Tag Archives: Junior Co- ordinator

Stratford’s Juniors Make Good Start to New Rowing Season

Posted on by

The new rowing season began last weekend with the opening event for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior squad. A bumper entry saw Stratford’s juniors travel to Wallingford for the 2025 edition of Wallingford Long Distance Sculls. Due to the cancellation of last year’s race, the J15s took on the 4000m long course for the first time. The J15 coxed quadruple scull of Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior squad (coxswain) came home in fourth place whilst the WJ15 coxed quadruple scull of Abi Dunn, Meredith Paul, Lillian Parsons, Scarlett Wheeler and Raya Hothi (coxswain) complete the course in seventh place. Over the shorter 1800m course, the WJ15 double scull of Martina Bruce and Raya Hothi delivered a solid third place. Meanwhile in the J15 single scull event, Stratford’s Reuben Stanford spiced up the competition with a win over Henley Rowing Club and Thames Scullers.

All J16s competing the long course in Division Three at Wallingford. Erin Appleton and Orla Linforth sculled a savvy 4.25km and came fourth in their WJ16 2x event, in a time of 20:14.8 (Henley won the event). Maria Ntoukaki had a terrific WJ16 1x race over the long distance, came 10th in her event, out of 30, in 20:20.1 (Headington won the event). Finally, Seb Happel (stroke), Will Shaw, Euan Richter and Ed Appleton (bow) had a brilliant race against top shelf competition from Henley, Lea, Wallingford and St Paul’s, finishing fifth in 16:16.3. Commenting, Hugo Happel J16 Coach said, “An excellent result for their very first coxless OJ16 4x event even though Henley finally won the event.”

Stratford J17/J18 squad had the pleasure of racing twice in both morning and afternoon events. In the WJ18 coxless quadruple sculls, Stratford fielded two crews with Martha Baines, Alexandra Francis, Tessa Parkin and Poppy Baines in fourth place and Martha Cooke, Millie Smith, Sophie Evans and Isla Dunn in sixth place amongst a twelve crew strong field. The OpJ18 double scull of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak overcame stiff competition to record a second place finish, dueling with Lea Rowing Club for the duration of the race. Maeve Dunn in the WJ17 single scull came home twenty seventh in the event, a position which belied her speed after being caught in river traffic. For their second row, the squad split into different crews with Alexandra Francis coming home fourth of twenty eight entrants in the WJ18 single scull. Also in single sculls, the boys rowed up to the senior event with Xavier Sissins-Roffey in tenth and Seth Vondrak in thirteenth. Stratford fielded two crews in the WJ18 double sculls with Alexandra Francis and Isla Dunn in eleventh places overall, creditable placings against such rowing powerhouses such as Headington School and Surbiton High School. The final crew on the water was the coxless quadruple scull of Poppy Baines, Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines and Tessa Parkin who also rowed up to senior level which meant taking on three crews of aspiring Team GB athletes from Leander Club. The Stratford crews spent most of the race in the slower stream as the Leander crews came through the field and after being forced into the bank by an errant Upper Thames crew restarted their race to finish seventh place.

Steve Wellstead, J17/18 Coach and Junior Co-ordinator commented, “All in all an excellent first head race of the season at a top class event!”

The J14s shone on their inaugural outing of the new season. With both a boys’ and girls’ quad racing in quick succession over Division 2’s shorter 2km course, the youngest members of Stratford Boat Club displayed real grit and no little finesse in Club colours for their first time.

Leading the charge was Archie Mansfield driving the WJ14 quad of Charlotte Franklin, Eva Cruise, Islay Milles, Mary Heenan to a commendable fourth place amongst a field of nine: just six seconds split those four top finishers, a sign of a really promising crew to watch. Not to be outdone, the OJ14 quad of Archie Eaton, Christopher Durance, Arthur Burt and Ethan Siwakowski with Eli Ford as cox were the undisputed fastest crew in their event and recorded the fastest time of all quads in the age group that day coming away with well deserved medals to show for their efforts.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty four and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/bumper-entry-of-juniors-to-start-new-rowing-season-9435893 and also Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/10/03&pages=24 and also online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-juniors-make-strong-start-to-new-season

For more pictures of Wallingford Long Distance Sculls, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0VuRmc4TmFUOUVSRnNyUGYtSVNZOEdjQk9LZnZrclZ3NlB3QzdoUzRad2dFRXc%5FZT1KdWJ0WkM&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21sd6f06071f4934544b2b3dff88498f067&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Olympic Silver Welcome for Boat Club’s Esme!

