Alex shares this latest report from the Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club. Ed
The Advanced Automotive sponsored Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club arrived at Lymington (Milford) Regatta with high hopes coming off a successful start to the season. These aspirations would prove to materialise and the club found itself on the podium on several occasions, and coming away with a win.
The club’s first crew onto the water were the Ladies Novice Four. After a very close race at Shanklin for second and third place, the crew of Hannah Pain, Stella Gamble, Emily Andre, Emily Faithfull and cox Anja Bennett had high hopes for the event.
A strong start
In the heat, the crew had a strong start and a solid race saw them qualify for the final with a comfortable second place. In the final, the crew were again fast out of the blocks and rowed through close rivals Ryde and the winners of their own heat to start to challenge Christchurch for the lead.
With a very close run into the line and the stagger out of their favour, the girls just missed the win by over a length, a fantastic performance (that earned them all a second place tankard!).
Unfavourable lane draw
Juliette Wrixon and Hannah Cusworth raced in the Ladies Junior Pairs. With an unfavourable lane draw the girls did well to be in the mix at the buoy turn. The favour of the inside lanes showed on the return leg however, as they rowed well, but still lost touch with the race, finishing sixth with a strong row.
Following on from a win the previous weekend, Alex Robertson took to the water for the Men’s Senior Sculls. As with the Ladies Junior Pair, Alex was drawn on the outside lanes and despite a good row to the turn was well out of contention for the win with Wardell and Riceman on the inside lanes battling for the win. Alex held off the rest of the field to take the final podium place.
Reducing the winning margin with every race
Harry Miselbach followed in the Men’s Junior Sculls. Harry was looking to make further progress after starting to find his legs in the event after his first two races last weekend. He did just this as he rowed an aggressive race to challenge the dominant Adam Ratcliffe from BTC.
Harry was well clear of the rest of the field and pushing Adam right to the line, eventually finishing only a few lengths back, as he continues to reduce the winning margin with every race.
The best had been saved until last
Daisy Faithfull was the club’s third and final sculler 
of the day to go afloat and it became quickly apparent that the best had been saved until last.
In a Novice/Junior/ Senior combined final, Daisy found herself in a very unfavourable lane seven. With virtually no one winning from the outside lanes all day, Daisy had the odds stacked against her. However, after a slow start she quickly found her feet to row through her competitors and stay well in touch with the higher statuses. Daisy took a comfortable victory and eventually finished ahead of some Senior scullers, an immense achievement. With the win at Shanklin last week and now this win at Milford, Daisy has now been promoted to junior status within her first two races!
A blistering start to the final race
The club’s final race of the day was in the Dave Stafford Challenge Cup, a mixed fours race held at the end of the day.
The Shanklin crew featured Alex Robertson, Lisa Robertson, Harry Miselbach, Daisy Faithfull and cox Anja Bennett. The four had a blistering start to quickly row into the race lead, despite the field rowing back onto their tails, a fantastic turn saw them back out into the lead with a crew from Poole.
In the closing stages the Poole crew moved away from the Shanklin boat and took a two length victory, the second place finish was however a brilliant result for the Shanklin boat and rounded off yet another successful regatta.
