Ryde Rowing Club had a strong team representing them at Newport Regatta on the River Medina on Saturday (30th July) in the 4s only event over 1,800m, and on Sunday (31st July) for the small boat events and Junior Quads over 1,000m.
The Wightlink-sponsored club had 3 coxed 4s racing on the Saturday – which should have been 4 – but 1 crew was lost to COVID.
As a result, the club’s Coastal Junior 4 was a combination of their Junior A and B Crew, consisting of Joel and Austin Smith from the ‘A’ Crew and Paddy Kearney and Will Hall from the “B” crew, and coxed by Mai MacKay, who rowed really well to make their final where they finished in 2nd place.
The club also had 2 Men’s Novice Fours competing on Saturday – the A Crew of Isaac Gibson, Lars Groothuis, Dan Sanderson and Yogi Ashworth – coxed by Allan Evans – won their heat and performed well in the final, where they finished in 2nd place. The ‘B’ crew of Matthew Jeacock, Edward Williams, and Charlie Watts – coxed by Graham Reeve – just missed out on the final finishing 2nd in their heat.
On Sunday, Ryde had 2 crews in the J16 Coxed Quads: the ‘A’ Crew of Bradley Whiting, Elliott O’Sullivan, Isaac Gibson and Dan Sanderson – coxed by Mia MacKay – and the ‘B’ Crew of Charlie Watts (making his competitive debut for the Club), Lars Groothuis, Yogi Ashworth, and Edward Williams, coxed by Graham Reeve. Both finished 2nd in their heats, failing to make the final.
3 from the ‘A’ Crew also competed in the J16 Boys Single Sculls event: Bradley Whiting, Dan Sanderson, and Elliott O’Sullivan. Unfortunately, all finished 2nd in their heats, failing to make the final.
A similar misfortune also befell 3 of Ryde’s Novice Men’s Scullers: Paddy Kearney, Will Hunt and Austin Smith (who had an issue with his boat and would almost certainly have qualified for the but for this). However, Ben Sanderson comfortably won his heat to reach the final where he was very narrowly beaten into 2nd place.
Joel Smith competed in the Men’s Senior Sculls where he finished 3rd in his heat, and he then joined forces with his brother Austin to compete in the Men’s Coastal Junior Pairs making up the ‘B’ Crew, with Paddy Kearney and Will Hall competing as the ‘A’ crew, with both crews finishing 2nd in their respective heats.
The River Medina stinks on hot days especially when it goes onto East Cowes seafront.