Posted on by

Sunday was the day when Stratford upon Avon Boat Club finished their training for the day to welcome Esme Booth, Silver Olympian, back to her home Club of Stratford upon Avon after her GB women’s coxless four race at the Paris Olympics

Young and old and those from Esme’s past were there to welcome her including teachers from her primary school who introduced her to rowing, coaches from Stratford Boat Club and King Edward V1 Boat Club who had coached her during her years at the Club, friends, family and Club members. Commenting Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator said, “For the youngsters to see rowing at this high level and what can be achieved through hard work and determination was inspirational and will be a constant encouragement to engage in sport whether for competition, recreation or physical and mental fitness!”

Commenting further, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “For all of us to see a women achieve at such a high level and win a silver Olympic medal is an example to us all that women and girls through hard work and determination can reach excellence and Esme’s prowess is a beacon to us all!”

Summing up in his speech, Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President commented, “Many years ago, a good colleague of mine and I saw Esme rowing in her early years and both commented that she was an Olympian in the making! We are so proud of Esme and the honour she has brought to the Club and to Stratford in general. We were delighted that Stratford’s Mayor Cllr Jason Fojtik was with us to emphasise this!”

Dawson Curnock, Stratford Boat Club’s Chairman rounded off the Welcome Home by awarding Esme Life Membership of the Club in recognition for her amazing achievement

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald centre pages twenty eight and twenty nine and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/welcoming-home-olympian-esme-51650 and page three https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/09/06&pages=32

Olympic Silver for Boat Club’s Esme!

Posted on by

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club stopped their training for much of the morning on Thursday and unusually sat down to watch television. Over eighty members and athletes crowded into the Club Room to see Esme Booth race in the GB women’s coxless four at the Olympics

Watching with Boat Club members were over twenty young athletes from the age of thirteen to eighteen who were on Stratford Boat Club’s Junior Summer Camp learning the skills of sculling and watercraft. Commenting Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator and organiser of the August weekday camps said, “For the youngsters to see rowing at this high level with one of our own was inspirational and will live on in their minds for a very long time and will be a constant encouragement to engage in sport whether for competition, recreation or physical and mental fitness: their participation in the Junior Summer Camp is their first step the enjoyment of sport!”

Speaking further, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “For young people to see a women achieve at such a high level and win a silver Olympic medal is an example to us all that women and girls through hard work and determination can reach excellence: over fifty percent of Stratford Boat Club are female and Esme’s prowess is a beacon to us all!”

Summing up, Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President commented, “We are so proud of Esme and the GB crew and the honour and kudos she has brought to the Club, the schools she has attended and to Stratford in general. Well done Esme, your achievement is amazing!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald pages twenty four and twenty five and Stratford Observer page five https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/08/09&pages=24

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

Posted on by

Although the wait of a year seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and twenty three crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec

Fun Regatta organiser Adam Franklin said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle even though the weather wasn’t ideal: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed in multi coloured outfits, Superwomen, Owls and Pussy Cats and black and white gangsters!

Commenting further, Adam Franklin Fun Regatta organiser added, “Through the hard work and all the efforts of Club members, we have been able to raise funds for replacing equipment, repairs and maintenance. As always, we are especially grateful for the tolerance of those who make their living on the river and to our sponsor Crowne Plaza Stratford.”

Dawson Curnock, Boat Club Chairman also commented, “The wait was worth it! A fun day was had by all and Stratford Boat Club was happy to contribute to the vitality and atmosphere of the town and give visitors and residents a cause for celebration! We were so grateful that Stratford upon Avon’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Dani Hunter and her daughter visited us and presented prizes to the winners: Stratford upon Avon Town Council’s support is essential for the encouragement for sport and recreation in the Warwickshire area and community.”

Whilst the Club members were running the Fun Regatta, the Club’s masters’ squad were competing in a fantastic two days of racing at Henley Masters Regatta with another win for the masters’ women from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club. In glorious weather conditions, Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden won gold medals at Henley Masters Regatta. Racing as part of a composite VIII, the crew went off the start rating forty strokes per minute. They dominated the Oxford University Alumni with a beautiful rhythm and powerful, long strokes. The crew pulled ahead with the rate coming down to thirty three stokes per minute, resulting in a win of three lengths.

