Tag Archives: Dr Graham Collier

Onwards to 2022!

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In celebration of Christmas, the athletes from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club took to the water on Sunday for their annual Boxing Day Scratch Regatta. In a change from the usual format, Club members raced in the more sturdy boats due to the river conditions following the traditional Warwickshire Christmas Day downpour!

Crews were formed of current members and former Club members at home in the area for the festive period. The excesses of Christmas Day did little to dampen the competitive spirit amongst the crews on the water and each of the morning races was hotly contested.

Successfully making it through the early rounds, the stage was set for the final between “Puddings” (Cameron Dalrymple-Baker, Martha Usselmann, Talei Dunn, Alice Baines and Matilda Watts) and “Pies” (Richard Aitchison, Katie Phillips, Katie Wellstead, Tomi Wilcock and Beth Edwards). A clash of blades and suspect steering forced a re-row of the final race and in the repeat attempt, a clean race saw “Puddings” triumph by half a length – a just result for the season!

Athletes were supported by family members and members of the public and Christmas visitors to the town also came down to watch the spectacle and cheer: the crews were supported by Club volunteers driving the safety launch and acting as scorers.

Dr Graham Collier, Vice Chairman said, “All races were over a short sprint course from the Ferry to the Club grounds on the Town stretch of the River Avon.” The racing provided great interest to early morning sightseers and visitors watching from the Recreation Ground, The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Terrace, Bancroft Gardens and The Tramway Bridge. Said Dawson Curnock, Chairman of Stratford Boat Club, “The scratch regatta caught the imagination of all who came down to the river and this year’s racing included many more juniors and it was good to welcome many athletes home from university.”

Commenting, Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator and competitor said, “It was great to have such a mix of members competing and especially spectator parents and families. Their participation in the running of the Club has been a great bonus as they bring management and organizational skills to the Club as well as offering their time and effort volunteering and carrying out maintenance and other jobs.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club will be back on the river this New Year weekend and after the New Year, athletes will be training hard for the 2022 head season and the Club’s own regatta in June.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/puddings-edge-pies-in-final-race-re-row-9232678 and page thirty seven. Also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-boat-club-hosts-annual-boxing-day-scratch-regatta and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2022/01/07&pages=024

For more great pictures of our Boxing Day Scratch Regatta, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiQkY1SNwjpDgoxheTOWymdH16IC3Q?e=U2U7By

Stratford Boat Club Regatta: Another Great Success despite Covid!

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A marvelous late summer day with the weather ideal for racing! Great participation from crews local and further afield from Evesham, Stourport, Hereford, Becket School Rowing Club (Nottingham), Worcester, AB Severn Rowing Club (Tewkesbury), Pengwern Boat Club (Shrewsbury), Lagan Scullers’ Club (Belfast), Marlow, City of Oxford and Agecroft Rowing Club (Salford)  as well as major entries from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club. The regatta this year had three divisions and two adaptive (disabled) divisions and one hundred and sixteen separate races starting at 08.30 and running all day through until a prompt close at 16.30hrs!

Dr Graham Collier, Stratford Boat Club’s Regatta Secretary said, “This year we were very heartened by the huge turn out from local and distant clubs and the interest from the public who also had the bonus of having the Stratford Town Food Festival close by. A massive thanks to all our hard working Stratford Boat Club members, visiting crews, umpires and officials and especially the public for supporting the event. We were especially honoured to have Stratford upon Avon Town Council Mayor Councillor Kevin Taylor attend the regatta.”

Steve Wellstead, Stratford Boat Club’s Junior Co-ordinator and Course Marshal commented. “It was a long day’s racing: our tea tent was extremely busy dispensing dozens of cakes and snacks: what a magnificent day topped by great racing!  We decided to stay with the shortened 650 metre course to ensure the safety of all the competitors and river users: we ran the regatta under very tight Covid rules and protocols.  We were especially grateful for the help and tolerance of those operators who work and make their living on the river.”

