Tag Archives: Ellie Davis

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 Triumph at Gloucester

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Under crisp autumn skies, Gloucester Rowing Club hosted the 2025 Autumn Head on the Sharpness Canal, drawing a strong field of junior, senior and masters’ crews from across the region. The challenging 5 km course tested rowers’ endurance and provided an excellent opportunity to rack up the training mileage amongst the racing.

Racing for the first time at Gloucester (long course), the WJ16 2x of Orla Linforth and Erin Appleton sculled a well throughout the 5k course but their opposition proved too strong, finishing and they finished sixth. Also in the morning, the OJ16 4x- of Ed Appleton, Will Shaw, Euan Richter and Rory Rowan set off well but had to take evasive action halfway down the course to prevent a drifting single sculler making contact with their boat and so ended in second place behind Hereford Rowing Club by seven seconds.

In the afternoon, Maria Ntoukaki sculled very well in the WJ16 1x event and came second in her Band Three event by only three seconds over the twenty four minutes of the race but her time of 24:10 was significantly faster than six scullers from William Borlase school and Millfield. In Band 3, Hereford Rowing Club took the win.

Commenting, Hugo Happel, J16 Coach commented, “All athletes sculled well indeed on a long course and the many lessons learnt will be taken to our next events.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J17/J18 squad competed strongly across the sculling events. The WJ18 coxless quadruple scull of Tessa Parkin, Maeve Dunn, Millie Smith and Martha Cooke delivered an impressive performance, placing them second against a high quality crew from Hartpury College despite recording a time that would have won the senior event. The Open J18 double scull of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak also claimed second place, once again pushing Hartpury hard to the line.

In the afternoon session, Stratford fielded two WJ18 double sculls with Tessa Parkin and Millie Smith finishing fourth and Maeve Dunn and Martha Cooke close behind in fifth place. Meanwhile, in the Open J18 single sculls, Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak showed strong individual form, securing third and fourth place respectively.

Stratford Women’s Senior 2x of Rebecca England at stroke and Lucy Scarlett at bow built up to a good rhythm in their race. Despite unpredictable gusts, the Stratford crew persevered well and maintained power in their longest race together to date. They finished third out of six in a competitive field and were pleased with their performance.

The Women’s Masters were back at Gloucester for the long autumn head after the successful training day the previous week. The crew of Will Shaw (cox), Ellie Davis (stroke), Abby Symons, Fiona Schultz, Gina Fusco, Helen Helliwell, Caroline Collins, Jane Cryer, Charlotte Jones (bow) started their race at a crisp thirty one strokes per minute the first 1000m which gave opportunities to settle into a strong rhythm: this was followed by a solid twenty nine strokes for the remaining 4000 metres of the race. The crew worked well together under the positive coxing by Will Shaw and with an expert racing line helping. Will only shared that this was his first race coxing an eight after crossing the finishing line!

Stroke Ellie Davies said, “It was a good long row and great to see the progress the women’s masters’ squad is making through the winter racing season. Will was a fabulous cox and his calls were excellent. Our thanks to all our supporters and coach Sam Hill who help make racing away possible and also for the training support and encouragement.”

Stratford’s adaptive squad, fresh back from their tour of Turin, were the only adaptive event at the Gloucester Head and so it was an all Stratford doubles’ affair between Ian and Paola Ward and Ethan Roberts and Neville Hand. This being Ethan’s first head, the race resulted in a narrow win for the more established Ward’s crew by a narrow fourteen seconds.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-scullers-impress-at-gloucester-autumn-head

Stratford Clean Up The Medals at Evesham Head

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Making a welcome return to the Stratford Boat Club’s racing calendar, after several years of cancellations, was Evesham Autumn Head. The race which was run over 2000m on the River Avon in Evesham always proves popular and this year was no exception.  Stratford upon Avon Boat Club packed the entries with over thirty crews racing over three divisions.

