Stourport saw the return to racing of Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s Junior crews and the debut of some Masters rowers for their first experience of long distance head racing after recent floods.

With the rain starting to fall and a cold wind blowing, crews marshalled at the start in conditions representative of typical winter head racing! The event was held on a fast flowing, slightly high, and in places choppy River Seven in the town of Stourport on Seven. The event was split into two divisions, morning and afternoon, with the early risers on the water at 09.00hrs for a 4km row to the start for Division One.

In the Masters’ event, first off for Stratford Boat Club was Richard Nelson and Simon Cowley in their men’s double sculls racing in the open men’s event. This was Simon’s and this crew’s first head race and he acquitted himself very well to see the crew come home in a time of 14.53 minutes. However it was not enough to beat an experienced Trenthan crew who finished in 13.22 minutes.

Following them down the course was Heather Hayton and Thomas Doherty in the men’s masters double sculls event. The crew was out for a warm up race in an inexperienced event before facing tough opposition in the afternoon and had a solid row to finish in a time of 14.43 minutes to win the event.

A return to the club for a complete change of soaking wet rowing kit saw Heather Hayton and Thomas Doherty again taking to the water in Division Two to race the much fancied Birmingham mixed double. A change to dry kit proved unnecessary as the heavens opened to drench all competitors on the way to the start and for much of the race! The Birmingham double, starting just behind Stratford, who had multiple medalists at national championships in their crew were out for a win and a fast start saw then close on Stratford, however Stratford responded and over the 3.8km course began to slowly pull away from them to finish in a time of 13.57 minutes, and Birmingham finishing in 14.29 minutes, with Stratford sealing the win!

The best result of the day for the Masters’ entries was Gina Fusco in her single scull when she raced in the afternoon division which saw a torrential downpour just before the start. But, despite this being only her second singles race, Gina kept her nerve and achieved a comfortable win over a Birmingham sculler, overtaking right in front of the boat house! On a river she had not previously raced on, Gina put in a very good performance in difficult conditions to win her event in a time of 16.28 minutes and secure her first ever rowing win. Said Tom Doherty, Masters’ Vice Captain, “It was great to see Simon Crowley having a good race and Gina having a great event win which hopefully will lead to more success for them both in the future!”

Stratford Junior Squad entered a scratch crew in the WJ18 Coxless Quad event drawn from the J16, J17 and J18 squads. Katie Phillips, Martha Usselmann, Isabelle and Matilda Watts with only three previous outings together gelled on the day to put in a fine performance beating Evesham by half a second to finish second to Wycliffe.

Building experience from last weekend’s racing, J17 Jake Blatcher in his single scull took on his longest event so far. The 3.8km of the River Stour was taken in his stride, finishing the winding course in seventh place in a time of 15:49 minutes.

The Stourport Winter Head was the first opportunity for Stratford Boat Club’s J14 athletes to test themselves over the long 3.7km distance and they duly proved themselves to be exceptionally capable. First crew to challenge the course was the OP J14 4X+ crew of Louie Beason, Uche Nwachukwa, Grace Beason and Charles Happel with great coxing from Emily Stobart. They were racing against an all boys’ J15 4X+ crew from Hereford Cathedral School and although the Stratford crew finished strongly in a time of 14:50:06 minutes, the experience of the older crew told.

Next on the water the WJ14 4X+ crew of Maddie Hall, Harriet Noyes, Millie Hodgson and Amalia Richardson and expertly coxed by Imogen Hill, Sculling very powerfully they powered their way down the course in a very impressive time of 14:26:9 minutes beating the home Stourport crew into a very distant second place.

Stratford’s last J14 crew was the J14 WJ 2x of Kate Richardson and Ruby Brooker Collin: they had the very worst of the weather with heavy driving rain and wind but this didn’t deter them. They demonstrated excellent sculling over the course to finish a respectable distance behind a more experienced crew from Evesham in a time of 15:34 minutes. Said Steve Marsden, J14 coach, “A very brave effort in extremely poor weather conditions, well done girls! In fact well done to all our J14 athletes, they never fail to impress!”

