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Stratford Make Their Mark at National Schools Regatta

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The Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J14 squad sent a boys quad and a girls quad to the National Schools Regatta 2025 at the Nottingham Watersports Centre on Friday. This was the return of the event to the Nottinghamshire venue after a gap of several years and the competition was tough. The weather was glorious and both boats showed strong determination. The girls reached the D final and despite injuries in the team, managed to hold their own. They had a strong start, coming out of the first 100m in second position but were outpaced in the reminder of the race. The boys reached the B final and also had a great start, they were second at the halfway mark but lost ground in the second half, coming fifth overall. Commenting, Rebecca Paul, the J14 Coach said, “Both crews had a great day out, learnt a lot from the experience and are looking forward to the next event.”

On Friday, Day One of the National Schools Regatta, saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club WJ15 4+ crew of Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Naomi Sime and Erin Appleton (coxed by Ed Appleton) take to the Holme Pierrepoint water in the 1900m time trial, in relatively calm and temperate conditions. They set the fifteenth fastest time (out of twenty four crews) and secured their place in the C Final. In the 2000m Final, side by side with other fine crews, they were superb in their race execution: they rowed through a few crews including Royal Shrewsbury and looked to be heading for a second place finish but Kingston Grammar were wise to the challenge and finished 0.17 seconds ahead of Stratford in dramatic fashion. Where other crews seemed to be imploding, Stratford were totally steady over the 2k distance, in a solid 2:13 minutes for each 500m. J15 Coach Hugo Happel said, ” The WJ15 4+ crew did incredibly well against tough competitors from Great Britain and Republic of Ireland, sticking to their game plan and delivering a very memorable row. Both on and off the water they were terrific!”

Conditions on the second day of the regatta started to become less favourable with gusty headwinds on offer. Stratford’s WJ16 coxed four of Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines, Becca Smith and Poppy Warren (coxswain) embarked on their time trial and battled hard to achieve twelfth position and a spot in the B Final. With increasing winds, the crew again took the lake for their final in the afternoon but were unable to improve their position after a plucky row. With the cancellation of racing on the third day of the regatta, sadly the WJ16 coxless quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Millie Smith, Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn did not get the opportunity to show the result of their training. Musing, said Steve Wellstead J16 Coach said, “However, they will be back!”

Stratford’s WJ18 4x- and WJ18 1x also raced at National Schools Regatta: this is one of the biggest races in the rowing calendar, where over five thousand junior competitors attended.

In the first event of the day on Saturday, Poppy Baines took on the windy conditions in the Women’s Championship Singles event. Sculling with great technical focus, she claimed twenty third out of fifty three scullers in a highly competitive field. After a long ten hour gap, Baines’ D final arrived where she had a rocketing start to maintain her position from the time trial.

The girls’ quad of Alexandra Francis, Scarlett Richardson , V Vondrak and Lucy Sartain executed their race plan perfectly in the 2000m time trial putting them in twelfth place and therefore gaining them a place in the B final against competitive crews such as Henley, Headington, Hartpury and Shrewsbury. The wind picked up over the day making conditions challenging for the final but the girls still battled through the choppy water finishing respectively in fifth position beating competitive crews.

Meanwhile at the other end of the country at Monmouth Rowing Club’s regatta, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s masters were represented at the weekend by Tim Lunel who reported that the regatta was efficiently run regatta and also very enjoyable.

Commenting, Lunel said, “I had to sit on the start for six seconds as a handicap in the semi final but managed to catch my opponent by half way and then win by a couple of lengths. In the final, it was a handicap of twelve seconds against an opponent nicknamed ‘The Pocket Rocket from Totnes and Dartmouth’! The starter and I tried to persuade him he didn’t need the twelve second handicap but unfortunately we didn’t convince him so he pretty much sat on the lead all the way down the course. At least he said that it was hard work when we got to the finish!”

Also out at the weekend were Stratford masters’ rowers who headed to the west for a day out at Hereford regatta. Held in the beautiful surroundings of the River Wye in mixed overcast and windy conditions, Stratford was represented firstly by Rebecca England and Tom Doherty in mixed masters C/D double sculls.