The J14s were out in force fielding crews across all three divisions. An excellent day of racing kicked off with Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton delivering composed performances in their single sculls, unfortunately losing out to strong Evesham crews enjoying home advantage over familiar waters. Hot on their heels in the girls’ event came Islay Milles and Eva Cruise who processed to blow the opposition away finishing first and second in one of the larger events of the day. To prove it was no fluke, the girls swiftly returned to the start in their double scull for a Division Two race and duly confirmed their status as Queens of the Avon with a blistering performance against yet more strong opposition. Double medals, and all before lunch.

The afternoon saw the now familiar local derby between the Stratford J14 boys’ quad (Eaton and Burt joined by Eli Ford, Archie Mansfield and Ethan Siwakowski) pitted against Evesham. As best of frenemies, the two boats battled valiantly down the 2km course with the Evesham crew recording a winning time less than one second better than Stratford’s, an incredibly close result over a long distance.

Coach Jon Francis was pleased with the day and said, “They’ve built on solid performances at Wallingford to land the first silverware of the new season, proving this squad have the makings of something special”. Club Chairman, Dawson Curnock, was similarly impressed not least with the young athletes’ ability to navigate the gentle curve of the river whilst avoiding the large yet static moored barges.

Stratford’s J15 squad fielded a large entry at Evesham, with ten boats in total across all three divisions and with many of the athletes rowing the 2km course twice. First up in the lovely flat conditions were the doubles, with all three girls’ crews finishing a few seconds apart in fifth (Martina Bruce/Bethany Hammond), sixth (Abi Dunn/Meredith Paul) and seventh (Lillian Parsons/Scarlett Wheeler). In the boys doubles, Reuben Stanford and Tristan Hammick had a good row to finish second.

Later in the morning, the J15s rowed in the quads, with the girls racing well against a field of Headington School boats (which took the top four places) finishing sixth in the division (Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammon, Raya Hothi, Martina Bruce, Charlotte Mansfield (cox)). The boys once again demonstrated the power that had given them good finishes in national events last year to win their division by nearly a minute (Nathan Leobordis, Reuben Stanford, Herbie Shickle, Conner Birrell, Tristan Hammick (cox)).

In the final division of the day, Stratford’s J15’s put out four singles, with Abi Dunn placing fourth and Raya Hothi eleventh in a competitive girls’ race. In the boys’ races, Conner Birrell had an excellent race, setting off at the head of his division and increasing the gap to the chasing boats to secure his second medal of the day, and Nathan Leobordis followed not far behind in third.

Stratford’s combined J17/J18 squad were in action throughout the day with the first crew down the course being the women’s J18 coxless quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Lily Warren, Josephine Cooper and Poppy Warren.  The crew opened the scoring for the club with an emphatic win over Evesham on their home water.  Next up was the open J18 double scull of Ollie Rowlands and Theo Richter who delivered a strong performance to record third place overall. Matching the boys’ efforts, the women’s J18 double scull of Alice Jones and Sophie Franklin also recorded third place. Hot on the heels of the doubles was the women’s J18 single scull of Becca Smith who battled down the course for fourth place overall. In the final division of the day, all the J17/J18 athletes had the opportunity to race again. With the opposition firmly in their gaze, the Mixed J18 coxless quadruple scull of Lily Warren, Ollie Rowlands, Theo Richter and Becca Smith sneaked victory over AB Severn by a mere two seconds. Then came the turn of the women’s J18 coxed four of Sophie Franklin, Josephine Cooper, Poppy Warren, Bryony Francis and Alice Jones (coxswain) who again delivered the goods to win by two seconds over Evesham Rowing Club.

First up for Stratford Masters Women Division One were Corinna Burger and Helen Helliwell in a Women’s Masters C double. Their first race after training through the summer, Corinna said, “After a period of anticipation, we were off with good consistent rowing right up until the end, minding a few trees along the way and coming second overall.”

Next up were Ellie Davis (stroke) and Gina Fusco in women’s masters E double. Competing in their first head together, they executed their plan to row a strong, steady and relaxed race which led to a win. The crew were delighted.

