Tag Archives: Amelia Cruickshank

Stratford Clean Up at Evesham!

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J17 squad were represented by the single scull of Sophie Frankin and the double scull of Isla Dunn and Becca Smith at the weekend’s Evesham Regatta. First down the track was Sophie who was pitted against an experienced Worcester sculler and was unable to hold onto an early lead. The Dunn/Smith combination dominated the semi-final against Pengwern however met their match in a quality AB Severn crew in the final.

The Stratford J15 squad created a presence in Saturday’s racing having success in the finals and keeping the pressure on their competitors in the 1000m knock out races.

First up, the OpJ15 x 2 of Nathan Lebordais and Reuben Stanford took an early win against Magdalen College in their semi final before giving AB Severn a run for their money in the final, placing a well-earned second overall. Lebordais and Stanford returned later in the day as part of the OpJ15x 4 joined by Raya Hothi (cox), Connor Birrell and Tristan Hammick. The crew defeated Magdalen and then Monmouth in the heats to earn a place in the final against AB Severn. While there was a strong start off the line, the AB Severn squad maintained a pace over the 1000 meters that was just out of reach for the Stratford crew who came into second overall.

Abi Dunn competing in the WJ15 x 1 singles brought home some silverware by starting with a convincing first win against her Evesham opponent in the semi-finals setting up a tense head to head final with fellow Stratford rower from J14. During a close race, Abi kept a consistent lead all the way through and secured victory by half a length.

The WJ15 x 4 composed of Martina Bruce (cox), Lily Parsons, Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammond and Scarlett Wheeler delivered a strong performance showing strength, resilience and determination as they beat Monmouth by two and a half  lengths in the semi-final and faced off against a second Monmouth crew in the final. From the start the team pushed for the lead, running neck and neck over the 1000 meters and, in a nail biting finish won by a canvas, taking home the win. This was especially savoured as three in the crew had rowed earlier in the day in their respective WJ15x2 pairs (Parsons/Paul and Bruce/Hothi) and they were keen for a win!

The J14 squad made the most of Evesham’s two day event by representing Stratford Boat Club on both days. Amongst some encouraging performances, and some hard won lessons on pacing and steering, the stand-out crew from Saturday’s longer course were the boys’ quad of Archie Eaton, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt, Ethan Siwakowski and Eli Ford as coxswain. They completely outclassed Magdalene College School in the first round then earned an equally composed win against Cheltenham College to secure a spot in the final where an Evesham/AB Severn Rowing Club composite edged them out in a close race.

Sunday’s sprint started early for Amelia Cruickshank who gamely volunteered to row for an Evesham quad depleted by injury. Returning later that day she joined Islay Milles in the WJ14 single sculls. The two girls mercilessly worked their way through the qualifying rounds to set up a thrilling Stratford-Stratford final that was too close to call until the closing stages when Milles lit the afterburners to edge to victory.

Also, Stratford’s Women’s Masters 2x of Ellie Davies and Gina Fusco, raced in a final against a Women’s Masters E double Stourport crew. Despite steering a rather longer  than necessary racing line, the duo were delighted to hold off their opponents and take the win by a canvas.

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J13 squad enjoyed an exciting and memorable day of racing at the Evesham Sprint Regatta, where they competed in singles, doubles and quad scull events. For all the athletes, this was their first experience of side‑by‑side racing, making the occasion both challenging and rewarding. Many of the rowers had only rowed in singles or doubles two or three times before, never mind racing them, yet every athlete rose to the occasion and performed admirably under pressure.

The three doubles crews of Hattie McGurk and Zilpha Pope, Ruben Hawkswell and Eftychios Ntoukakis, and Safian Khan and Luke Spurling were first on the water. All three crews showed confidence and determination, each holding their own throughout the race and finishing a very close second.

The singles races followed, with strong performances from Gregor Francis, Enoch Stanford, Georgia Wheeler, Margo Paul, Zilpha Pope, Natasha Wallace and Harriet Wheeler. Despite first‑time racing nerves, all rowed with composure and confidence. A special mention goes to Margo Paul, who delivered a commanding performance to win the WJ13 singles event, beating the opposition by an impressive two and a half lengths.