With Stratford having an age advantage (being younger!), they had to give their opponents the highly rated Drinkwater couple from Bridgnorth, a seven second head start resulting a tough ask to reduce the deficit.

With Rebecca taking the crew off at 39/40 strokes per minute, the chase was on but despite holding a high tempo of 38 strokes a minute for the whole 850 metre course, Stratford were unable to close the deficit finishing exactly seven seconds behind at the finish!

Afternoon racing saw the Stratford women’s double of Lucy Scarlett and Rebecca England racing in their double scull in women’s senior sculls against Minerva Bath. With Rebecca again taking Stratford off at a good tempo, the crews were neck and neck approaching the halfway point with both crews rowing hard. Minerva Bath’s experience began to tell and they edged ahead over the last 250 metres to win.

Said Rebecca England, “Hats off to Lucy who steered a great course in tricky windy conditions against tough opposition. We were pleased with our row and look forward to the next event.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-club-make-their-mark-at-national-schools-regatta-9419727 and page thirty seven and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-make-their-mark-at-national-schools-regatta

For pictures of National Schools Regatta, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0V1TEhQQmd4NmJGSHR0QWZmRUVGYzhBQkZxZmpNLVJhUnBYeU0taWNXM3gycHc%5FZT1hZTB2d2w&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21s183cc7e2e93147b1b6d01f7c410573c0&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Masters Learn Lessons at Nottingham

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At the weekend, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Masters travelled to the National Watersports Centre Holme Pierrepont for the Nottingham Masters and Club Regatta which is a good benchmark for all crews as Stratford Boat Club’s masters have aspirations of competing at the British Masters event later in the season and all categories were hotly contested. There were some big learning points to take away from the event and it was a tough day on the course.

The Stratford’s 2x came a close third in their race: Susie Radley and Amanda Bowden were in second place to the midway point and should have continued to move away against Molesey but lost momentum around 600m and didn’t regain their position. Stratford’s 4x were rowing well and then dropped out around 250 metres as they clipped a buoy and couldn’t continue. Stratford’s VIII, although fighting valiantly, were off the pace of the race on a bigger stage. It was not easy at the bigger event and for many their first time against some very established crews.

Summing up, Amanda Bowden, Stratford’s Masters Vice Captain mused, “We gave it our all! Very proud of everybody’s efforts: if you don’t attempt the bigger races then you don’t know what to aim for. I am especially proud of the women’s squad for stepping up to compete but also recognising that they are not quite ready for the big events yet, the pressure is very different. Anyway – Ironbridge next!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-crews-compete-at-nottingham-regatta

Stratford’s J16’s Excel on the Olympic Course

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s under 16 squad travelled to the Olympic Course at Eton Dorney last Bank Holiday Monday to take part in the “Scullery” Regatta. The event run over 2000m attracts the finest scullers from across the country and visitors from as far afield as South Africa and Ireland.

Stratford women’s coxless quadruple scull of Isla Dunn, Maeve Dunn, Tessa Parkin and Martha Cooke took the water first in the time trial with a solid thirteenth place ahead of the South African Rowing Schools Union and once again closing the gap to regional rivals Hereford Cathedral School.

Next up was the women’s double scull of Martha Baines and Sophie Franklin. The pair motored through the time trial stage in seventh place thus securing a place in the B Final.  Gusty conditions made the final quite an event with Sophie and Martha engaging in battle with Great Marlow School to finish third.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/juniors-tackle-famous-olympic-course-9417134 and page forty seven and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-junior-scullers-excel-on-olympic-course

For great pictures of Scullery, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvcyFBaVcyREF5bjl0ZzlrTGQwUDlhNGxTVHJfaUJHS2c%5FZT11eGJvR0o&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21269300&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Juniors and Masters Score at Evesham and Dorney Lake

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s younger squads enjoyed their trip downstream to Evesham’s Sprint Regatta on Saturday and acquitted themselves admirably in the season’s first side-by-side racing. The J13 girls’ quad of Mary Heenan, Islay Milles, Isobel Jackson, Charlotte Franklin and Lilly Parsons (cox) overwhelmed their early opponents but narrowly missed out to the home side in the final. The J13s then displayed great character by racing the unfamiliar stretch of the Avon in small boats with all maximising their opportunity to explore almost every inch of the river and in one case, large parts of the riverbank too! The J13 boys’ quad of Archie Mansfield, Christopher Durance, Ethan Siwakowski, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton (cox) rounded off the event in a hotly contested pursuit of the Evesham winners.