In Division Two, Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett racing in their first head together in the senior women’s double. They had a good start and settled into a solid rhythm, Scarlett steering an excellent course round the long bowside bend. A final push gave them the win with which they were thrilled.

In the last Division Three of the day Women’s Masters had three crews entered. Corinna Burger, Clare Booth, Claudine Pearson and Ruth Poulten (bow) in the Women’s Masters D quad. Their boat, Imperious Countess first outing with new riggers and a new crew formation. In the water, the first stroke appeared to demonstrate a complete inability to row but captain Ruth Poulten (bow) navigated “gate-gate” with calm and confidence and thanks to on-land support and a spanner, gates and oars adjusted, once again the crew were mobile. Ruth steered the course superbly for a respectable timed result. Handicaps placed Stratford third behind two home crews. Ruth Poulten said, “Crew camaraderie, team focus and determination ensured we overcame a number of obstacles on the day to complete the 2k race with smiles all round.”

The newly formed Women’s Masters C crew of Rebecca England (stroke), Ellie Davis, Lucy Scarlett, Gina Fusco were joined by J16 Cox Rory in a coxed four. They started well and settled into a strong rhythm. Pushing off the bend, they were able to increase their power, upping the rate and ably steered by Rory Jones, they overtook two quads ahead of them. This gave them the momentum they needed to finish strongly and take the win.

Last up of the day for Women’s Masters was the beginners quad crew of Sarah Walker (bow), Charlotte Juxon (2), Urania O’Reilly (3), Sally Bliss (stroke) and Jen Carey (cox). They came over the line in great form to finish second of three in their first ever head race together. They kept a steady rate from the start with a final push to secure their position. the crew were super proud of what they achieved.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page sixty three and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-rowers-are-out-in-force-at-evesham-event-9437519 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-win-medals-galore-at-evesham-autumn-head and also back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/10/17&pages=24

Busy Weekend for Stratford’s Rowers in Stourport, Peterborough and Maidenhead

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The weekend saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club athletes from across the age ranges compete on the Severn in the leisure capital of the Black Country, Stourport on Severn. Hosted by Stourport Boat Club, the two day regatta commenced on Saturday with a 1000m course against the stream on the mighty River Severn.

Flying the flag for Stratford’s J16 squad, the double scull of Josephine Cooper and Bryony Francis took on local rivals from Evesham Rowing Club. In peremptory form, Cooper and Francis executed their race plan with precision to deliver the win despite having to take evasive action to avoid colliding with an errant Masters double scull that had strayed onto the course.

Racing a W2-, the J17/18 crew of Alex Francis and V Vondrak rowed an excellent first race, pulling ahead of their Hereford competition to a clear water win. In the final, against Stourport’s own pair, they unfortunately lost however still rowed a great race for their first regatta as a boat.

The J17/18 crew of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Scarlett Richardson took on the 1000m course in the mixed doubles event in the afternoon division. In their first race against Stourport, they rowed a terrific race beating the opposition on their home water by over three lengths. This meant they had a place in the final where they were up against Ross Boat Club. In the final the Sissins-Roffey/Richardson double put on another excellent performance and after a rapid start, they quickly pulled ahead of Ross. They then continued pushing, extending their lead further and leading them to victory and first place medals.

Stratford’s Women’s Masters also competed in four events at Stourport Regatta on Saturday. In the morning division Stratford’s Women’s Masters’ V111 competed as a scratch crew. The crew was ably coxed by Jen Cary and comprised of Rebecca England at stroke, Jeanette Caldecott, Lucy Scarlett, Fiona Schulz, Katie Burman, Abby Symons, Caroline Collins, and Charlotte Jones at bow. Rowing together for the first time, they faced an older Bewdley crew and consequently had the daunting prospect of their opposition having a ten second head start. The Stratford crew started strongly, building a good rhythm before settling at a rate of thirty three strokes per minute. Through the middle of the course, Stratford began gaining on Bewdley and moved up to within half a length. Despite pushing hard, they unfortunately ran out of river, crossing the finish in second place.