In the quad sculls, the boys’ crew of Enoch Stanford (cox), Gregor Francis (stroke), Safian Khan, Eftychios Ntoukakis and Ruben Hawkswell put up a strong and determined performance but were knocked out by the eventual winners, a very strong home crew from Evesham. The girls’ quad of Harriet Wheeler (cox), Margo Paul (stroke), Natasha Wallace, Hattie McGurk and Georgia Wheeler also raced with great spirit, losing to the Evesham crew.

Throughout the day, all crews showed superb teamwork and sportsmanship, running the course during each race to loudly cheer one another on. Commenting, Rebecca Paul, J13 Coach said, “It was a proud and promising first experience of side‑by‑side racing and an encouraging sign for the future of these young athletes.”

Next up in eights division the Stratford Women’s Masters D VIII were determined to maximise the six second head start they had against a composite younger Gloucester and Evesham crew. After a solid start and a race pace of thirty four strokes per minute, the crew widened the gap and held their opposition over the 1000m course with a convincing win of three and a half  lengths. The crew were Jen Cary, Cox, Ellie Davis Stroke, Gina Fusco, Jane Cryer, Abby Symons, Rebecca England, Lucy Scarlett, Caroline Collins and Charlotte Jones (Bow). Bow seat Charlotte Jones said, “We are delighted with our first win of the regatta season as an eight, following our winter training. We are looking forward to our next race at the Nottingham Masters next week.”

Almost immediately after deboating from the VIII, Rebecca England and Lucy Scarlett took to the river again to race in the senior women’s 2x. In their first regatta of the season together, they had a good start and were pleased with their row despite being bested by a very high quality and youthful opposition.

The Women’s Masters low CRI coxed quad of Sarah Walker, Urania Carreiro, Emily Burton  and Charlotte Juxon with cox Sarah Bedwell were determined to give the home crew a good race in the semi final.  Despite much distraction at the start with a single stuck in a tree, a capsize and a double very much told off for a quick race practice, the crew refocused, stuck to their plan and won comfortably. A few timing issues to improve and with Sarah B still ringing in their ears, it was time for the final. Much more relaxed and ready to fight again the crew raced hard and gained ground quickly. This gave the lift and belief needed and they pushed past their opposition at the half way point, then stayed flat out for the last 500m again winning comfortably.

Their coach Dawson Curnock said of the crew, “Two great performances including the win in their final are the culmination of commitment to training that they embarked upon over three months ago.”

In Stratford’s last race of the regatta, the mixed 2x of Rebecca England and Thomas Doherty faced a tough task with local rivals Warwick having a head start due to the masters’ handicap system. Despite this, the Stratford double managed a fast start, leaving the blocks at a rate of thirty eight strokes per minute and were able to row down their competition, winning by a length and a half.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page thirty seven and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-celebrate-success-at-evesham-regatta and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/05/08&pages=24#page/24

Stratford Score in Scotland, Birmingham and Nottingham

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The weekend was the inaugural race at Edgbaston Reservoir for the Women’s Masters E IV of Jane Cryer, Charlotte Jones, Abby Symons and Caroline Collins.

Fabulous conditions at Birmingham Regatta helped a strong start and setting a consistent race pace of thirty four strokes per minute. The crew delivered a strong row and closed a six second headstart from the opposition, Bewdley, and lost just by a canvas. A solid start to their racing season and looking forward to building on.

The Women’s Masters E double of Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco were looking forward  to the Birmingham Regatta offering them an opportunity to practice a staked race start and side by side racing on a laned course. Their opposition an experienced  Women’s Masters D crew from Milton Keynes had a five second handicap applied . The Stratford double had a good start and got into a strong rhythm but were unable to hold off their seasoned opposition and lost by a canvas. The Stratford crew were pleased with their performance with a few good learning points to take into their future races. No medals for the duo but they did enjoy another post race ice cream!

Meanwhile Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Masters women, Kjersti Rogneflaten Woolley spent the weekend in Scotland, representing Stratford Boat Club at the Scottish Rowing Spring Regatta which took place at Strathclyde Park, the Scottish National Rowing Arena.