For media coverage, Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/105537-stratford-rowers-make-waves-stourport.html and page fifteen and Stratford Observer https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/gina-produces-a-masterful-row

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s annual Boxing Day Scratch Regatta took place early on Thursday morning and over eighty members managed to leave their beds to come down to the river. The crews were supported by friends and relatives who came down to watch the spectacle and cheer.

Competitors, also including former members and visiting rowers, took part with a mix of mature and younger members from all sections of the Club. Some of the athletes had been rowing for less than a year. Multiple crews raced in a knock out competition: the final had to be re-run to get a clear result after a dead heat! The conditions were mild with little wind or current and the crews were supported by Club volunteers driving the safety launch and acting as scorers.

J17/J18 coach Dr Graham Collier, race organiser 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 for Stratford Boat Club, “The scratch regatta caught the imagination of all that came down to the river and this year’s racing included many more juniors and members of our ever growing adaptive squad.”

Commenting, Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator and start umpire for the racing said, “It was great to have such a mix of members competing and especially some of the weekday rowers who we often don’t see during the weekend sessions. 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 weekend and after the New Year training hard for the 2020 head season and our own regatta in June.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online http://www.stratford-herald.com/104676-stratford-boat-club-gears-2020.html and page fifteen.

For more great pictures of the Boxing Day Scratch Regatta, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgY7EiDB2lCOg6ZWOj-VQR1erO43pg

After many frustrating weeks of not being able to get out onto the river because of unsafe conditions, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club went in force to Wycliffe Small Boats Head on Saturday with their sister club King Edward The Sixth School.

First up for Stratford Boat Club was the WJ14 4x+ squad of Amalia Richardson, Millie Hodgson, Harriet Noyes, Maddie Hall coxed by Imogen Hill who after settling nerves about getting through the low bridge produced an admirable demonstration of power and precision sculling over the course of 2500m to beat crews from City of Bristol, City of Oxford and Monmouth Comprehensive School in a time of 11:33.6.

Next up in the afternoon division was the OJ14 4x+ of Louie Beason, Uche Nwachukwa, Grace Beason, Charles Happel coxed by Emily Stobart. The weather conditions had changed from the morning sessions providing a strong distinctly cold wind down the course. However this did not deter the crew and with Emily providing all the encouragement possible from the cox seat did battle with the all boys’ crews from Monmouth and two boats from Winchester College in a time of 11:26.4 missing out on a medal place by only nine seconds. Commenting, Steve Marsden, J14 Coach, said, “Great racing and they did gain bragging rights by beating their peers’ crew by seven seconds!”

Stratford’s J15 squad had a very successful day, finishing up with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The first gold came from the boys’ double of Tomi Wilcock and Will Beattie, who despite being forced to stop by a girls’ quad that refused to move out of their way, finished over twenty seconds ahead of their nearest rivals from Falcon Rowing Club, in a time of ten minutes and twenty three seconds. Said Abi Terry, J15 Coach, “With this time, the double would have also won the J16 event!”

Tomi and Will were both in action again in the J15 singles event. Here Wilcock dominated in a time of eleven minutes and thirty five seconds, twenty six seconds ahead of a sculler from Hereford. Beattie also put in a good performance to finish in the bronze medal position in a time of twelve minutes and seven seconds. The silver medal came from Harriet Holmes and Freya Watts in the WJ15 double event. This was Watts’ third event of the day and despite no practice together, the girls rowed brilliantly to finish with a time of eleven minutes and thirty three seconds.

The WJ15 4x+ of Freya Watts, Fleur Griffiths, Lucy Browne, Harriet Holmes and cox Toby Sartain, finished in fourth place just 1.4 seconds behind third place in a time of ten minutes and fifty four seconds. Griffiths, Watts and Holmes also competed in the WJ15 singles event, finishing in sixth, seventh and ninth place respectively.