Commenting further, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “It was very heartening to see at least fifteen adaptive races in two divisions and the fact that an adaptive sculler came over from Belfast to compete in our regatta speaks volumes! To see the effort that the adaptive athletes, helpers and supporters put into racing was very humbling and gratifying!”

Saturday’s busy regatta was followed by Sunday’s Shakespeare Hospice Dragon Boat Racing with more action on the river: Stratford Boat Club’s 2022 Regatta is tentatively scheduled for the more usual month of June, Covid permitting! Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President said, “We were blessed with good weather and large crowds watching the racing adding much to Stratford’s atmosphere and vitality: we were glad to showcase our sport and demonstrate our part in the success of our town!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald pages fifty six and page fifty four and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/straford-boat-club-regatta-back-on-the-water

For more great pictures of the regatta, see Stuart Baines’ selection: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9jv0hRZs7yxtLL3GInw?e=CcLB9s

Stratford Boat Club coaches will now be warm & dry this winter thanks to a local company!

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Warwick Events, the area’s premier destination event design company, has teamed up with Stratford upon Avon Boat Club to provide all-weather jackets to the Club’s volunteer coaches. The coaches who work in all weather conditions throughout the year will now be warm and dry whilst coaching the Club’s athletes on the River Avon, as well as regional and national events

Said Dr Graham Collier, J17/18 coach and former Club Captain, “Having support like this makes a big difference to our club. We’re the oldest sports’ club in Stratford and we’re still here because of all the great community of volunteers we have. So, to have a company like Warwick Events seeing us striving for success, and wanting to help us, is really appreciated – our new jackets means we’ll no longer go home all cold and wet!”

Warwick Events, based on John Street in Stratford upon Avon, design experiential events for national and international groups. They connect their clients and visitors with the local heritage, culture and people. Their events all happen within a fifty mile radius of Stratford upon Avon and thus have immense local knowledge with 97% of their supplier base being local. Organising corporate retreats, incentives, meetings, launches, team activities and high-end individual or VIP group trips with that local immersive twist is Warwick Events’ specialty.

Commenting, Emma Wellstead, Managing Director at Warwick Events, said, “We often see Stratford crews out in all weathers on the river and we admire the dedication that the coaches put into the training and mentoring of their crews. Stratford Boat Club’s success doesn’t happen by accident: it takes lots of thought, care and a genuine passion to make success happen and Warwick Events share this ethos with Stratford Boat Club. With their Warwick Events sponsored Musto jackets, the coaches will at least be able to keep warm and dry!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer hard copy Friday 17 January and https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/weather-no-bother-now-for-coaches-at-stratford-boat-club-following-generous-donation

National Schools Regatta: Testing Ground for Stratford Juniors!

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The J14 squad, competing in their first National Schools Regatta, also took part on Friday. First up was the crew of Will Beattie, Tomi Wilcock, Bella Chappelhow, Harriet Holmes and cox Owen Perkins. As the only mixed crew in an open event, racing against all boys’ crews, the Stratford combination put in a fantastic performance. They overtook a crew from the Windsor Boys School on their way to a very respectable twenty fifth place out of the forty one crews taking part.

The J14 girls’ crew of Freya Watts, Lucy Browne, Fleur Griffiths and Honour Keil, expertly coxed by Toby Sartain, performed well in the time trial to place sixteenth, just thirty seconds off first place and gain themselves a place in the C Final.

In their side by side final, they raced against some strong crews. They put in a quick start and found themselves leading the race away from the stake boats. As they settled into their mid race pace, they found themselves in a tussle with a crew from the Grange School, Hartford. The two crews battled their way down the course neck and neck until the Stratford crew pushed away, as they hit the last 250m to take fifth place.

Said J14 coach Abi Terry, “It was a very encouraging day’s racing from the J14 squad, showing that there is plenty more to come. We’re all looking forward to the British Junior Championships in July.”

