Steve shares this latest report from Ryde Rowing Club. Ed
Ryde Rowing Club hosted the first Hants & Dorset Amateur Rowing Association Championship Regatta of the season on Saturday (13th May).
The entry received from the twelve participating clubs – including the hosts Ryde – and the two other Island Clubs – Newport and Shanklin, was significantly higher than last year with one hundred and one crews and scullers entered and an additional thirteen late entries received on the day making a total of one hundred and fourteen.
This lead to a packed program of twenty 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.
A range of races
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.
A mixed double sculls event was also scheduled to take place, but following a re-row and a couple of false starts in the difficult conditions this had to be abandoned due to the low tide.
Thanks to sponsors
The Club are indebted to their main Regatta Sponsor TLM Laser, who’s representatives presented the prizes at the end of the Regatta and to the other event sponsors and for the support of the IW and Ryde Town Councils – and in particular to Ryde Inshore Rescue who provided the safety cover afloat and had a busy afternoon dealing with five single scullers who overturned.
There were mixed fortunes for the Wightlink sponsored Ryde Club over the weekend where they competed at Ryde on the Saturday and at Shanklin on the Sunday.
Race reports
Their best performance came from the Coastal Junior Ladies Squad where on Saturday the “A” crew of Courtney Edmonds, Lisa Murphy, Emily Pike and Kate Whitehurst with Karen Crook coxing had a comfortable win – following a re-row after a clash at the buoy turn which led to the disqualification of the Clubs “B” crew of Julie Cole, Catherine Murphy, Ayesha Russell and Kirsty Newnham with Becca Nigh coxing.
On the Sunday at Shanklin, with Catherine Murphy switched to the “A” crew in place of Kate Whitehurst they repeated their success with their “B” crew of Julie Cole, Becca Nigh, Kristy Newnham and Carol Beaumont – making her racing debut for the Club – and cox Micky Jenner – finishing close behind in third place.
The Men’s Coastal Junior Four of Ben Toms, Jacob Redstone, Dom Douglas and Joe Groves – with Dan Sanderson coxing, in his first coastal Regatta, will be a little disappointed with their fifth place at Ryde – but showed improvement on the Sunday at Shanklin, where James Smith replaced Joe Groves – and the crew finished in fourth place.
There was an excellent performance from the young Men’s Novice Four of Tom Starkey, Austin Smith, Ben Sanderson, Tye Cameron, and cox Daniel Sanderson at Ryde – where they finished third in their heat in a strong field, to qualify for the final where they finished in fifth place – but Sunday’s race, with Josh Lee replacing Austin Smith proved to be more difficult and they failed to qualify for the final. However – this crew – with Freya Dradge replacing Tye Cameron and Eirann McClumpha coxing, produced a fine performance, racing above their age group – in the J16 Event and finishing in second place.
In the coxless pairs racing there was a good performance from the Men’s Coastal Junior Pair of James Smith and Joel Smith at Ryde on the Saturday where they finished in second place but they too found life more difficult on the Sunday, finishing in fourth place.
The Ladies Coastal pair of Lisa and Catherine Murphy were disqualified on the Saturday following an incident on the turn be fared better on the Sunday finishing in fourth place.
In the Sculling events Dale Buckett in the Men’s Coast Junior Sculls had the misfortune to capsize at Ryde – but made amends at Shanklin in the best way possible by winning the event to secure Senior status for next season. Men’s Novice Sculler Joel Smith finished third at Ryde but unfortunately, after comfortably qualifying for the final at Shanklin, he was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury.
Images: ©
Graham Reading Photography