The J14s were in imperious form, sweeping aside their opponents in respective blue riband (coxed quads) events. Tristan Hammick, Nathan Lebordais, Connor Birrell, Reuben Stanford and Herbie Shickle (cox) eased to victory over successive Monmouth crews whilst the girls’ boat of Scarlet Wheeler, Lilly Parsons, Meredith Paul, Abi Dunn and Martina Bruce-Bonilla (cox) expertly managed their races to win them all by ‘just enough’ to nullify the boys’ bragging rights! Later small boat outings gave all athletes valuable experience and some points for development.

J13/14 coach Jon Francis commented, “I was delighted with the display from both squads and was particularly impressed with the calm demeanour of the J13s in their first ever regatta!

Stratford’s J15 squad started this season’s side by side racing at Evesham also on Saturday, over 1000m upstream course. In the morning Euan Richter and Will Shaw saw off their Cheltenham College Boat Club opposition in the OJ15 2x SF by five lengths and were successful too in the final against Worcester Royal Grammar, winning by one and a quarter lengths and claiming their navy blue pots. Also racing in the morning, Orla Linforth and Erin Appleton sculled in the WJ15 2x SF with really lovely technique but lost against the strong Evesham duo.

In the afternoon division, the OJ15 4x+ crew of Seb Happel, Euan Richter, Will Shaw, Ed Appleton and Rory Jones won their first race against Ross Rowing Club, won their semifinal against Magdalen College (easily) but lost in the final against Cheltenham College.

Also in division two, Rory Rowan sculled well in the OJ15 1x event but lost out to a stronger sculler from Worcester. In the WJ15 1x event, Naomi Sime showed lovely technique but lost to a powerful sculler from Ross Rowing Club and Maria Ntoukaki won her semifinal against a good sculler from Warwick Boat Club. In the final, Maria lost out to the Ross sculler by a small margin with both showing great sportsmanship after the staggered finish line.

Commenting, J15 coach Hugo Happel said, “The J15 squad again showed lovely technique, attitude and desire both on and off the water with some good learning to carry forward into the next regatta events. Well done to the athletes!”

Stratford’s Masters squad s had five crews racing at Evesham Regatta. The conditions were good and the racing started with the OpMI2x of Paul Collins and Mike Adkins. It was great to see this double competing again.

The OpC/D4+ also raced in the morning division in glorious sunshine. Victory can come in many forms: Jack Ingleby, Mark Kelly, David Vazquez and Phil Marshall came together as a crew for only the third time, using a borrowed bow loader boat, with a borrowed cox and a swap of crew position. They managed to row as a crew quite effectively along the 1,000 metre course. The foursome had some fun as well! Further outings are already planned, seating positions are selected and the future holds great hope!

The tail wind picked up over the course of the afternoon division, Stratford Women’s Masters DVIII crew had a handicapped race with the Evesham opposition being given a head start of eight seconds. Winning the semi-final against home crew of Evesham EVIII, saw Stratford rapidly closing on Evesham’s advantage of a head start. The crew held a strong rate of thirty strokes per minute over the one kilometre course until the final push and the crew were thrilled to take the win in a close finish.

After a quick turnaround, the final was a race between Stratford and the Ross DVIII who took the win for the day.

Crew Captain Katie Burman said, “I’m very proud of this terrific crew of tremendous ladies who have trained hard, showed great team spirit, resulting in a really strong performance!”

Commenting further, Amanda Bowden, Stratford’s Masters’ Vice Captain said, “Special thanks to Phil Marshall from Stratford Boat Club for his assistance with boat checks, to Evesham Rowing Club for the loan of a boat, to our very capable race cox Jess Salmon from Evesham Rowing Club and to all the Stratford supporters who came to cheer us on!”

The other Masters’ crews had mixed results: the senior men’s 4x faced tough opposition from a performance Evesham crew. The WE4x had a straight final, racing hard they just missed out on a win.