For the J15 squad, Friday was the first day of a thrilling weekend’s racing at Dorney Lake for the National Schools Regatta.

The J15 girls’ quad of Abbey Meggeson, Amelie Sartain, Emma Harrison and Sophie Elstone, coxed by Mary Walton were the first crew from Stratford to time trial the 1900m for places in the finals later in the day.

Said Trevor Tiller , J15 coach, “Despite a good strong row in the field of sixty eight crews, only eleven seconds saw them miss out on a finals placing, however the experience of the event bodes well for the remaining regatta season.”

The Stratford J16 squad fielded two crews as the regatta continued into its third day.  First down the course was the combination of Jasmine Mountney, Maiya James, Mya Kenny and Alice Baines in the women’s coxless quadruple sculls event.  Always a highly competitive event in junior sculling, the girls finished the day with sixteenth place overall leaving some quality competition in their wake.

Next up was Fred Tyler who raced in the Championship single sculls event.  Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J16 coach and Junior Co-ordinator, “Competing against boys two years his senior, his twenty seventh place overall belies the quality of his performance and over the middle 1000m of the race, he was safely in the top ten fastest scullers. A superb performance from a promising young talent.”

Stratford’s J17 girls coxed four  – Katie Wellstead, Khloe Curnock, Emily Browne coxed by Mimi Hill – stunned many of the crews from the big schools and clubs with their solid performance. Nineteen crews from England, Wales and Scotland entered the time trial event with only the quickest twelve progressing to semi-finals raced over 2000 metres. The girls were sixth fastest in the time trial followed by a fifth place in their semi final. This put them into the non-medal final against five other crews.

Said Dr Graham Collier, J17/18 coach, “This was one of the most exciting races in which Stratford raced neck and neck with their closest opponent who train on the Thames at Marlow. After 1850 metres only six seconds separated all the crews but Stratford put in an incredibly powerful spurt to overtake the Sir William Borlases Grammar School crew and win by the race by half a length.”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page 14 and online at http://www.stratford-herald.com/99178-regatta-provides-tough-testing-ground-stratford-juniors.html and Stratford Observer https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/national-schools-regatta-provides-stern-opposition

Wet Weekend for All Stratford’s Rowers

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With Evesham Junior Head cancelled on the Saturday, it was left to the Masters to represent Stratford rowing this weekend. Unlike Evesham, the weather was set to be glorious on Sunday at Bedford Autumn Small Boats Head. Masters rowers Christine Goodwin and Tim Lunel had only raced once before in the Masters D Mixed Double category and they showed they had learned much tactically by choosing to row in the first division at 09.15hrs, so not only an early start but also an early shower in some of the heaviest rain of the day!

A good row over the 2,000m course where the highlight was the first half of the course but Stratford rowers didn’t quite have the run that brought them victory at Wallingford in September but finished in a very creditable second place where they were only beaten by a very good Cantabrigians mixed double by three seconds in actual time and sixteen seconds allowance for their Masters E handicap. Christine and Tim’s time was twenty six seconds ahead of their next nearest competition and this would have put them in second place in the Open Masters D double which puts the time put in by Cantabrigians into perspective.

Said Masters rower Tim Lunel, “An excellent second run out for the mixed double and plenty to build on for the rest of the head season.”

Elsewhere on the water were four Stratford members taking their RYA Level Two Powerboat certificate on Birmingham Edgbaston Reservoir so that they can drive Stratford Boat Club’s three safety and coaching launches. Despite the inclement weekend weather, all water sessions went ahead safely and the Club squads’ training for the head season went ahead as planned. Said Junior Coach Dr Graham Collier, “Our athletes showed real determination going out on the water and training in such wet conditions but they were kept safe by their coaches, safety launch drivers and spotters.”