First up in the afternoon division was the newly formed WMas 4+ Category E (stroke: Caroline Collins, Abby Symons, Katie Burman and Charlotte Jones). Whilst really pleased with their row in their first race together, they were beaten by a more experienced Warwick crew. The crew are really excited to push on to more racing in the future.

The WMasE 2x of Ellie Davis (stroke) and Gina Fusco (bow) took a while to get into a solid rhythm and this combined with bow’s steering an unconventional course meant that the crew lost their race to Derwent who went on to win the final.

The last of the women’s crews to race on Saturday was the WMasB4+, cox Jen Cary, Rebecca England, Jeanette Caldecott, Lucy Scarlett, and Fiona Schulz. For the second time that day, they watched their Bewdley opposition have a head start. The Stratford crew had a solid row, increasing their togetherness and improving technically from their previous races together. While Stratford gained on their opposition, reducing the deficit off the start, the strong Bewdley 4+ pushed back, holding off Stratford to the finish.

Meanwhile at Peterborough Regatta on Saturday, the WMasD2- Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden raced on the laned 1km course at Peterborough. They were racing for the experience against senior women (35years their junior) as they finalise their preparations for World Masters Regatta in September, to be held in Banyoles, Spain. They raced hard, and finished in a time of 4:07 minutes whilst making improvements on the previous race. The pair will utilise the remaining weeks of August to practise the lessons learnt from the last three races and are looking forward to World Championships having competed at Euro Masters two years ago.

On Sunday Rebecca England and Lucy Scarlett were ready for action once more and returned to race at Stourport sprint regatta in the Masters’ women’s A 2x. Racing against Furnivall Sculling Club, the Stratford double had a really good start with Lucy Scarlett at bow steering a fantastic line around the bend. They quickly moved up and took the lead over their opposition. Maintaining a smooth and relaxed rhythm, Stratford were able to extend their lead over Furnivall, finishing four and a half lengths ahead. Scarlett and England are thrilled with their win and now look to build upon it throughout the head season.

Saturday also saw Stratford’s Adaptive squad compete at Maidenhead. The squad competed in a mixture of singles and doubles event. There highlight for the squad was Jordan Clark’ first regatta, winning the final by a convincing five lengths with his rowing partner Aron Altman. Aron also partnered Gillian Middleton for another win in what has been a very successful season for her. There were several more decent performances and a few disappointing ones. Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach commented, “We were a bit sloppy in our organisation for the event and sport always finds you out! We have had a better season than envisaged and are bringing on a number of new rowers. This will spur us on to be better the next time”.

Jake Blatcher, who is a great helper with the squad, had a good day getting through to the final of the mainstream singles event, he was defeated by an outstanding local sculler but was pleased with his efforts.

For media coverage see Stratford Herald page thirty nine and https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/severn-heaven-for-rowers-from-stratford-club-9429336: also see Stratford Observer https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-rowers-in-action-at-stourport-peterborough-and-maidenhead and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/08/15&pages=24

Junior National Championships & Masters at Bewdley

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The weekend saw the culmination of Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s racing season with the Junior National Championships held at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham. Stratford’s J16 squad fielded three crews against the finest in the land.  First to go were the girls’ double sculls where the time trial stage of the competition saw Tessa Parkin and Sophie Franklin just pip Martha Baines and Martha Cooke by 0.2 seconds to achieve twenty first and twenty third place. The two lined up in adjacent lanes in the D Final whereupon a match of the ages played out. With the Marthas holding a one length lead over the rest of the field for the first 1000m, the race then took shape. The Parkin/Franklin chose their moment and in the last 250m generated a charge to move them from fifth to third and edging their Stratford crew mates into fourth by the same 0.2 second margin. Next to race was the J16 coxless quadruple scull of Becca Smith, Martha Baines, Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn. In a highly competitive field, the crew delivered a solid time trial to achieve fourteenth position and a slot in the C Final. With rested legs, the girls line up in the centre lane for their final and dominated the first 1750m. The rest of the field had other ideas however and quality crews from Glasgow Academy, Queens Park Chester and Hexham Rowing Club charged through to push the SuABC girls into fourth place by just two seconds.