On Saturday, Kjersti raced in a Women’s Masters G2x composite crew with Eva from Loch Lomond Rowing Club. In very windy conditions, the duo struggled in the high tail wind but only just missed a bronze medal.

On Sunday, in better weather conditions, Kjersti competed in Women’s Masters G4x composite crew of Eva from Loch Lomond and Karen and Clare from Castle Semple Rowing Club. The crew had a great race winning gold. Kjersti said “I was so grateful for rowing with these wonderful women and having a great time in Scotland.”

Closer to home, the Junior Inter Regional Regatta once again showcased remarkable talent across one hundred and twenty nine clubs and sixteen regions. Stratford’s J15 squad were pleased to have three crews representing the West Midlands and the conditions on the day were perfect for rowers and spectators alike.

First to head out for the 1000m time trials, Connor Birrell in the Open J15 single scull event qualifying for the D final placing twentieth out of thirty two rowers on the morning in a tightly timed field with seconds separating top and bottom places. Next up was the WJ15 4+ composed of Martina Bruce, Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammond, Raya Hothi and Lillian Parsons(coxswain) and, once seats were in place, rowed well to qualify for the C final. And last, but not least, Abi Dunn representing in the Women’s J15 single scull event, delivered a composed and consistent performance, persevering through a chesty cold to come ahead of other crews.

In the afternoon, Connor Birrell set out and drove hard along the full 1.5 km course to finish ahead of Thames London to take fourth place in the D final. Stratford’s girls crew took an early start against the East Midlands and charged through to around the 1km mark with the race remaining a close-run event with Stratford battling to hold a lead with strong encouragement from their cox, eventually losing ground in the closing stages to cross the line in second place. A fantastic start to their sweep experience! Abi Dunn wrapped it all up by delivering a fifth out of six in the E final near the close of the day. J15 Coach Dave Parkin said of his J15 squad, “There was some really strong competition out there today and the crews performed well against the competition, showing they are applying their training, maintaining their composure under race pressure and are set up for good results going forward!”

The J14s were represented in both the girls’ and boys’ double sculls. Archie Eaton and Ethan Siwakowski were followed down the 1km time trial course by Amelia Cruickshank and Islay Milles. Both crews recorded solid times that saw them progress to finals that afternoon. First up were the boys who were unable to improve on their placing coming in just behind the East Midlands crew. The girls relished the opportunity to race side by side amongst six boats and held off the challenge of strong Regional boats but were similarly held to their seeded position.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty seven and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-boat-club-crews-deliver-strong-results-across-birm-9463724

Stratford’s Masters & Juniors Excel at Bedford Spring Head

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A glorious spring day saw thirty 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 the town centre making a theatre of rowing for the day. Stratford’s J17/J18 squad were out in force to enjoy racing following many recent cancellations. Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak raced in OpJ18 single sculls achieving second and third places respectively. They then teamed up to race the OpJ18 double scull where they crossed the line in second place, just one second behind the winners! In the women’s events the WJ18 single scull was won in emphatic style by Alexandra Francis with Poppy Baines in second place. Stratford’s J17 ladies scullers of Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Martha Cooke and Millie Smith delivered fifth, seventh, tenth and eleventh places in a packed and high quality event. Moving on from the single sculling, Stratford’s J17 and J18 ladies formed double sculls: Alexandra Francis and Martha Cooke powered down the course for a well deserved second place followed by an all Baines crew of Poppy and Martha coming home in sixth. In the WJ17 event, Millie Smith and Maeve Dunn finished fourth with Becca Smith and Isla Dunn on their tail in eighth place. Last but by no means least Stratford fielded a women’s J18 coxless quadruple scull of Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Sophie Evans and Martha Cooke who motored over the line just out of the medals in fourth place.

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14s fielded a full squad across the Bedford Spring Head’s divisions and delivered some exceptional rowing, something that bodes well for the approaching regatta season. Capitalising on some intensive training in quads both the girls (Islay Milles, Eva Cruise, Amelia Cruickshank and Mary Heenan coxed by Charlotte Franklin) and boys (Archie Eaton, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Ethan Siwakowski coxed by Eli Ford) blew all their opposition away to claim deserved golds in respective events. These deserved successes were followed by boys’ doubles of Eli Ford and Archie Mansfield then Chris Durance with Arthur Burt who recorded solid times and placed well amongst strong crews. The girls’ crews of Eva Cruise and Charlotte Franklin then Amelia Cruickshank and Islay Milles similarly impressed amongst some quality opposition.