Further down the country, Curtis Dickens from the Boat Club’s Adaptive section, has won selection for the England Squad for the Home International Regatta. All competitors at the England Trials at Nottingham on Saturday had to set a time over a 1500m course. The best in each category were then selected to represent England. Curtis competes in the PR2 pararowing category, commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “We were fairly confident before the day that Curtis would set the required time but he still had to do it and he did!. A great day for Curtis and the team! The Home International Regatta will take place on the lake at Strathclyde on the 27th July. Ireland are expected to be Curtis’s toughest opposition. The club are sending a large number of crews to the British National Championships this coming weekend: this includes Curtis, Andy Morris and Isaac Clarkson from the adaptive squad.”

At Llandaff, Cardiff, on Sunday pararower Andy Morris was the sole Stratford competitor. In an event with two strong young Llandaff rowers Andy, in his 50s, came out on top winning the close final by a length!” Again, Mark Dewdney said, “We have had a very successful last month or so. We have an event now every weekend up to and including the August Bank Holiday: we hope we can have a strong end to the season!”

Stratford’s junior squads were back on the water on Sunday after coxing at the Fun Regatta, putting in more training for the British Rowing’s Junior Championships at National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham this coming weekend. Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator commented, “The junior squad will be heavily represented with crews from J14, J15, J16 and J17/18 categories all there for their chance for glory against some of the best schools and clubs in the country: we wish them luck! The logistics of getting multiple boats, trailers, coaches, athletes, coaches and supporters to National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham is immense and I’d like to thank all who have given their support, time and effort to make this complex exercise possible!”

For media coverage see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/11-pictures-of-crews-in-fancy-dress-from-stratford-s-fun-reg-9374810, front page, centre spread pages twenty four and twenty five and page forty five. See also Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-host-successful-fun-regatta and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/07/19&pages=24

For more photographs see Mark Williamson’s selection from the Stratford Herald https://stratfordherald.zenfolio.com/p677240005 and Martha Baines’ excellent folio https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgY7EiDB2lCOhtEOvwgTjfEV1P2KRQ

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

Posted on by

Although the wait of a year seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and twenty four crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec

Fun Regatta organiser Chris Belcher said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle even though the weather wasn’t ideal: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed as Roman legionnaires; colourful Hawaiian shirts; the now immediately recognisable blue and yellow of Ukraine who were made very welcome by the watching crowds; ladies from Wilmcote dressed as swans; colourful hippies; crews with Mohican hairstyles; pink flamingos on their heads; others mascaraing as King Charles 111 (is this a treasonable offence? Off to the Tower with you!); ladies from Stratford’s Warwick Events; ladies looking suspiciously like Super Woman and many other colourful creations! Many crabs were caught and there was a lot of splashing but nobody capsized with the rescue launch staying on her mooring throughout the day! The eventual winners were Meander Club again Never Mind The Rollocks as runners up. Oarsome 4 Some took the fancy dress prize!

Commenting further, Chris Belcher Fun Regatta organiser added, “Through the hard work and all the efforts of Club members, we have been able to raise funds for replacing equipment, repairs and maintenance. As always, we are especially grateful for the tolerance of those who make their living on the river and to our sponsor Crowne Plaza Stratford.”

Dawson Curnock, Boat Club Chairman also commented, “The wait was worth it! A fun day was had by all and Stratford Boat Club was happy to contribute to the vitality and atmosphere of the town and give visitors and residents a cause for celebration!”

Paul Stanton, the Club’s President said, “We were so grateful that Stratford upon Avon’s Mayor Cllr Kate Rolfe and her Consort visited us and presented prizes to the winners: Stratford upon Avon Town Council’s support is essential for the encouragement for sport and recreation in the Warwickshire area and community. Thanks also to Sip ‘n’ Swig, Stratford Boat Club’s regatta bar contractors, for filling the winners’ tankards with beer: that made their day!”

Whilst the Club members were running the Fun Regatta, the Club’s masters’ squad were competing in a fantastic two days of racing at Henley Masters Regatta with another win for the masters women from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club.

Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden joined forces with other clubs to form two composite eights: the racing consisted of heats, a semi and the finals. The fast starts and lengthy powerful rowing strokes were too strong for the opponents, resulting in two winning eights, beating a crew from USA and Marlow Rowing Club, respectively.

Further down the country, Llandaff near Cardiff was the venue for the latest regatta outing for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive squad. The experienced team from Stratford helped the local organisers to provide a fun and safe event. Stratford also loaned boats to Runcorn and Fishguard on the day so that all could compete. Honours were pretty much shared between the five adaptive clubs that attended: Stratford came away with most wins.

Andy Morris in the Open PR3 Singles beat his rival from Runcorn by little more than a length. He then teamed up with his young colleague Isaac Clarkson to take the Band 2 Doubles event: this was thirteen year old Isaac’s first pot. To complete his day, Andy then partnered the Runcorn sculler in Band 1 Doubles event against a Stratford/Ross double, winning by three lengths.

Jess Dowdewell continued the close rivalry with Rob Pedley in the PR1 Singles: another epic battle in the final saw Jess overcome Rob for the first time by just under a length. Commenting, Head Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney said, “The best bit about the day was seeing new faces on the circuit: we have some new friends who all interested in taking adaptive and para rowing forward.”

Stratford’s junior squads were back on the water on Sunday after coxing at the Fun Regatta, putting in more training for the British Rowing’s Junior Championships at Strathclyde this coming weekend. Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator commented, “The junior squad will be heavily represented with crews from J14, J15, J16 and J17/18 categories all there for their chance for glory against some of the best schools and clubs in the country: we wish them luck! The logistics of getting multiple boats, trailers, coaches, athletes, coaches and supporters to Strathclyde is immense and I’d like to thank all who have given their support, time and effort to make this complex exercise possible!”

Further afield in Lucerne, Stratford Boat Club’s alumnae of Camilla Hadland and Esme Booth were both performing at the Rowing World Cup III this weekend. Camilla was doing an excellent job in the commentary box and Esme rowing in the GB Women’s Eight collecting an excellent gold medal!

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald middle pages, British Rowing online https://www.britishrowing.org/2023/07/all-good-fun-at-stratfords-fun-regatta and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-club-hosts-successful-fun-regatta

Stratford’s Juniors Show Promise at Junior Sculling Head

Posted on by

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior crews were back on the water this week following Schools’ Head for the second of the pinnacle events of the Head racing season – the Junior Sculling Head at Dorney Lake.

On the Olympic course at Dorney Lake the J14, J15 and J16 squads took on competition from around the UK to compete at this high profile event.  The J14 squad fielded a women’s coxless quadruple scull with Bryony Francis, Maeve Dunn, Becca Smith, Sophie Franklin and Martha Cooke (coxswain) representing Stratford Boat Club. The crew stormed up the course on the first 1800m leg and held their own in the 1800m second leg to finish eighth out of forty five crews entered. Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J14 Coach and Junior Co-ordinator said, “This places the WJ14 squad amongst the top crews in the country and makes for an exciting summer regatta season ahead!”

Representing the Junior 15’s girls were Alexandra Francis, Lily Warren, Sophie Evans, Poppy Baines, Meg Nuttall (cox) competing in the WJ15 coxed quad event. This is a popular event and this year was no different: a total of seventy two crews from the UK competed in difficult conditions. The Stratford girls were drawn in the outside lane racing into a crosswind of 23mph bearing the full brunt of the strong gusts and thus the first of the two runs challenged cox and crew. Despite a strong performance the girls finished twenty fifth. Said Colin Bell, J15 Coach, “On this occasion, the results did not reflect the effort!”

A field of fifty one crews took to the water in the WJ16 coxless quad event. Seeded sixteenth, the Stratford Boat Club crew of Ez Elfwood (stroke), ‘V’ Vondrak, Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton (bow) settled into a strong and steady rhythm early on with Appleton dealing well with the cross winds to steer a straight line. Rowing through two other boats and with a faster second leg, the girls pulled up three places to finish thirteenth overall in a very competitive class.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page fifty three and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-junior-scullers-show-promise-on-dorney-lake and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/03/31&pages=032

For more great pictures of the Junior Sculling Head, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AAgtRX2jqm73JFY&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21250426&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Juniors Out In Force At West Midlands Junior Championships