The Club’s J16 squad was represented by Elisabeth Edwards who won a bronze medal in the WJ 16 1x single sculls class.

Wycliffe Small Boats Head presented a long awaited opportunity for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club crews to engaging in some racing over 2,500 metres on the Sharpness canal. The ladies in the J17/18 squad fielded four crew combinations and collected gold, silver and bronze medals in both Junior and Senior coxed four events. It was a particularly fruitful day for Amelie Sartain, the Club’s talented fifteen year old sculler who collected two silver medals, one in the women’s junior 16 single sculls and the other in Senior Women’s double sculls partnered by Alice Baines.

Stratford’s sister club from King Edward The Sixth School was also out in force and this weekend saw the first of this year’s head races for them and after many months of training, the squad was eager to put their strength to the test. At this year’s annual Wycliffe head, KES fielded two coxed fours and a double scull. The novice J17 four consisting of Cameron Dalrymple- Baker, Fred Alanson, Sam Thornton and Tobias Bretschneider with cox Jamie Mitchell competed in the first division of the day, comfortably achieving first place in a race that could only be described as an uncontested victory. The second division of the day witnessed a fantastic display of racing elegance by Cameron and Fred (this time competing in a double) who managed to beat five other crews, racing up an age group before narrowly losing out to older opposition. As the day drew on, the J18 four consisting of Joe Hodson, Felix Crabtree, Adam Baylis, Sam Thornton and once again cox Jamie Mitchell prepared for their race. Their first challenge of the day was soon evident as we battled the rough waters of the Gloucestershire canal on our way up to the start. Cox Jamie Mitchell ensured his crew stayed calm and they stuck to their race plan and executed it perfectly. After a minor collision with a Victorian transport barge due to another crew coming along side us, the KES crew powered on to finish in a very competitive time of nine minutes and fifty four seconds. This secured them fourth place, one minute and twenty seconds ahead of the fifth crew and only thirty seconds behind the first crew from Radley College that contained a boy from last year’s junior GB squad. Said crew captain Joe Hodson, “We are very pleased with this set of results especially as this was Tobias and Jamie’s first time racing! We are all looking forward to racing again in the New Year!”

Also rowing in the MAS4+ category at Wycliffe Small Boats Head was Stratford Masters’ Men’s four of Richard Aitchinson, Sean Kim, Enrico Calore and David Edwards coxed by Elisabeth Edwards. This was a great success as three of the crew members came through the Club’s Learn to Row course only three months ago!

Meanwhile, off the water at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Velodrome in London, Adaptive Squad Coach Trevor Tiller flew the flag at the British Rowing Indoor Championships in the Open Men’s 2000m event. A good steady race saw Trevor finish just outside a personal best time and seventieth out of eighty seven entries of all ages.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online http://www.stratford-herald.com/104227-welcome-return-racing-water-stratford-rowers.html and page seventeen

For more great pictures of Wycliffe Small Boats Head, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9jcR06xHLqjFZ6vGIiA?e=OGq4TK

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club took time out of their training on Sunday morning to honour those who fell in the World Wars and other conflicts and observe a two minutes’ silence on Remembrance Sunday. The Club’s thoughts were led by the Club’s President, Paul Stanton

Wreaths were laid at the memorial in the Club grounds by the Club’s youngest member Freya Dawe and Peter Wyatt, the Club’s oldest member: seventy seven years separate their rowing experience! Peter was also one the Club’s 2012 Olympic Torch Relay runners together with the Club’s Camilla Hadland

All the crews and rowers came from their indoor training during a busy Remembrance Sunday to attend the act of remembrance. Said Abi Terry, Stratford Boat Club’s J15 coach, “The memorial is at the heart of the Club and our sporting life goes on around it: this was an opportunity to stop, reflect and remember those Stratford Boat Club members who had died so that we can live in peace and enjoy our sport.”