For the J14s, an exceptional effort by Abi Dunn in her single scull saw her place third in the C final, a fantastic achievement on the national stage. In the equivalent boys’ event, Tristan Hammick wasn’t able to improve upon his placing from the time trials but left the race with nothing left in reserve and some valuable lessons taken from competing at such a level. The double scull of Nathan Lebordais and Reuben Stanford narrowly missed out on the chance to race through the semi-finals but impressed with their power through the C final. The girls’ double of Martina Bruce-Bonilla and Bethany Hammond showed equal measures of grit and composure to secure a place in the D final and held their own against the opposition crews from the start. Finally, the quad of Charlotte Mansfield (cox), Raya Hothi, Charlotte Franklin, Lilly Parsons and Scarlet Wheeler recorded a commendable time to progress to the final stages where they were denied their chance to shine by racing being cancelled due to thunderstorms.

J14 Coach Jon Francis was delighted with their achievements and said, “For many, this was their first experience of multi-lane racing at a large national event. That all the crews progressed through the time trials to a final is something about which they can be immensely proud.”

Monday 21 July saw a change in weather at Holme Pierrepoint, with calm waters and sunny conditions at the start. The serenity in the weather was not echoed by the sheer competitiveness of the junior athlete presence, with all major schools fielding large numbers of competitors (including Windsor Boys) and many new clubs entering.

In the time trials, it was brutal:

WJ15 2x, Orla and Erin 52nd out of 60 – eliminated.

OJ15 2x, Seb and Ed 47th out 53 – eliminated.

OJ15 1x, Will 41st out of 67 – eliminated.

WJ15 1x, Maria 32nd out 58 – into F Final. Maria then had the misfortune of a turn in weather, lightning appearing in the afternoon, with the course being evacuated and numerous Minor Finals being cancelled.

J15 Coach Hugo Happel commented, “Our J15s rowed with fine technique but it wasn’t enough on the day. I think the 900m format suited other athletes much better, so next year rowing the 2k distance will suit our athletes much better. Well done to all athletes, they did really well!”

Meanwhile, on Saturday Stratford upon Avon Masters Men and Women were out in force at the Bewdley Regatta competing in ten different rowing events. Lucy Scarlett and Rebecca England opened the racing for Stratford in the women’s senior 2x. In drizzly conditions, they faced a young Birmingham crew in their semi-final. Both doubles had a good start and were evenly matched, however the Stratford pair maintained their power and moved away over the second half of the race to win by nearly two lengths. Scarlett and England were then up against a strong Minerva Bath crew in the final. The Stratford double rowed hard, maintaining a good length but unfortunately were beaten on this occasion. They will aim to build on their semi-final success in their next races together.

OpH/I 2x of Mike Adkins and Paul Collins sculled an excellent race, in touching distance of their opposition the whole way down the course but on this occasion, Nottingham Rowing Club took the win.

WE4x of Ellie Davis (stroke) Gina Fusco Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden (bow) got into a lovely rhythm, gaining on the opposition to take the lead but were unfortunately disqualified due to clashing blades.

Low CRI Op 2x of Jack Ingleby and Tom Stokes had a great start and were side-by-side up until around half way, but the more experienced Bewdley crew took the win

The afternoon rowing began with  WB 4+, coxed by Jen Carey with Rebecca England (stroke), Jeanette Caldecott, Lucy Scarlett, and Fiona Schulz (bow) In their semi final, they faced half of the morning division’s winning 8+ from Bristol Ariel. Stratford had a good start and quickly pulled away from their opposition. They maintained a good rhythm, rowing long and powerfully, extending their lead to win by four lengths. Facing the other half of Bristol’s 8+ in the final, Stratford again started well, improving technically from their previous row. They remained calm and held a solid rate of 33 strokes a minute moving away from their opponents, crossing the finish line two lengths ahead. The whole crew were delighted with their win and now look forward to their next race together at Stourport.