Posted on by

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior squad went in force to Stourport for British Rowing’s West Midlands Junior Championships. Making their debut in rowing competition, the eight boys and four girls who make up Stratford’s J13 squad came home with at least one medal each. The J13’s rowed the 1800m downstream course cheered on at the midway point at Stourport Boat Club and showed everybody how focused and determined they are. It was smiles all-round on the day for the J13s. The gold medal time was 8 minutes and 45 seconds. J13 Coach Hugo Happel said,” I’m so proud of these boys and girls. They have great spirit, attitude, belief and are just a joy to coach. They have a terrific bond with each other and that showed again today. What a super bunch! Thanks to the parents for helping out, it is much appreciated!”

The winter head season continued at the weekend for Stratford’s J14 squad at the West Midlands Junior Championships. The event presented the opportunity for the region’s junior rowers to be selected to represent West Midlands at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta in April. As a result, the spectators lining the banks of the Severn were treated to an excellent display of rowing and sculling. First to go for the J14 squad was the girls coxed quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Maeve Dunn, Becca Smith, Tessa Parkin and Poppy Warren (coxswain). The crew demolished the course to win the event by forty five seconds and gain West Midlands jerseys in the process. Next to go were the three J14 girls double sculls of Isla Dunn and Sophie Franklin, Martha Baines and Mille Smith and Martha Cooke and Josephine Cooper. It was a nip and tuck affair as the crews raced under Stourport Bridge with the majestic Victorian arch willing crews onwards. Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J14 Coach and Junior Co-ordinator said, “In the final analysis, the Stratford Boat Club crews were placed second, third and fifth with a cigarette paper between them: accomplished rows from all!”

The day started early in Stourport for the J16 squad at the qualifying event for the chance to represent the West Midlands at the prestigious Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. The WJ16 doubles headed down the course first, facing strong competition from high level clubs in the region. All three boats rowed elegantly, with the pairing of Nancy Davis and Jess Long coming home in fifth, Harriet Froom and Eloise Cooper in fourth and Megan Rowan and Lucy Sartain in second, meaning they qualified to represent the West Midlands. Next up was Jamie Wilcock in the J16 singles who put in a well composed performance to finish sixth in a field of tough competition. On the heels of the WJ16’s were Lily Warren and Poppy Baines in the WJ15 double and Xavier Sissins-Rofey in the single sculls events. Although not qualifying to represent the West Midlands, both crews delivered an excellent performance, bronze medals for Warren and Baines and silver for Sissins-Rofey

After a strong start in the morning, first crew down the course for division two was the WJ16 coxless quad of Ez Elfwood, Molly Vondrak, Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton. A clean start and some tidy sculling, they pushed on to win with a sub seven minute time, eleven seconds ahead of the home Stourport crew and well ahead of the trailing Kings School Worcester and Pengwern boats to qualify to represent West Midlands at the inter regional regatta. Following the quad was the J16 double of Jamie Wilcock and Will Dalrymple Baker who just missed out on a podium position after delivering a skilful performance. Up next representing the J15’s was the coxed quad of Theo Richter, Seth Vondrak, James Albrighton, Ollie Rowlands coxed by Meg Nuttall. Following on from their previous success at Stourport’s own head race, the J15 boys did not disappoint finishing one second against their nearest rivals and now move onto the Inter Regional Regatta. In hot pursuit was Alexandra Francis competing in the single sculls. Francis was competing against a formidable opponent from AB Severn who last year was awarded a gold medal at the British Rowing Championships. Francis finished just three seconds behind her opponent in silver medal position, a result which shows promise for the year ahead.

Finishing the day with a final singles race, Molly Vondrak, Lucy Sartain and Eloise Cooper went back out for one more run. Chasing each other, they pushed hard and finished with some strong times, Molly finishing fourth, Lucy just behind in sixth, and Eloise in eighth positions in a highly competitive field of eleven boats. Following on was the WJ15 quad with Poppy Baines, Lily Warren trying to repeat their previous placing along with Sophie Evans, Alice Jones and cox Lucy Yang. Despite every effort and up against stiff opposition the girls finished in fifth place.

