Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Juniors competed over the weekend 29th and 30th April at near neighbours Evesham Rowing Club’s regatta. On Saturday, over a one kilometre course against the stream, crews competed from dawn till dusk with Stratford enjoying another successful day. Stratford’s WJ18 coxless quad followed up recent success at Abingdon with another winners’ pot following two closely fought rows against hosts Evesham in the semi final and Bryanston School from Dorset in the final. The Stratford crew members were Theo Mordaunt, Maddie Griffiths, Claire Teakle and Sofia Ward. 
Stratford’s J14 squad was also out in force with some tough competition in both double sculls and coxed quadruple scull events. In double sculls, Mili Wilcock and Maiya James performed well but eventually lost out to City Of Oxford whilst Jasmine Mountney and Alice Baines progressed through to the semifinals losing out to the eventual winners. In the open double sculls event, Fred Tyler and Max Griffiths also progressed to the 
semifinals but were overhauled by a heavier crew from City of Bristol. In coxed quadruple sculls, the women’s crew of Jasmine Mountney, Mya Kenny, Nixie Brunt, Alice Baines and Naomi Sergeant (cox) dominated the first round against Hinksey Sculling School but after a superb race, went out to the finalists in the next round.
Sunday saw Stratford competing again in the Sprint Regatta over a shorter five hundred metre course, this time with the stream. Fred Tyler
collected a well earned pot winning the J14 open sculling event. After comfortable wins in his first round race and semi final against Llandaff and City of Bristol scullers respectively, Fred then produced a row of the highest quality in the final against his opponent from Stourport, winning by just half of one length. Alice Baines came up against stiff competition from City of Oxford in 
the WJ14 single scull category losing out by just half a length in a close finish and Sarah Wells, rowing in her first competitive regatta, gave a good account in the same event against another strong opponent from Ross on Wye.
Said Junior Co-ordinator Steve Wellstead, “Making their regatta debut at this event were the youngest members of Stratford Boat Club, the J13 squad. In the morning division two coxed quadruple sculls produced spirited rows both losing out by just a few lengths to Evesham and City of Bristol respectively. We are very proud of the progress they have
made in such a short rowing career.” Stratford’s boats were crewed by Elisabeth Edwards, Julia Gurden, Emma Harrison, Abbey Meggeson and cox Conar Aitchison and Amelie Sartain, Martha Usselmann, Harriet Hodgson, Sienna Rawlings and cox Mary Walton.
In the afternoon division, a mixed crew of Harriet Hodgson and William Clarke tasted success in their first race against Ross on Wye in the open J13 double sculls event before being eliminated in the semi final by a 
crew from Hereford. Martha Usselmann and Mary Walton, rowing up an age group, produced a good row in the WJ14 double sculls category losing out to Evesham and Amelie Sartain and Sienna Rawlings narrowly lost out to a crew from Ross on Wye in the WJ13 double sculls.
Coach Mark Holden commented, “Meanwhile, former Stratford juniors were enjoying success on the water at the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) regatta held over the same weekend in Nottingham. Franklin Hamilton, representing Reading University, collected bronze in the Men’s Lightweight double sculls and gold in the Men’s 
Lightweight quad. Peter Boyes, representing Nottingham University, finished fifth overall in the Men’s coxless four event. Imogen North, also representing Nottingham University, enjoyed success across all three days of the event winning a silver medal in the Women’s Lightweight double sculls on Saturday, gold in the Women’s Lightweight coxless Four on Sunday and a second gold medal in the Women’s Lightweight quad on Monday. Franklin and Imogen will be hoping to go on to compete at the European Universities Championships in Subotica, Serbia in July.”
For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald p15 and online at http://www.stratford-herald.com/69989-stratfords-junior-rowers-shine-evesham.html and Stratford Observer back page and https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/juniors-are-excellent-in-evesham
For more photographs of Evesham Rowing Club’s regatta, please see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgY7EiDB2lCO7iHWyLvl_BXI80-G