Meanwhile on Sunday, the J18 girls of Alexandra Francis, Scarlett Richardson, V Vondrak and Lucy Sartain took on Wallingford Regatta held at Dorney Lake’s two kilometres Olympic course in the WJ18 coxless quads category. They put out a strong performance executing their race plan perfectly with a time of 7:13 minutes in the heats gaining them second place and therefore a place in the final. In the final, the wind picked up making conditions more challenging but the girls still pushed on finishing strong in sixth position against Tideway Scullers, Marlow, Shrewsbury and more competitive schools and clubs.

For media coverage see Stratford Herald page thirty six and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-success-for-stratford-boat-clubs-scullers-at-evesham-sprint-regattam and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/05/09&pages=24

Stratford’s Juniors and Masters Score at Nottingham and Birmingham

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Following the recent West Midlands trials, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club juniors headed to Nottingham’s National Water Sports Centre to represent the region at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta.  A national level event, the athletes competed against regional crews from Scotland to Wessex and everywhere between. Stratford’s J14 boys were representing the West Midlands in the quad and approached the time trial with a now familiar enthusiasm. Just seconds separated the nine fastest boats and the crew of Reuben Stanford, Connor Birrell, Nathan Lebordais, Herbie Shickle and Tristan Hammick (cox) missed a slot in the A final by just a fraction of a second. They embraced the challenge of side-by-side racing on the big stage in a thrilling show-down across the full 1.5km, with the lead swapping between them and Thames London throughout. With fearsome encouragement from their cox, Stratford timed their final surge to perfection for a deserved B final victory.

Stratford’s J15 squad had two crews taking part in the inter regionals regatta. First up in the 1000m time trials, the composite WJ15 4+ of Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Erin Appleton and Daisy Wilkes (Evesham Rowing Club sculler), coxed by Ed Appleton, rowed well and qualified for the B final with the crew bemoaning their stroke rate and their catches. Next up in the OJ15 2x event, Seb Happel and Will Shaw had a good row and qualified for the C final. In the afternoon, the WJ15 4+ came fourth in their 1500m stake boat start final, finishing ahead of WAGS/Wales and Wessex. The OJ15 2x won their final, beating WAGS/Wales. J15 Coach Hugo Happel said, “The J15’s showed good technique on the water, gave 100%, took the learning from the Time Trials into the Finals and showed superb team spirit and collective off the water. Brilliant work and attitude: they should be very proud!”

The women’s J16 coxless four crew of Martha Cooke, Becca Smith, Martha Baines and Millie Smith delivered a solid row in the time trial to secure a place in the B Final. Lining up against sweep rowing powerhouses such as Aberdeen Schools, the girls exploded from the start and took an early lead by clear water. The race remained a close run event with Stratford battling to hold a lead over the fast charging opposition eventually losing ground in the closing stages to cross the line in fourth place.

Meanwhile closer to home, the newly formed masters 2x crew of Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett (bow) travelled to Edgbaston Reservoir on Saturday to compete at Birmingham Regatta over the 700m laned course. Having been promoted out of the lower category due to a lack of opposition, the Stratford double faced a tough race against home favourites, Birmingham. Fortunately, weather conditions were favourable with flat water and little breeze. While being held on the staked start for a previous incident to be cleared, anticipation and nerves grew. However, the Stratford duo started smoothly and powerfully, edging ahead of their opposition early on. When lengthening into their race pace, they were able to maintain an efficient rate of thirty three strokes per minute which enabled them to pull further away from the Birmingham crew. Lucy, at bow, steered an excellent line which saw the Stratford double cross the finish two lengths ahead, taking the win. Rebecca and Lucy would like to extend a special thanks to Thomas Doherty for transporting the boat and enabling them to race. They now hope to build on this success, developing their training to become a more established crew throughout the summer.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty five and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-masters-pair-win-gold-at-birmingham-regatta and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/05/02&pages=24

For pictures of JIRR, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0V0RUJkazdaeXVaSHJnbVR2X3BoeENRQjVZWEZBWlVYYkJEbEVXcG1sUWRHOEE%5FZT1JRUdxbE8&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21s4e7601d1cad947e6ae0993bffa61c424&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford Out In Force at Bedford and Henley

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At Bedford Spring Head on Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s youngest squads were out in force and able to display their skills on a stretch of river that was perfect for all to witness how far they have progressed. The J13’s, racing up a category as J14’s, put out two quads in consecutive divisions who both recorded solid times and impressed with intelligent race plans that saw them cross the line just seconds apart. The combination of Burt, Franklin, Heenan and Siwakowski ultimately claiming bragging rights on this occasion over Durance, Cruise, Jackson and Ford. The coxswains of those boats, Lilly Parsons and Islay Milles respectively, then raced-up again in the J14 double sculls and showcased some real promise with a composed performance and a highly creditable time.