Two members of the J17/18 squad also took on the familiar course at Stourport-on-Severn. Whilst they were not eligible for qualification for the Inter-Regional Regatta, Charles Happel and Toby Sartain competed in the J17 and J18 singles events respectively. Happel sculled superbly to bring home a confident win in his class, whilst Sartain also put up a good performance to finish third. In the afternoon division, they then combined to compete in the J18 doubles events, where in a field of strong crews they recorded a third place finish, rounding out a successful day.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty five and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-club-juniors-impress-at-west-midlands-junior-championships

For a selection of photographs see Kathy and Stuart Baines’ amazing album WMJRRC 2023

Stratford’s Juniors Conquer The Severn!

Posted on by

On Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club junior squads went in force to Stourport Winter Head: the J17/18 squad started the day with singles’ events, which featured Will Beattie and Toby Sartain in the J18 category and Charles Happel in the J17 category. Beattie sculled to his usual high standard, finishing strongly to win the event and was followed down the course by Sartain who crossed the line in second place to round out a 1-2 finish for Stratford. Happel came next and sculled to a similar high standard also to claim second place in his event. Next up was the WJ18 pair of Amalia Richardson and Kate Richardson who, despite being relatively new to the pairs event, rowed proficiently and came home in first place. Finally, the afternoon division saw the two J18 doubles of Will Beattie and Tomi Wilcock and Charles Happel and Toby Sartain take on the 4km course: Beattie and Wilcock set off first sculling typically well on their way to win the event just ahead of Happel and Sartain who also sculled confidently to complete an excellent overall performance for the squad in second place.

For Stratford’s J16 squad, the morning division saw the coxless quad of Aimee Appleton, Scarlett Richardson, Molly Vondrack with Megan Rowan in the stroke seat put on an impressive display of sculling to beat the home Stourport boat by 12.5 seconds and take first place. In the afternoon three doubles of Lucy Sartain and Jess Long, Eloise Cooper and Nancy Davis, Ez Elfwood and Harriet Froom all competed to a very high standard and finished with seven seconds of each other over the 4k course. In the end it was Elfwood and Froom who missed out on a second place by just 1 second to take 3rd with Sartain and Long 0.8sec behind them followed by Cooper and Davis. Finally, Jamie Wilcock competed in the singles event and was in the lead at the halfway stage before a collision caused him to lose time and finish second overall.

For the J14 and J15 squads, the weekend saw the Stratford upon Avon Boat Club athletes from across the age ranges compete on the Severn in the “Blackpool of the Black Country, Stourport-on-Severn”! The 4000m course running with the stream presented a good opportunity for all to display the fruits of their winter training over a longer distance. Conditions on the day were superb with a light breeze and sunshine threatening to make an appearance on occasion.

In Division One, Stratford’s J14s fielded two WJ14 double sculls combinations. The crew of Josephine Cooper and Sophie Franklin powered down the course in style to finish over a minute ahead of Avon County Rowing Club and Evesham Rowing Club. The win however was taken by Maeve Dunn and Bryony Francis by a margin of just three seconds with a superb performance. The J15 squad fielded a coxed four into the event but, without opposition in their age range, took on senior crews. The crew of  Theo Richter, Seth Vondrak, Xavier Sissins-Roffey, Oliver Rowlands and James Albrighton (coxswain) thundered down the course to take the win in emphatic style.

In Division Two, the WJ14 coxed quadruple scull of Sophie Warren, Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Martha Cooke and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) delivered a stonking row to take the win over quality opposition from Trentham Boat Club and Hereford Cathedral School.  The quadruple scull event was followed by the toughest event of the day by far, the single sculls. Testing themselves, representing Stratford were the J14 girls of Martha Baines, Tessa Parkin and Millie Smith. Dicing with strong competition from around the area, they recorded a creditable eighth, fifth and sixth respectively. Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J14 Coach and Junior Co-ordinator said, “No mean feat over the 4000m course so early in their rowing careers. No doubt, these athletes will return to the Severn in the coming years!”

Representing the J15 squad in the women’s double sculls, the powerhouse duo of Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines provided a show for the assembled crowd with a textbook row, taking the win by a comfortable margin, In the women’s J15 coxed quadruple sculls event, the crew of Sophie Evans, Meg Nuttall, Alice Jones, Lily Warren and Lucy Yang (coxswain) delivered a solid row chasing Ross Rowing Club all the way to achieve a fourth place.

