SUN SHINES FOR RYDE’S ANNUAL ROWING REGATTA

Ryde’s Coastal Junior Pair of Austin and Joel Smith

Ryde Rowing Club hosted the 4th Hants & Dorset ARA Championship Regatta of the season on Saturday (2nd June) with the Shanklin Regatta taking place the following day.

Saturday’s Regatta had an entry of 102 crews and scullers from the 12 participating clubs including Island clubs Ryde, Newport and Shanklin. This lead to a packed program of 19 events over the 1890m Ryde Regatta course – which runs from Appley Beach out towards Ryde Pier where the crews and scullers make a racing turn before racing back to Appley.

There was racing in Coxed Fours for Men’s Seniors, Junior Seniors, Coastal Juniors, Novices and Masters crews; Coxless Pairs racing for Men’s Seniors and Coastal Juniors and in Single Sculls for Men’s Seniors, Coastal Juniors and Novices. For the Ladies there was racing for Seniors, Coastal Juniors and Masters plus Coastal Junior Pairs and Coastal Junior and Novice Single Sculls.

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Ryde Regatta saw some exceptionally close racing in conditions that were sometimes difficult – especially for the single scullers.

The best performance for the Wightlink-sponsored Ryde club surprisingly came from the Smith brothers – Joel and Austin – racing for the first time together in a Coastal Men’s Junior Pair where they finished in 2nd place, just half a length behind the winners. The club had a second Men’s Coastal Junior Pair in the form of Tom Starkey and Josh Lee (both J16’s who were racing in their first ever Championship Pairs Race) finishing in 7th place. Also making their club debut at H&DARA Championship level was a young Ladies Coastal Junior Pair crew of Grace Bolland and Freya Drage who performed really well to finish in 4th Place.

Joel also competed in the Men’s Coastal Junior Sculls event, his first race at this level following his promotion after his Novice win at Lymington Regatta. He produced an impressive performance to finish in 3rd place. The club’s Novice Sculler Ben Sanderson was well placed at the turn where he unfortunately capsized in the difficult conditions.

The Men’s Novice Four of Austin Smith, Ben Sanderson, Tye Cameron and Josh Lee – coxed by Daniel Sanderson – whose performances and confidence has been growing as the season progresses, finished 3rd in their final after challenging for the lead throughout the race.

On Sunday, at Shanklin Regatta, this crew with Tom Starkey replacing Austin Smith produced another fine performance finishing in 2nd place just a canvas behind the winners – as they close in on a Novice win.

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Austin Smith meanwhile competed in the Men’s Novice Sculls finishing 3rd in his heat to claim a place in the final where he finished 6th. His brother, Joel, competed in the Men’s Coastal Junior Sculls again but found the going a little tougher than the previous day, finishing in 5th place. The same fate befell the 2 brothers on the Men’s Coastal Pairs event where they could not repeat the heroics of the previous day finishing in 6th place.

The club’s Mixed Coxed J16 Four of Harry Jones, Paddy Kearney, Grace Bolland and Freya Drage – with Coach Graham Reeve coxing – finished 3rd in their event rowing really well against a field of all boys crews.

Ryde also had a J14 Coxed Quad racing consisting of Bonita Hunnybun, Poppy Starkey, Emily Davis and Daniel Sanderson – with Graham reeve in the coxswains seat once again – all making their competitive debuts for the club in an H&D Regatta. They rowed superbly to finish in 2nd place, a performance that was all the more impressive as we believe that with an average age of just 12 they are possibly the youngest ever crew to represent the club.