Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club celebrated 6 category victories and 2 historic trophy wins during a successful weekend of mainland competition.
The Island club faced a demanding double-header, competing at the Burway Small Boats Head in Staines on Saturday before travelling to Gloucester for the Autumn Head on Sunday.
Saturday’s event brought category victories for Esme Walters, Isaac King, Josh Batchelor and Ava Shaw, while Digby Ridgwell and Connie Batley-Smith also claimed wins in their respective J16 events.
Ridgwell and Batley-Smith had further reason to celebrate as the inaugural recipients of the Tom Barras trophies, awarded to the fastest junior scullers at the event.
One of the day’s outstanding performances came from the boys’ J15 double of Josh Batchelor and Alex Collier. Although unopposed in their category, the pair recorded the fourth-fastest time of the day across all boat classes.
The scratch J18 double of Lottie Pettitt and Ava Shaw also impressed, finishing ahead of several rival crews despite having never raced together before. Their achievement was all the more remarkable given that Shaw is just 13 years old.
The following day brought a fresh challenge at the Gloucester Autumn Head, where difficult conditions tested competitors, particularly during the morning division.
Batchelor completed a winning weekend by claiming another victory in the boys’ J15 event, while Walters and Ridgwell added second-place finishes to their successes at Burway.
Rose Collier and Fin Diffey also secured podium places, each finishing third in their respective events.
Meanwhile, Batley-Smith and King began their Great Britain Under-19 trials campaigns with competitive performances over the 5-kilometre course.
Shanklin Sandown will be back on the mainland this weekend, with nine crews competing at the Henley Small Boats Head.