Next up were the MasD2x Amanda Bowden and Suzie Radley who rowed well with a long, strong rhythm, winning easily over Warwick.

In their first double race together Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco competed in WMasE  2X. After a wobbly start the double moved into a good strong a rhythm but was not quite enough to catch the Loughborough crew.

Patrick Taylor and Dan Simkins raced in the D/E coxless pairs event. Since they were the younger crew, they had to give the Pengwern crew a seven second head start. While waiting, they lost alignment in the wind and were 45 degrees off course when they were able to start. Despite this, they had a solid row and finished just 1.5 lengths behind.

Due to the lack of Masters opposition, the Mixed Masters EVIII (average age 55-60) rowed in a final against City of Bristol Open Mixed VIII. Stratford had a strong start, rating 37 strokes per minute and held the opposition. As they lengthened out, they took the lead and stern pair, Amanda Bowden and Suzie Radley held the rate and rhythm at 35 strokes per minute with a boat speed of 1.25minutes per 500m. Middle four, Dan Simkins, Patrick Taylor, Tim Male, Tom Doherty, gave a powerful push mid race, whilst the bow pair of Jeannette Caldicott and Abby Symons supported the strength and technical proficiency of the crew. Stratford remained at this blistering rate for the duration of the race. The exceptionally strong boat speed enabled the crew to pull further ahead and stay ahead for the win. Bow, Abby Symons, said, “Following the strong start, we were determined to beat them! This was a hard-fought race and a very satisfying win over a significantly younger and competent crew.”

Competing in their first regatta, Novice Women coxed quad of Sally Bliss (stroke) Emily Burton, Urania O’Reilly, Sarah Walker (bow) got off to a good start against Stourport and led by half a length. They held Stourport off until the last 25 strokes when Stourport moved ahead to win by one length. Sally Bliss said, “It was a win for our crew as we gave Stourport a good race in our first ever regatta. It was a fantastic event and everyone was so supportive. We cannot thank everyone from Stratford Boat Club enough who has got us to this point. All in all, a fantastic and fun day of racing with strong performances across the Stratford crews!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven

For more pictures of the Junior National Championships, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0VzSjdOM0VmME5CQWp4X3AzMzQ0WTR3QlF0N3U2UDRHcWtDTHlBbk0wV2hPMkE%5FZT1FRjQ5VGY&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21s71377bc2d01f40d08f1fe9df7e38638c&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Masters’ Women Take On The Thames!

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On Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s the novice E masters women’s VIII took on the mighty Thames Tideway for the Vesta International Masters Head of The River Race 2025 in clear calm dry conditions, despite an adverse forecast.

Expertly coxed by Alistair Washborn, the crew benefitted from a focused warm up over 7k and a clear race plan. Ellie Davis (stroke) set the pace, followed by Lin Hansen, Jane Cryer, Katie Burman, Geraldine Chorley, Abby Symons, Vicky Millward (Worcester Rowing Club) and Gina Fusco (bow).

Setting off at a brisk thirty one strokes per minute then settling to a solid thirty strokes per minute, the Stratford boat quickly overtook local rivals Evesham which greatly boosted the morale of the Stratford crew. The crew went on to overtake a second boat (Marlow) and, having worked hard, the crew started to flag but great calls from Alistair at Hammersmith Bridge galvanised the ladies into action. A third boat was confidently overtaken and finished the course in 23:59mins to win their division.

Crew Captain Ellie Davis said of the win: “It was a fantastic win for a crew that came together exceptionally well & we all had a fantastic day.”

The women’s masters C8+ was coxed by Jen Carey, stroked by Rebecca England, with Fiona Shultz, Lucy Scarlett, Ruth Poulten, Caroline Collins, Corinna Burger, Clare Booth and Rona Fitzpatrick in the bow.

The Stratford’s Women’s Masters’ C VIII had the misfortune to have a blade come out of its gate. This lost several seconds for the hampered crew. Nevertheless, they regained the blade and had a very positive row. The crew completed the course in 23:40:89mins.

