Some fine performances across the board, reflecting strength in depth and growing talent, were given by Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club at Swanage Rowing Regatta last Saturday (5th July).
In the junior events, with stiff competition from across the region, all three J16 crews battled hard in their heats to secure a place in the final. The Boys J16 quad of James Travers, Sam Meadowcroft, Isaac King, Fin Diffey and Esme Walters (cox) enjoyed a tight race, finishing 4th with the first 5 crews crossing the line within 3 lengths.
Both the J16 Girls A crew of Anna Visser, Lottie Pettitt, Evie Selway, Rose Collier and Arlo Adds (cox), and the B crew of Eva Gordon (Ryde Rowing Club), Olivia Mumberson, Poppy Lawrence, Annabelle Steward and Esme Walters (cox) had excellent rows in the final, securing 4th and 5th place respectively.
The Novice Men’s crew of Huseyin Yolcu, Tobin Green, Isaac King, Fin Diffey and Jane Denby-Roach (cox) built on their racing speed once again, giving a strong performance to finish third and remaining in the leading pack for much of the race.
Both the Junior Ladies and Novice Ladies crews were unlucky to be drawn in particularly tough heats and despite rowing well, missed out on a place in the final.
In the sculling events, Arlo Adds had his best row to date in the heat to take third place, just outside the qualifying position but showing promise for the future. Esme Walters comfortably won her heat in style and despite a determined row, finished just outside the podium places in the final. Teammate Mel Cockayne, making her competitive debut for the club, faced very challenging conditions but coped admirably to finish 4th in the heat, losing to the eventual winner.
Next Saturday (12th July) Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club will look forward to racing at Lymington Regatta at Milford on Sea.
Elsewhere, Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink had 6 fours and a Novice sculler competing..
Once again Swanage proved to be one of the most popular events in the Hants & Dorset ARA fixture list with a near record entry of 141 crews and scullers that required fifty races to complete the program. The regatta is staged over a 1500m course, with a racing turn, in Swanage Bay. With no Hants & Dorset ARA Club in Swanage the Regatta is organised by volunteers from the nearly all the Associations Clubs with Ryde playing their part by providing all the packed lunches for the Race Officials as well as the Regatta coordinator Steve Bull and a Race Official – Mick Jenner.
In the Open Junior Senior Fours, the Ryde Crew of Will Hall, Paddy Kearney, Joe Roberts, Charlie Watts with Harry Watts coxing rowed well to finish in second place in the Final.
The Ryde Crew in the Open Coastal Junior Fours – of Ben Robotham, Joe Bird, Yogi Ashworth, Cameron D’Arcy with Mai Reed Coxing finished sixth in their heat – failing to make the final.
The Ryde Club had two crews in the Women’s Coxed Fours – the “B” crew of Eva Gordon, Carla Jenkins, Maggie Sanderson, and Demi Cranham-Ede with Mai Reed Coxing once again finished. Fifth in their heat failing to make the final. But the “A” Crew of Abi Locke, Fiona Owen, Alexis Owen, and Emily Kellerman with Ruby Reed Coxing finished first in heat – but will be slightly disappointed to only have finished in third place in the Final in a close race.
The Club also had a Women’s Masters crew racing consisting of – Fiona Owen, Abi Locke, Maggie Sanderson, and Lisa Murphy with Ruby Read coxing once again who rowed really well to finish in third place in the Final.
The Clubs Open J16 Coxed Quad of Cameron D’Arcy, Charlie Watts, Joe Bird, and Max Locke. With Harry Watts finished second in their heat to make the final where they finished in fourth place.
The Clubs Novice Sculler – Isaac Gibson – finished third in his heat just failing to make the final.
The Club also formed a composite Open Novice Four with Poole Rowing Club with Max Locke competing in the boat who made the final finishing 5th and Eva Gordon competed in a Ryde/Shanklin composite crews in the Women’s J16 Coxed who finished third in their heat to make the final where they also finished in fifth place.