The J14 squad were similarly well represented. Hothi and Mansfield competed early in the double sculls but were beaten into second by a strong Walbrook Rowing Club pairing. A mixed quad of Stanford, Lebordais, Birrell and Dunn, coxed by Mansfield, enjoyed the strong challenge from local clubs and also managed to record the second fastest time in that event. Tiring of second place finishes, Birrell and Lebordais took to the water again in a double scull and blew the competition away, recording the event’s fastest time and taking the gold whilst being chased all the way to the line by their squad mates Hammick and Shickle whose performance was no less commanding.

Both Stratford Boat Club J15 coxed fours were racing: first up were Seb Happel, Will Shaw, Euan Richter and Ed Appleton, coxed by Rory Jones, rowing neatly in the OJ16 4+ against three home crews from Bedford School in seven minutes and thirty seconds, beating all crews coming in as one out three. Next up were Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Naomi Sime and Erin Appleton, coxed by Ed Appleton, rowing nicely in the W4+ and setting a great time of eight minutes and seventeen seconds, matching the Stratford WJ18 crew!

Finally, in the OJ15 2x event, Euan Richter and Rory Rowan sculled well over the 2k distance, in eight minutes and seven seconds which wasn’t enough for a medal. Commenting, Hugo Happel, J15 Coach said. “Credit to all three J15 crews, they all did a great job!”

A glorious spring day saw a total of thirty five crews from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club travel to Bedford for the Spring Head. Held over 2000m on the Great Ouse, the course runs through Bedford’s town centre making a theatre of rowing for the day. Stratford’s J16 squad competed in four events throughout the day. First to go was the women’s coxless quadruple scull of Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines and Bryony Francis who competed in the J17 event for the day and delivered a superb row scoring a second place against Walbrook Rowing Club. Next off was the women’s coxed four crew of Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Tessa Parkin, Maeve Dunn and Bryony Francis (coxswain) who again rowed up a category to race against senior women and again demonstrated their quality to come home second against the Loughborough Rowing Club women. The racing continued thick and fast with the WJ16 double sculls of Martha Cooke and Isla Dunn sprinting home to fifth whilst Martha Baines and Bryony Francis took the win in style. Hungry for more, the J16’s then took to the water in the single sculls event.  Racing for a third time in the day Tessa Parkin came home a creditable sixth in a seventeen strong field, Becca Smith in fourth and Maeve Dunn took the win with a confident row in the late afternoon sunshine.

Racing first down the course for the Stratford crews were the boys J18 quads. Xavier Sissins-Rofey, Theo Richter, Jamie Wilcox and Seth Vondrak set off at a blistering pace, executing a solid race plan to put them in second place, although the fifth fastest overall crew of the day. Later in the day they returned to the water in Open Coxless Fours’ event, where they put down another strong performance against their older competitors to finish fourth.

In their first race of the day, Poppy Baines and Lucy Sartain paired up to race the WJ18 doubles in dominant style. They powered down the course taking an expert line through the bridges to claim a distinct win over the rest of the field. Also racing in the WJ18 doubles were Lily Warren and Aimee Appleton. They executed a strong race plan and raced tidily to come out third in their field. In the WJ18 1x event, both crews from Stratford put in good races to come second and third, chasing each other down the course. Later the WJ18 quad rowed an excellent race, brilliantly steered by Lucy Sartain, to win their event by over ten seconds. In Division Six, the crew of Alexandra Francis, Aimee Appleton, Scarlett Richardson and Poppy Baines took to the course in the Women’s Coxless Fours’ event: competing against older and more experienced crews, the four completed a powerful race to claim a win of over twenty seconds to claim silver.

