boys J16 Coxed Quad competing of Yogi Ashworth, Elliott O’Sullivan, Bradley Whiting, Frankie Leftley – coxed by young Mai MacKay in her first Hants & Dorset competition – who finished in 5th place.
