Ryde Rowing Club claimed 2 victories at the country’s largest one-day regatta as 11 crews and scullers took on strong opposition in near-perfect conditions.
Wightlink-sponsored Ryde Rowing Club enjoyed a successful day at the Southsea Regatta on Saturday (27th June), returning home with 2 wins from the country’s largest one-day rowing regatta.
The event is the only regatta in the Hants & Dorset Amateur Rowing Association calendar where crews and scullers from both the Hants & Dorset ARA and Coast ARA (Kent and Sussex) compete against each other ahead of the South Coast Rowing Championships, which will be hosted by Deal Rowing Club in September.
Ryde’s newly formed Open Novice Four of Lucas Georgiou, Harry Crofts, Max Locke and Cameron D’Arcy, with Harry Watts coxing, finished 3rd in their heat to qualify for the final, where they placed 5th.
The Women’s Senior Four of Lisa Murphy, Abi Locke, Maggie Sanderson and Clare Gordon, with Mai Read coxing, competed despite being a Masters 40 crew and finished 7th in the final. With Fiona Owen replacing Clare Gordon, the crew then raced in the Women’s Masters 40 event, finishing 4th.
That switch allowed Ryde’s Senior Open Women’s Four of Stella Baisley, Alexis Owen, Fiona Owen and Emily Kellerman, coxed by Ruby Read, to compete in the Women’s Junior Senior Fours – an event not usually held at a Hants & Dorset regatta. They made the most of the opportunity by recording a comfortable victory.
The Women’s Novice Four of Demi Cranham Ede, Abby Bird, Clare Gordon and Polley Townson, with Mai Read coxing, finished 5th in their heat, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.
Ryde’s J16 Boys Quad of Joe Bird, Harry Watts, Cameron D’Arcy and Max Locke, coxed by Mai Read, produced a creditable 4th-place finish. Fourteen-year-old Harry Watts, usually a coxswain, was making his competitive debut as an oarsman.
There was further success in the sculling events, with Charlie Watts reaching the Novice Single Sculls final after finishing 3rd in his heat before going on to win the event. Isaac Gibson narrowly missed out on the final after placing 5th in his heat, while Joe Bird finished 8th in his.
In the Women’s Novice Single Sculls, Stella Baisley and Alexis Owen both qualified for the final after finishing 3rd and 4th respectively in their heats. Alexis went on to finish 4th in the final, with Stella taking 5th.
Ryde also provided support to rival clubs during the regatta, with Rosie Morris coxing for a Christchurch Women’s Junior Four and Ruby Read steering a Poole Women’s Masters 50 Four.