The Bedford Course is a testing row over 2km, with the river becoming narrow in places and requiring crews to navigate numerous bridges. Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “This was the first race for several of Stratford’s Masters’ crews and the first time steering a race for a couple of the bow steers persons. A huge co granulations for all who raced today! It was wonderful to see so many masters rowers competing in the sunshine today!”

The MxD4x of Suzie Radley, Dan Simkins, Patrick Taylor and Amanda Bowden won the category with an adjusted time of six minutes and forty eight seconds. The crew raced hard and were consistent throughout the race, despite steering challenges and very choppy water conditions in places. The MD2- of Dan Simkins and Patrick Taylor stuck to their race plan and were delighted to complete the 2k race in an adjusted time of seven minutes and twenty four seconds, under rating the winners, coming in second place. There is definitely more to come from this crew!

The single scullers of Tom Doherty in the Masters’ E category and Nick Sartain in the Masters’ D category both rowed strong rhythms and completed the course in times of eight minutes and twenty one seconds and seven minutes and forty dix seconds respectively. Tom was nip and tuck with the Leicester sculler for the whole course, with choppy waters in the mid section adding to an eventful race. The Stratford sculler just prevailed by five seconds to finish in second place in a field of five competitors with local sculler Bedford using his local knowledge to run out the winner by nine seconds. The Mx2x of Tom Doherty and Rebecca England came fourth in their category.

The WMD2x of Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden had a great start then as they overtook another double, this competitors lost control and steered into the Stratford double. This resulted in a stop, resulting in a considerable time loss of thirty seconds. The result was second place for the Stratford double. The OpME4- of David Noyes, Rich Shepherd, Nev Hands and John Charlesworth raced hard gaining valuable experience on a challenging course. Unfortunately the WME4x including Christine Goodwin, Gina Fusco was hampered by injury and sickness, thankfully they had two subs of Rebecca England and Imogen North and were able to enjoy a row over the course for time only in seven minutes and fifty seconds. Thanks again go to Hugo Happel and Steve Wellstead for towing the trailers and to all the support from the bank.

Meanwhile, Stratford’s adaptive squad attended the annual Adaptive Phyllis Court Time Trial on the Henley Regatta course. The squad was largely made up of established competitors, the event coming a little too soon for a number of recent recruits. The best Club time of the day was achieved by the mother and son combination of Ian and Paola Ward. Best newcomer went to Ricky Clutterbuck. Gillian Middleton, competing for the first time in a single scull, won the Club Most Improved category. Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “Phyllis Court is a useful precursor to the main regatta season. It was attended by the Henley MP, Mayor and Stratford Boat Club’s President, Paul Stanton. The next outing for the adaptive squad is Marlow Spring Regatta in early May.”

For great pictures from Bedford Spring Head, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AAnHz3nIhATIuP8&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21269548&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford & K.E.S. Score on the Thames & River Soar

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On Tuesday 25th March 2025, nine Stratford junior women from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J17/18 squad took to the Thames in the annual Schools’ Head of the River Race. With over three hundred boats on the water at once, racing the Boat Race course in reverse, this head attracts the top crews in the country who are ready to fight for the top spots. Stratford’s girls VIII was composed of Poppy Baines, Lucy Sartain, Molly Vondrak, Scarlett Richardson, Lily Warren, Aimee Appleton, Alexandra Francis, Eloise Cooper and Poppy Warren (cox): the crew was a mixture of sixth form aged athletes who had only been training together in the boat for a month in the lead up to the event.

Setting off first in the Girls’ Championship Eight event, the girls started off strong, settling into a solid rhythm under Chiswick Bridge. Unfortunately, only just over 1k in, another crew mis-judged their line and caused a clash with our crew. Stratford were forced to come to a stop before valiantly re-starting and taking back control of their own race. Undeterred, Stratford continued to lay down their power for the remaining 6k with Poppy Warren steering an excellent course. Commenting, Imogen North, J17/18 Coach said, “The crew delivered a strong performance against the top crews in the country, representing the Club in the girls’ eights category for the first time in over a decade.”

