Ryde Rowing Club competed in the Southampton Head of the River Race for Coastal 4s on Saturday (2nd April).
The Southampton Coastal Head of the River Race is a timed head race for coxed 4s in coastal boats with crews for men and women of all ages, starting at intervals and raced over 2 divisions over a course of around 5 miles on the River Itchen.
In Division 1, the Men’s Junior Senior Crew of Ben Edmondson. Joel Smith, Austin Smith and Dale Buckett, coxed by Niamh Murphy, had a narrow victory, finishing 1st out of 3 crews, and also beating one Senior crew (Herne Bay).
Also in Division 1 were 2 Ryde Men’s Novice 4s. Novice A – Dan Sanderson, Paddy Kearney, Will Hall, Freddie Giemza-Pipe and Mai Mackay (Cox) – came 3rd in their section. The Novice B Crew were forced into a late crew as a result of illness, with a members of Coalporters Rowing Club stepping in to join Ryde’s Isaac Gibson, Sebastian MacKeowen, and Yogi Ashworth, with Otis Ripley coxing – and making his competitive debut for the Club – and in the circumstances did well to beat 2 crews.
In Division 2, the Ladies Coastal Junior crew of Hannah Lake, Stella Baisley, Niamh Murphy, Julie Clarke, with Mai Mackay coxing once again, rowed well considering they had 2 novices in the boat – including Hanna Lake, who was making her competitive debut for the Club – and it was their 1st time on the water in this format, but they finished well down the field.