For media coverage see Stratford Observer page 30 and online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/wet-weekend-for-all-stratford-rowers and Stratford Herald online http://www.stratford-herald.com/91858-wet-weekend-stratfords-rowers.html

Stratford take Silver Medal at Junior National Rowing Championships

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The junior rowing season culminates each year in the British Rowing Junior National Championships held on the 2000m purpose built lake at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham.  The event held over three days represents the last opportunity for junior athletes to compete on the national stage after a year of training hard.

Day One saw the Stratford J14 squad competing in the Omnium event, a test of their skills and boatmanship. The day began with an initial time trial over 1000m in coxed quadruple sculls to determine placings for the finals later in the day. This was then followed by the Omnium in single and double sculls. In the individual event, Amelie Sartain secured right place from ninety one competitors followed by Elisabeth Edwards. Martha Usselmann and Sienna Rawlings took twenty seventh place in the doubles event, closely followed by the pairings of Harriet Hodgson and Sophie Elstone and Abbey Meggeson and Emma Harrison. The morning time trails resulted in the coxed quadruple scull of Amelie Sartain, Harriet Hodgson, Sienna Rawlings, Sophie Elstone and Mary Walton (coxswain) being placed in the C final whilst the crew of Abbey Meggeson, Elisabeth Edwards, Emma Harrison, Martha Usselmann and Rebecca Parkin (coxswain, on loan from Evesham Rowing Club) unfortunately missed a finals place by only 0.7 of a second, approximately 25cm over a distance of 1000m. After a long, hot, tiring, yet very enjoyable day, the races resulted in an overall position nationally of eighteenth place for the finals squad.

Days Two and Day Three followed the more usual regatta format where J15 and upwards crews raced side by side over the full 2000m course. First to go where the J15 coxed quadruple scull of Jasmine Mountney, Nixie Brunt, Mili Wilcock, Maiya James and Naomi Sergeant (coxswain) recording twenty third in the time trial of over forty crews competing and twenty fourth overall at the close of the regatta. Next up was Fred Tyler in the J15 single scull with a strong showing in the time trial finishing sixteenth. In the regatta format competition Tyler went on to improve his ranking to fourteenth overall from the forty scullers competing, a great performance and one that shows promise for next season. The final J15 crew competing was the women’s double scull of Mya Kenny and Alice Baines. Highly motivated from training the pairing opened well with eighth in the time trial with a time sufficient to put them in the top three at J16. Then on to the regatta format finishing the day second in the B Final and eighth overall. A highly creditable result.

Last but by no means least, the Stratford J16 squad took to the water. The recently formed coxless quadruple scull of Jessica Wiesheu, Autumn Keil, Emma Little and Talei Dunn put in an exemplary performance in the time trial. The crew’s aggressive racing style in an exciting and demanding semi-final earned them a place in the final of six crews. Still exhausted from their previous race, the crew sculled well but could not get amongst the medals. Joe Hodson (King Edward The Sixth Grammar School rowing captain) was one of thirty eight single scullers contesting the J16 event. He finished twenty fifth in the time trial and after racing strongly over 2000 metres was less than nine seconds from making the top twelve who qualify for the semi-finals. His day ended with a superlative piece of sculling to give him third place in the minor final. Said Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator, “The crowning moment for the club then came with the crew of Katie Wellstead, Emily Browne, Khloe Curnock and Molly Gill-Swift coxed magnificently by Mimi Hill taking to the water in the coxed four ev

Photo : Angus Thomas (werow.co.uk)

ent. After coming second in the time trial, first in the semi-final the crew raced superbly and skillfully in a most exciting final to finish just behind one of this season’s main adversary, Lea Rowing Club. As a result the girls took the Silver Medal in the event and a just reward for ten months of very hard work in the gym and on the water whilst studying for and completing GCSE examinations.  2019 promises to be another exciting rowing year for them all.”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online at https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/stratford-youngsters-excel-to-seal-silver-medal-at-nationals