Also at Schools’ Head of the River Race was Stratford’s sister Club, King Edward V1 School Boat Club. Entering in their staple mixed eight event, the squad were looking to reclaim a position on the podium which they just missed out on the year before. As expected, due to the short rowing length of the Avon, the crew began with slightly too much care towards pacing themselves, losing time on the other boats on the 6.8km course. After the first quarter, speed and confidence began to climb as the K.E.S. mixed eight managed a successful overtake on one of the competition as well as several boats from earlier divisions. Cox Hannah Wright notably completed a clean pass through the middle of two competing boats, especially impressive as this had been her first major race as a cox.

Shoulders heavy, legs numb and with resounding motivation from the cox, the final quarter of the race was when K.E.S. showed their best efforts, keeping a neck and neck pace with the favourites to win, explosively blasting through the finish line.

Ultimately, the crew’s efforts were enough to land themselves on the podium once again with a prestigious bronze, just 20 seconds off gold and over a minute faster than the crew behind them. Having raced to their fullest, the 2025 mixed eight returned proudly to their boating area, setting their sights towards medal collection in the upcoming season.

Meanwhile on Sunday, following on from Stratford Boat Club’s successful trips to London for the national head racing season, Stratford rowers Rebecca England and Tom Doherty headed to the more sedate climes of Loughborough for the annual river Soar Head race. The event 3.1km long is probably the most challenging head race of the season for steering, taking place on a fairly narrow extremely windy course guaranteed to test every crew.

First off in division two was Tom Doherty in a masters single category taking on amongst others former Stratford team mate Gary Clay now of Loughborough in what were extremely gusty conditions. Rowing upriver in a strong tail wind resulted in choppy but fast racing with difficult steering resulting in a number of crews hitting the bank and struggling to overtake resulting in a number of clashes.

Starting towards the rear of the division meant less interference and allowed some good sculling which saw Tom and Gary battling it out down the course neck and neck for the whole way. In the end, Gary pipped Tom into second place winning by six seconds in a time of thirteen minutes and twenty six seconds.

Division Three provided better conditions with the wind dropping as Tom and Rebecca raced their mixed double. With steering again proving a problem for crews and crashes and clashes continuing, the crew held a lively pace whilst trying to negotiate very tight bends and, in one instance, a capsized crew.

Unfortunately one bend got the better of the crew resulting in a time loss of about ten seconds. Getting underway again saw a good fight with following crews and good speed resulting in the Stratford crew catching a coxed quad junior crew which on the narrow course held them up until they could safely squeeze past.

In the end the much faster tail wind in the earlier divisions proved decisive with their opposition racing in division one gaining a good forty seconds advantage due to the strong tailwind.

Said Tom Doherty, “Loughborough lived up to its reputation and the ultimate steering challenge meant that this very well organised and run event also provided entertaining racing!”

For media coverage see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/juniors-impress-as-they-take-on-boat-race-course-9411279 and page forty four and Stratford Observer https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-junior-crews-take-part-in-prestigious-events and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/04/04&pages=24

For more great pictures of the Schools’ Head, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ANzH42mIDOdmjjU&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21269353&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Masters’ Women Take On The Thames!

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On Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s the novice E masters women’s VIII took on the mighty Thames Tideway for the Vesta International Masters Head of The River Race 2025 in clear calm dry conditions, despite an adverse forecast.

Expertly coxed by Alistair Washborn, the crew benefitted from a focused warm up over 7k and a clear race plan. Ellie Davis (stroke) set the pace, followed by Lin Hansen, Jane Cryer, Katie Burman, Geraldine Chorley, Abby Symons, Vicky Millward (Worcester Rowing Club) and Gina Fusco (bow).

Setting off at a brisk thirty one strokes per minute then settling to a solid thirty strokes per minute, the Stratford boat quickly overtook local rivals Evesham which greatly boosted the morale of the Stratford crew. The crew went on to overtake a second boat (Marlow) and, having worked hard, the crew started to flag but great calls from Alistair at Hammersmith Bridge galvanised the ladies into action. A third boat was confidently overtaken and finished the course in 23:59mins to win their division.

Crew Captain Ellie Davis said of the win: “It was a fantastic win for a crew that came together exceptionally well & we all had a fantastic day.”