This year there was the added poignancy of marking of the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. Amongst other members of the Club who died because of WW2, George Ball and John Dunlop Lambert had served in the Canadian armed forces: the Club was honoured to have visiting rower Dr Martyn Judson from London Rowing Club, Ontario lay a wreath at the Club’s memorial to commemorate the two members. Dr Judson also gave a short history of George Ball’s and John Dunlop Lambert’s life and achievements from extensive research by the Club’s Archivist and Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page twenty three and Stratford Observer picture mention https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/remembering-those-who-served-15818

On a day that saw most of the rivers in Warwickshire bursting their banks and club rowing sessions throughout the region cancelled, a number of Stratford upon Avon Boat Club crews were able to escape indoor training for a day’s racing on the Gloucester to Sharpness canal in the City of Gloucester.

In glorious sunny conditions contrasting the torrential rain of the day before, crews from all over the Midlands and South West of England enjoyed some competitive racing across two divisions for a full day’s racing finishing only as dusk settled over the 5km course.

On a course renowned for being fairly choppy due to its reinforced banks, conditions were made further challenging as flood water alleviation, saw the canal conditions become even rougher for the smaller single and doubles crews with boats being bounced around on the water leading to some interesting racing.

The course, although providing some long straight line racing, also threw in some challenging bends, narrow bridges and large motorised river traffic to keep crews on their toes from start to finish.

Racing in the afternoon division, Stratford had two crews in division events, first off being Heather Hayton and Tom Doherty racing in a combined masters’ double sculls event comprising three mixed (male /female) crews and six men’s crews from clubs as far afield as Dart Totness, Taunton, Worcester, Stourport and Upton on Seven.

A steady start in the choppy conditions saw Stratford settle into as much of a rhythm as the conditions would allow. Leading off the other eight crews, Stratford were able to push away from the crews immediately behind them to open up a gap and chase down two junior women’s coxed fours ahead of them from Worcester Rowing Club.

Racing towards a narrow bridge on the course saw Stratford overtake the first of the Worcester coxed fours boats to squeeze ahead through the bridge. By this time the field in their doubles event had began to sort itself out and Stratford began to come under pressure from the top quality Upton mixed crew containing Steve Redgrave’s ex rowing partner Julian Scrivener. Stratford working hard, held Upton, the eventual event winner, off until the 4km mark.

Having negotiated the last major bend, saw Stratford close right behind another Worcester women’s coxed four crew whilst in turn being chased down by the impressive men’s crew from Stourport. A neck by neck side by side race between the two crews over the last 500 m saw both crews cross the finish line level.

The final race result saw Stratford’s mixed crew finish fourth out of nine entries beating four men’s and one mixed crew, losing only to two men’s and one mixed crew from Upton.

The plaudits for the day’s racing however have to go to Kjersti Rogneflaten racing in a single scull which, in the choppy conditions, saw many competitors throughout the event struggle to complete the course in what are normally quite unstable boats.

Racing in a field of four women’s masters scullers against strong opposition, some of whom had beaten Kjersti in earlier races, made for very challenging racing. Using her experience of racing on rough water courses, Kjersti was able to maintain a very good consistent race pace to finish in a very respectable time of twenty seven minutes and twenty seconds which saw her gain a deserved victory in the event.

Said Tom Doherty, Masters’ Vice Captain, “A great days racing was topped off by seeing Kjersti gain a very well deserved win, a suitable reward for all her hard training, on what was a very challenging stretch of water in such an unstable boat as a single scull.”

Kjersti has had a busy season already this year having competed in The World’s Masters Regatta in Hungary in September: now that the head race season has started, Kjersti has to get used to racing in kilometres rather than sprinting over metres!

“The World’s Master’s Regatta was a great experience,” said Kjersti.”Racing was in eight lanes over 1000m. At the start block, hearing neither my name nor my club, but ‘in lane four: Great Britain’ – and that was me! Saying I was out of my comfort zone is an understatement! But I survived and managed to do a Personal Best even though I was far away from a medal.”

Last weekend saw Kjersti race at the Weybridge Silver Sculls which is on a non-tidal reach of the Thames. The Silver Sculls is a trophy that many famous scullers have won including Sir Steve Redgrave.