Joining their Stratford colleagues, King Edward The Sixth School Boat Club also headed to Stourport Head. First up in the morning division was the J18 4+ of T. Wilcock, R. Macdonald, T. Wheeler, T. Beard and I. Hill (cox) they were racing in the open men’s category and put in a great performance to see off crews from Warwick BC and Trentham RC to take the win.

The afternoon division saw a debut for our J16 4x of W. Dalrymple-Baker, H. Hoare, A. Mathers and M. Cullimore, three of whom only start rowing in September. Said Hannah Crone, KES Coach, “This was their first race and the aim was to row well and enjoy it: the boys put in a fantastic performance to take the win over Evesham Rowing Club.”

Next up was our WJ18 4+ of A. Richardson, T. Dunn, M. Hall, K. Richardson and I. Hill (cox) again racing in the senior category. Despite a last minute substitution due to injury, the girls had a good row and came out on top ahead of Evesham Rowing Club and Trentham Rowing Club. This topped off a great day for King Edward The Sixth School Boat Club coming home with three wins from three crews.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratfords-juniors-conquer-the-severn

For more great pictures of Stourport Winter Head, see Kathy and Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AOAm%5FWXXHbdtI6M&id=8E50DAC120123B06%2190130&cid=8E50DAC120123B06

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

Posted on by

Although the wait of two years seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and sixteen crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec

Fun Regatta joint organiser Simon Price said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

During the lunch break, there was some exhibition racing with juniors against juniors and then the winner of that race again a Masters’ four: in a much disputed start decision, the Masters were given a five second start advantage (despite the juniors having raced just before!) and the Masters won by only one second!

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed as Vikings – horns and all; teachers fully equipped with motarboards; crews with boaters and moustaches; pirates; crews dressed in colourful tootoos and Hawaiian shirts; circus clowns and animals; the now immediately recognisable blue and yellow of Ukraine and multicoloured wigs. Many crabs were caught and there was a lot of splashing but nobody capsized with the rescue launch staying on her mooring throughout the day! The eventual winners were Meander Club with Afro Circus taking the fancy dress prize!

Chris Belcher joint organiser added, “Through the hard work and all the efforts of Club members, we have been able to raise funds for replacing equipment, repairs and maintenance. As always, we are especially grateful for the tolerance of those who make their living on the river and to our sponsor Crowne Plaza Stratford.”

Dawson Curnock, Boat Club Chairman commented, “The wait was worth it! A fun day was had by all and Stratford Boat Club was happy to contribute to the vitality and atmosphere of the town and give visitors and residents a cause for celebration!”

Whilst the Club members was running the Fun Regatta, Jake Blatcher was competing at Llandaff Regatta: Jake was the only Stratford upon Avon Boat Club competitor at Cardiff. Despite the beautiful weather, many entered crews had to withdraw due to Covid. However, the Men’s Singles event was the biggest of the day with twelve scullers taking part. It proved also to be the highest standard event and Jake would have had to get through four rounds to win the pot.

Jake’s first opponent was Dawson from Hartpury College (Gloucester). Jake established an early lead on the 1000m course and extended this to two lengths coming under the bridge with about 400m to go. He continued to increase his lead and won the race by three and a half lengths. In the quarter-final, Jake met Jenden from Bristol Ariel. This proved to be a very good race with the Bristol sculler establishing a small lead in the early stages. However, the race was going fast enough to catch up with the race that had been started before them. This forced Jake to slow down to avoid collision and Jenden extended his lead a bit and won the race. Despite the effect of the previous race, the result was allowed to stand. Said Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach, “Jake is showing signs of improvement as the season progresses: circumstances conspired against him on this occasion and it was a tough draw. A win must be just around the corner!”

Stratford’s junior squads were back on the water on Sunday after coxing at the Fun Regatta, putting in more training for the British Rowing’s Junior Championships at The National Watersport Centre at Nottingham this coming weekend. Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator commented, “The junior squad will be heavily represented with crews from J14, J15, J16 and J17/18 categories all there for their chance for glory against some of the best schools and clubs in the country: we wish them luck!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/fancy-dress-and-fun-9263476 and page sixty two and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-host-enjoyable-fun-regatta and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2022/07/15&pages=024

For more great pictures of the Fun Regatta, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j5VoJYvAKDCwMfMSlA?e=JgnE7D

Onwards to 2022!

Posted on by

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