Sunday morning saw calm conditions on the River Medina for the first winter time trial of 2026, with 39 crews from across the Island taking to the water.
Crews from Newport Rowing Club, Ryde Rowing Club and Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club competed across 2 divisions in the opening event of the winter programme.
Division 1 was contested over the shorter 1,750m course. The Newport Open 4+ of Freddie Hollis, Connor Garner, Boris Hare and Jude Williams, coxed by Mariana Hare, led the division and recorded the fastest time of 6.47.
Despite topping the timesheets, the Newport crew were narrowly beaten on gold medal percentage (GMT). Ryde sculler Charlie Watts posted the highest GMT in the division with 76.62%, followed by Shanklin Sandown’s Isaac King on 75.67%, with Newport close behind on 75.22%.
Division 2 was run over the longer 3,450m course. Newport again recorded the fastest raw time, with the Open 4+ of Boris Hare, Connor Garner, Nick McChesney and Jude Williams, coxed by Mariana Hare, stopping the clock at 13.01.
They were pushed hard by Ryde’s crew of Joe Roberts, Lars Grothius, Charlie Watts and Paddy Kearney, coxed by Mai Reid, who finished just 9 seconds adrift in 13.10. However, both crews were beaten on GMT by Shanklin Sandown sculler Connie Batley-Smith, who recorded the highest percentage of the day at 78.58%, compared to Newport’s 77.3% and Ryde’s 76.13%.
The second division also marked a milestone for Ryde, with the club’s women’s eight making its competitive debut. The crew finished in a time of 14.06 as they continue preparations for a planned entry into the Women’s Head of the River Race on the Thames in March.