Coach Jon Francis was delighted, “As a curtain closer on the winter head season we could have asked no more and the J14s come away with richly deserved silverware for their efforts.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J13 squad had a great first race experience at the Bedford Fours & Small Boats Head. On a slightly overcast day, the squad showed just how much they have learned over the last few months, despite set-backs from the numerous weather-driven cancelled sessions. The J13s were racing up a category, which required lots of confidence for their first race outing. The girls’ quad was first to race with Hattie McGurk doing an excellent job coxing a lovely line right down the middle of the course: Georgia Wheeler at stroke kept up a lively rate backed up by Margo Paul, Harriet Wheeler and Zilpha Pope. The girls came an impressive second from bottom, with a time of ten minutes and thirty one seconds, a great first performance against much more experienced crews.

Second up was the boys double of Gregor Francis. They put in an excellent performance, showing some real promise, finishing second last with a time of nine minutes and twelve seconds in a field of much more experienced crews.

The boys’ quad was last up, under the guidance of Gregor Francis as cox, they put in a superb performance against a formidable set of opponents. Their time of nine minutes and forty seconds was a real credit to their focus and determination. Commenting, Rebecca Paul, J13 Coach said, “This was the J13’s debut racing event: considering that the squad has only been sculling for less than eight months, with many sessions off the water due to inclement weather and river conditions, they should be proud of their achievements. We certainly are!”

Competing in the Women’s Masters E 2x category, Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco were looking forward to racing in the morning division. Slightly blustery conditions but the duo settled into a solid rhythm and followed a good line on the course. They were delighted to catch up their two opposition in that division and then had to wait to see how their time of compared to the remaining three crews racing late afternoon. At the end of the day, the duo came first beating five other crews and commented, “We had to wait until the evening to know where we had come but we were over the moon when we discovered we had won. Many thanks to Sam Hill for his coaching.”

With the juniors and women’s masters setting the pace during the day with some excellent results and wins, it was left to the mixed masters double of Rebecca England and Tom Doherty to keep the standard high in the final division of the day.

Changeable weather conditions saw blustery winds and rain add to the challenge of navigating some narrow bridges and other crews. Stratford led off the start ahead of four of their opposition on the 1.9km course. Determined to set a high tempo from the start, Rebecca England at stroke set a metronomic pace of thirty two strokes a minute enabling Stratford to pull ahead of their opposition over the first half of the course.

Having navigated the worst of the bridges, calamity struck when the footplate of Rebecca’s feet broke. This led to some technical adjustments by Rebecca to maintain the pace and rhythm of the boat. Approaching the finish in blustery conditions, Stratford were able to maintain their pace to finish in a respectable time of eight minutes and five seconds. The time turned out to be comprehensively faster than the other competitors resulting in another win and a very successful day for Stratford Boat Club.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven and also online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-boat-club-s-juniors-and-masters-shine-at-bedford-s-9461987 and Stratford Observer back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/04/24&pages=24

For more great pictures of Bedford Spring Head, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/…

Stratford’s Juniors Show Olympic Potential!

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club junior crews were back competing on the water this week 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, J16 and J17 squads took on competition from around the UK to compete at this high profile event. The J17 squad fielded a women’s coxless quadruple scull to take on the top clubs and schools from around the country. The crew of Martha Cooke, Martha Baines, Millie Smith and Maeve Dunn put in a solid row over both 1800m legs to record fourteenth place.

The traditional junior sculling head saw a great performance by the WJ16 4x- comprising of Orla Linforth (S), Imogen de Pennington, Maria Ntoukaki and Erin Appleton (B). They came seventeenth out of fifty two crews rowing on the day, with their first 1800m completed in 6:59.9 and their second 1800m in 7:15.7, making a total time of 14:15.6. Stroking at twenty eight/thirty strokes per minute, the girls overtook a number of other crews, thereby earning another minute of catching their breath at the turnaround point.

