Steve shares this latest report from Ryde Rowing Club, Ed
The Regatta, a coxed fours only event staged over a straight 1800m course, is the culmination of the Coastal season where the representative crews from the three South Coast Rowing Associations – the Coast ARA, the West of England ARA and the Hants & Dorset ARA – where the IW Clubs compete – meet to decide who are the South Coast Champions at various statuses.
Each Association can have two representatives in the Championship events – and a third if one of the Associations fails to fill its quota – and it is regarded as a great honour to be selected to represent your Association where the concept of “better to be last in a Championship race and than first in the open” applies.
Representing the Association
The Wightlink sponsored Club had two crews invited to represent their Association – the Men’s Coastal Junior Four of Dom Douglas, Jacob Redstone, Ben Toms, Joe Groves and Cox Austin Smith and a Ladies Coastal Junior Four of Kristy Newnham, Lisa Murphy, Ayesha Russell and Catherine Murphy with Mick Jenner coxing.
This takes the total number of times the Club has represnted the Association at the Championships to thirty-six.
Unfortunatley on this occasion, neither of Ryde’s representative crews were able to add to the Club’s previous sixteen championship wins with the Ladies finishing in third place and the Men in sixth.
Open events
The Ryde Club also had two crews racing in the “open” supporting events – a second Ladies Junior Coastal Four of Abi Locke, Emiley Pike, Julie Cole, Kate Whitehurst with Karen Crook coxing who, after comfortably winning their heat, finished second in the final – and a Men’s Junior Senior Four of Allan Evans, Joel Smith, Dale Buckett and James Smith – with Karen coxing once a gain who finished fifth in the final.
The Junior Senior crew was notable for having veteran oarsman Allan in the boat – who’s age equaled the ages of the other three oarsman in the crew combined!
There was some success for the Ryde Club with Rowing Captain and Coach Micky Jenner competing in a composite crew with BTC Southampton who won the Master 40 Fours event.
Ryde’s three Hants & Dorset ARA Race Officials were also all involved in the event with Steve Bull fulfilling the Role of Association Representative on the Boat Inspection team and Sharon Ayles selected to be the Associations Championship Umpire and John Adams the Championship Judge.