The women’s masters C8+ was coxed by Jen Carey, stroked by Rebecca England, with Fiona Shultz, Lucy Scarlett, Ruth Poulten, Caroline Collins, Corinna Burger, Clare Booth and Rona Fitzpatrick in the bow.

The Stratford’s Women’s Masters’ C VIII had the misfortune to have a blade come out of its gate. This lost several seconds for the hampered crew. Nevertheless, they regained the blade and had a very positive row. The crew completed the course in 23:40:89mins.

The women’s crews were named ‘Imogen’ and ‘Erin’, after Imogen Grant MBE and Erin Kennedy OBE. On hearing of the crew’s win, Erin Kennedy sent a personal message to the crew – ‘Wow! That is amazing!!! Send a huge congrats from me!’

Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain, said “The women’s squad has been growing and training harder over the season, so to finish the head race season with a victory in London is incredible! We are now looking forward to the regatta season.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty seven and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/novice-crew-enjoy-their-thames-contest-9410199 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-women-take-on-the-thames and also on back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/03/28&pages=32

Stratford’s Masters’ Men’s Eight Improve at Gloucester!

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The newly formed Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s masters men’s VIII of Gary Kinley, Tom Stokes, Mark Kelly, David Vazquez, Dawson Curnock, Paul Collins, David Triggs and Gavin Bliss competed at the Gloucester Spring Head on Sunday. This is a huge undertaking at this stage of their development as the distance to the start is 7km, the return row includes the 5km race and a further 2km back to the boat house.

The stroke set a good rhythm at a rate of twenty seven strokes per minute with the boat running nicely. A hold up at the bridge from a single scull forced the VIII to stop and the race time does not reflect the overall progress that the VIII made down the course. Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “The men did incredibly well and gained valuable experience.”

David Vazquez in the number five seat said, “It was a great team effort and the whole crew felt rightly proud to have been part of Sunday’s race.” The crew would like to thank Pippa Francis from Evesham who stepped in to cox the crew at the last minute and Dawson Curnock for towing the boats.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty three and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-eight-go-the-distance-early-9409279 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-viii-show-improvement-at-gloucester-spring-head

Stratford Celebrates International Women’s Day on the Tideway!

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On Saturday 8th March, International Women’s Day, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s masters’ women joined two and a half thousand women racing in the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race in London, for the first time.

They enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on the Thames with fantastically flat water. Starting at the back of the first division, the Stratford Women’s Masters’ D crew, coxed by Jennifer Cary, was comprised of Rebecca England at stroke, followed by Heather Hayton, Ellie Davis, Lin Hanson, Caroline Collins, Corinna Burger, Debbie Thompson and Gina Fusco.

The Stratford crew started well with powerful, efficient strokes and quickly moved up on and overtook their first opposition from Kingston Rowing Club. Settling into a rhythmic thirty one strokes per minute, they then proceeded slowly to make headway on the boat ahead. The seven kilometre race was a battle to gain on the crew ahead and hold off a fast Broxbourne Rowing Club VIII behind.

As the Putney finish approached, Stratford’s cox was put to the test, steering expertly to hold the fastest stream while being sandwiched by boats on either side. The fast Broxbourne crew pushing past on one side, as Stratford, in turn, fought to go past Marlow Rowing Club. Stratford took the rate up to complete their overtake just before the finish line. Completing the course in a time of twenty three minutes and sixteen seconds, placed seventh out of thirteen crews in their division beating several clubs such as Marlow, Kingston, Bewdley, Thames Tradesmen and overseas crews.

Gina Fusco, bow, summed up her race, “It was a truly amazing experience: thank you to everybody for the support on and off the water in making this happen today. It was simply brilliant!”

Masters’ Vice Captain, Amanda Bowden added, “I am delighted to see the women’s development and training programme over the last three years has led to such a competitive performance today on the Tideway. This is the largest women’s rowing race in the world and the crew performed brilliantly! To be placed midway through the Masters D category is amazing! Thank you to our coach, Sam Hill who has been instrumental in preparing the women’s squad for their races this season. The crew had a fantastic day, gaining valuable experience and now look forward to rowing the same Championship course in two weeks’ time in the Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty two and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-crew-compete-in-prestigious-womens-eights-head-of-the-river-race and also back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/03/14&pages=24