Thanks to Steve for this latest report from Ryde Rowing Club. Ed
An entry of one hundred and eighteen crews and scullers from twelve different rowing clubs, including the three Island Clubs and nine from the mainland, competed in Ryde Rowing Clubs Annual Hants & Dorset ARA Championship Regatta on Saturday (6th June) with an estimated seven hundred competitors, race officials, coaches and supporters visiting the Island over the weekend – for the Ryde Regatta – and for Shanklin Rowing Club’s Regatta on the Sunday.
Twenty races
The high entry required a packed programme twenty races to be completed in just over four and a half hours over an 1820m course from Appley Beach, near to the Ryde R. C. Headquarters in Appley Park – towards Ryde Pier and return after a buoy turn.
Races took place for Senior, Junior/Senior, Junior, Novice and Masters men in coxed fours, Senior and Junior men in coxless pairs, and Senior, Junior and Novice Men in Single Sculls.
Challenging conditions
For Ladies there was Senior, Junior, Novice and Masters coxed fours and a Ladies Novice sculling event which required a race to take place every 10 to 15 minutes.
While always rowable the conditions, especially at the turn, where challenging – and as a result, unfortunately, the final race of the day – for the Ladies Novice Sculls was abandoned.
The home Club performed better than anticipated with a second place for the Men’s Senior Four of Ben Ade, Sam Cocker, Mick Jenner and Nick Pike with Penny Budd coxing and for Novice Sculler Dale Buckett. The Men’s Junior Four of Will Ford, Ed Newnham, Jacob Redstone and Joe Groves with Austin Smith coxing were looking comfortable to qualify for their final – when an incident at the turn led to their disqualification. However the Men’s Novice Four of Tom Kearney, Joel Smith, Dom Douglas and Ben Toms – with Austin Smith in the Coxswains seat once again – produced their best result of the season so far to finish in 4th palce in the final. Men’s Senior Sculler – Nick Pike – finished in 4th place, with a similar result for the Mens’s senior Pair of Sam Cocker and Tom Clark who was competing in his first race for the Club since winning the Senior South Coast Championships in 2011.
Shanklin Regatta
On the Sunday at Shanklin Regatta – where the Club had a depleted entry due to school exams – the changed Men’s Senior Four of Stephen Johnson, Tom Clark, Ben Ade and Sam Cocker with Chole Weaver coxing produced an outstanding performance, missing out to the favourites from Itchen Imperial by just half a length.
Single Scullers – Dale Buckett in the Novice event and Mick Jenner in the Senior Sculls both finished in 4th place – with a similar result for Will Ford and James Smith in the Men’s Junior Pair – where erratic steering cost them at least one place.
Two Ryde Ladies – Kate Wirehurst and Abi Locke, making their competitive debuts for the Club, raced in a composite crew with Shanklin but failed to make the final.
Sponsors for the event
In addition to Carisbrooke Shipping the event’s main sponsors the Regatta has received further support from a number of local businesses – Harwood’s Garage, the Isle of Wight County Press, 1st Choice Scaffolding, the Appley Manor Hotel, Provincial Builders, Hayden Electrical, DIGS Michael Jenner, S J Decorating, Classic Image, TLM Laser, the Three Buoys Restaurant, Neaves Rowing services, Beffective and J. A. Dempsey.
Further support came from Wightlink, I.W. Ferries, Ryde Town councillor Ivor Warlow, Club Vice President, Seve Cook, and the Clubs’ 150 Club as well as the Barclays Community Support scheme. The Club was also grateful for the help of Ryde Inshore Rescue who provide safety cover and St. John Ambulance for the first aid cover.
The Club also acknowledges the support and cooperation of Ryde Police and the Isle of Wight County Council as well as the Ryde Town Council.