Coaches Hugo Happel and Eric Appleton commented, ”The girls really focused on rating, sitting tall, energy management and avoiding rowing in and it paid off: a fantastic result against the best of the best crews in Britain. The girls should feel very proud: well done!”

The J14s enjoyed their first outing on the national stage and laid down assured performances that belied the many hours of training afloat lost recently to the River Avon in flood. First up were the WJ14 quad of Islay Milles, Eva Cruise, Amelia Cruickshank and Mary Heenan who, under the guidance of Archie Mansfield as cox, rowed a steady outward leg then turned on the afterburners to knock thirty seconds off their time on the return. Finishing ahead of several clubs who boast much larger squads and decidedly lighter boats was to their great credit.

The following division saw the J14 boys’ quad of Archie Eaton, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Eli Ford respond superbly to a masterful display of sports psychology from cox Ethan Siwakowski. Being urged to channel their inner champion and manifest a sense of victory clearly worked a treat, they finished in a commendable eleventh from fifty crews competing. Coach Jon Francis was delighted with their efforts and commented, “To come to the biggest rowing arena in the UK and perform with such composure really highlights the maturity and promise of this young squad!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-young-scullers-show-olympic-potential-at-junior-sculling-head and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/04/03&pages=24: also see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/high-profile-test-for-stratford-boat-club-s-junior-crews-9460248 and page thirty nine. For more pictures of Scullery, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0lnRE1qUHoyN3BLYlRKQXp5ZDhMWVQtbUFZTDhnYl9sZ1ViSzJScW5tZ1FfSVBrP2U9TlNoRzB4&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21sf6fc8ccc92ee4c9b9033c9df0b613fa6&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford Conquer at Henley

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The 2025 Henley Long Distance Sculls on Saturday provided another challenging and picturesque test of endurance and precision over the 3,000 metre course on the Henley Reach. With autumn sunshine and a stiff headwind developing through the morning, competitors faced a true measure of their training so far. Stratford upon Avon Boat Club junior squad scullers took to the water eager to show their form against a deep field drawn from clubs across the country.

Just two crews represented Stratford’s J17/J18 squad with the women’s J18 double scull of Becca Smith and Lily Warren posting a creditable eleventh place in a busy field. The Mixed coxless quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Ollie Rowlands, Theo Richter and Becca Smith stepped up to row in the senior event and showed the way to their competition on Henley Reach and took an emphatic win.

Stratford’s J15 squad fielded four crews with three boats racing in the morning division in challenging conditions. The girls’ doubles of Meredith Paul and Martina Bruce-Bonilla and Lillian Parsons and Scarlett Wheeler finished ninth and tenth in a strong field. Later in the morning, in the boys’ singles, Reuben Stanford stuck well to his task to finish in nineth place. In slightly lighter winds in the afternoon, the boys’ double of Reuben Stanford and Tristan Hammick finished in a battling fifth position.

Commenting, Dave Parkin, J15 Coach, said, “The crews should be proud of their efforts and will have taken much learning from their day on the Thames.”

The J14’s Club’s youngest members revelled in their first chance to row Henley’s world famous stretch of the River Thames. The J14 girls’ quad of Islay Milles, Eva Cruise, Amelia Cruickshank, Charlotte Franklin and Mary Heenan (cox) performed strongly in their category, finishing comfortably within a tightly packed peloton of four crews chasing the remaining podium places after a blistering time was laid down by the home favourites. A special mention must be made of Amelia who was competing in her first ever event having only taken up the sport last month!

Division Two saw the boys’ quad deliver what they have long been threatening to do for some time! Ethan Siwakowski, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton, driven mercilessly forwards by Charlotte Franklin (cox), brushed aside competition from some much larger clubs to rightfully earn a podium place, coming third out of eight crews in a commendable time.

The J14 coaches were delighted by their young athletes’ determination. Jon Franicis commented, “Considering that this was a much longer course than they have previously encountered and in conditions far more challenging than any they have ever endured, this was immensely rewarding to see them perform so well!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/junior-rowers-shine-at-henley-9440310 and page forty three and also Stratford Observer https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-junior-scullers-impress-at-henley-long-distance-sculls and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/11/07&pages=32