Ryde Rowing Club held a reunion at their Appley Park clubhouse last Friday (2nd June) for present and past members who had completed the challenge of rowing around the Isle of Wight.
The 55.2mile row has been completed by Ryde crews and scullers some 15 times since 1880 and while other local rowing clubs have completed the row – including Shanklin, Southsea, Southampton Coalporters, Jersey and Lymington Rowing Clubs – it is believed that no other clubs have completed the row as many times as Ryde.
The club’s rowing captain Paddy Kearney welcomed all the past round the Island rowers and their partners who were able to attend. The club president Steve Cook then introduced those in attendance, who shared their experiences of their rows. This included Jim Webber from the 1964 crew and Roy Terry who joined Jim for the 1965 row, which broke the record for rowing around the Island.
Also present were Bob Haward, Paul Young, Steve Bull and Graham Reeve from the 1979 crew: the 1st crew to complete the row in a sliding seat coastal 4. The 1995 crew was represented by Steve Dear, Steve Cook and cox Helen Dear, which broke – and still holds – the record for a Coxed 4.
In 1999, an all-Ladies crew of Jo Hanks, Tanzie Hersey-Page, Cathy West, Nikki Orchard and Sarah Elson, with Steph Hickman coxing, completed the row – believed to be the only all Ladies crew to have done so. The whole crew was in attendance at the reunion together with Ina Lennie, who provided their safety cover in his boat.
In 2003, the youngest Ryde crew – all under 20 – completed the row. Ollie Bottrell and Stu Johnson represented the crew at the reunion.
In 2005, Ryde member Nick Pike – also in attendance at the reunion – achieved a remarkable feat in completing the row in a single scull. He joined Ian Hayden, Mick Jenner and Russell Page, who completed the row in a coxless quad in 2008 to claim the record.
Also present at the reunion were Dave and Nigel Fountaine -the sons of Roy Fountaine, who had completed the row in 1949. Richard Broadhead and Ian Thomas from Shanklin Rowing Club also completed the row in 1974.
Ryde Rowing Club has not completed around the round Island Row since 2008 – so it must be time for another attempt.