After some discussions about the conditions earlier in the week, it was decided to shorten the course to 3km.  The race is upstream from Walton to Weybridge.  Kjersti’s immediate challenge was to manoeuvre down to start in the strong current amongst cruisers and competing crews coming up stream crossing in to the marshalling channel. During the race Kjersti managed to overtake a younger woman but with the strong current it felt like Kjersti was racing against the tide!

Kjersti’s was up against nine women in her event. Unfortunately the two Kjersti was hoping to beat scratched before the race but Kjersti still ended up number five out of seven, being beaten by women from Tideway Scullers, Henley, Mortlake and Christchurch

Commenting, Kjersti said, “At both events I met some amazing masters’ women: there is a passion about what we are doing, so ‘if it’s there, it has to be done’. So we will continue to meet at various events and at training camps!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online http://www.stratford-herald.com/103188-masters-training-pays-off-stratford-bc.html and page fourteen and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/masters-training-pays-off-for-stratford

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club took time out on Sunday morning to welcome the Badcock family back to the Club and name the Club’s new launch after Felix Badcock, the Club’s former President

In 1972, life and work brought Felix, Jane his wife and their three children to Welford on Avon where they went on to farm for over thirty years. In 1977, he became local Scout Leader, then Group Scout Leader and finally Stratford District Commissioner, a position he held for many years.

Felix had a long and successful career with Thames Rowing Club in Putney, London, rowing in the Thames Eight in the ‘Grand’ at Henley Royal Regatta for seven years and sometimes doubling up in the Stewards’ Cup. In 1958 his crew won a Bronze for England at the Commonwealth Games in Wales. He remained active in the world of rowing, becoming an International Selector in the 1960’s, Captain of Thames and later Vice President.

Felix’s involvement with Stratford upon Avon Boat Club started in 1980, first coaching his daughter and her school friends and from there countless more junior and adult members. Felix’s women’s coxed four of 2008/9 won both at Henley and at the National Championships. He is fondly remembered by the Club and his crew as dedicated, passionate and deeply committed to every aspect of the training. His love for the sport was infectious, and the time spent with this crew led to some very great rowing and life-long friendships with both Felix and his beloved wife Jane.

In 2010, Felix was awarded the British Rowing Volunteer of the Year Award, immediately nominating another Stratford volunteer for the same award the following year, a gesture typical of his selflessness, and in the London 2012 Olympics was a Games Maker at the rowing centre at Dorney Lake.

Felix is still remembered by Stratford upon Avon Boat Club as a gentle ‘Father’ of the Club. He was much loved and respected, and his tact and diplomacy meant he was always able to see both sides of any discussion. His wisdom, knowledge and experience were called upon on numerous occasions!

Said Paul Stanton, the Club’s President, “What an honour to have so many of the Badcock family with us on what was a very special day naming our new launch after Felix: it was an unanimous decision to continue Felix’s presence with us both off and especially on the water.”

The naming ceremony was carried out by Felix’s three rowing granddaughters – Phoebe Bridges (University of Sussex and Thames Tideway), Helen Craven (Lancaster University) and Frances Badcock (King’s College, University of Cambridge): the new launch was ‘christened’ with a bottle of Fuller’s London Pride, reputed to be Felix’s ‘tipple of choice’ during his rowing days!

Commenting, Dr Graham Collier, J17/18 coach and former Club Captain, said, “The Club is most grateful to all who have contributed to the cost of the new launch which is essential for the safety and training of all our athletes and will replace equipment in our aging launch fleet. We are especially grateful to Warwickshire County Council who gave the Club a grant to towards the purchase and we were please to see Councillor Jenny Fradgley with us at the ceremony so that we could thank Warwickshire County Council face to face: their involvement in assisting with sport and recreation in the county is much appreciated.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online http://www.stratford-herald.com/103016-clubs-new-launch-named-memory-much-loved-former-president.html and page sixteen and also Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/felixs-presence-is-still-with-stratford-boat-club