The women’s crews were named ‘Imogen’ and ‘Erin’, after Imogen Grant MBE and Erin Kennedy OBE. On hearing of the crew’s win, Erin Kennedy sent a personal message to the crew – ‘Wow! That is amazing!!! Send a huge congrats from me!’

Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain, said “The women’s squad has been growing and training harder over the season, so to finish the head race season with a victory in London is incredible! We are now looking forward to the regatta season.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty seven and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/novice-crew-enjoy-their-thames-contest-9410199 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-women-take-on-the-thames and also on back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/03/28&pages=32

Stratford Celebrates International Women’s Day on the Tideway!

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On Saturday 8th March, International Women’s Day, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s masters’ women joined two and a half thousand women racing in the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race in London, for the first time.

They enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on the Thames with fantastically flat water. Starting at the back of the first division, the Stratford Women’s Masters’ D crew, coxed by Jennifer Cary, was comprised of Rebecca England at stroke, followed by Heather Hayton, Ellie Davis, Lin Hanson, Caroline Collins, Corinna Burger, Debbie Thompson and Gina Fusco.

The Stratford crew started well with powerful, efficient strokes and quickly moved up on and overtook their first opposition from Kingston Rowing Club. Settling into a rhythmic thirty one strokes per minute, they then proceeded slowly to make headway on the boat ahead. The seven kilometre race was a battle to gain on the crew ahead and hold off a fast Broxbourne Rowing Club VIII behind.

As the Putney finish approached, Stratford’s cox was put to the test, steering expertly to hold the fastest stream while being sandwiched by boats on either side. The fast Broxbourne crew pushing past on one side, as Stratford, in turn, fought to go past Marlow Rowing Club. Stratford took the rate up to complete their overtake just before the finish line. Completing the course in a time of twenty three minutes and sixteen seconds, placed seventh out of thirteen crews in their division beating several clubs such as Marlow, Kingston, Bewdley, Thames Tradesmen and overseas crews.

Gina Fusco, bow, summed up her race, “It was a truly amazing experience: thank you to everybody for the support on and off the water in making this happen today. It was simply brilliant!”

Masters’ Vice Captain, Amanda Bowden added, “I am delighted to see the women’s development and training programme over the last three years has led to such a competitive performance today on the Tideway. This is the largest women’s rowing race in the world and the crew performed brilliantly! To be placed midway through the Masters D category is amazing! Thank you to our coach, Sam Hill who has been instrumental in preparing the women’s squad for their races this season. The crew had a fantastic day, gaining valuable experience and now look forward to rowing the same Championship course in two weeks’ time in the Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty two and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-crew-compete-in-prestigious-womens-eights-head-of-the-river-race and also back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/03/14&pages=24

Stratford’s Masters Moment of Glory at Monmouth!

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Having driven through the torrential rain and floods, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s two women’s Masters’ VIII crews were greeted with glorious sunshine at Monmouth Rowing Club for their annual Winter Head of the River Race on the beautiful River Wye.

The WMDVIII entered in the first division and expertly coxed in fast and murky waters by Jen Carey, was stroked by Fiona Schulz, followed by Lin Hansen, Jane Cryer, Katie Burman, Caroline Collins, Lucy Scarlett, Corinna Burger and Claudine Pearson in bow.

The crew set off at a steady rate of twenty eight strokes per minute and soon found their rhythm and in the remaining part of the race, taking the rate up to thirty strokes per minute and settling into a solid pace. They finished the 2,250m course in a time of seven minutes and fifty nine seconds. The race was summed up by Lin, “A great day was had by this crew of lovely women, we celebrated our very respectable race time with mulled wine and cake!”

The WMEVIII, Amanda Bowden, Suzie Radley, Rebecca England, Heather Hayton, Ellie Davis, Gina Fusco, Sue Brown and Kjersti Rogneflaten Wolley, coxed by Alistair Washbourn had a considered start in the head wind, gaining in momentum as they cornered the bend. Happy with the power and length of stroke, the middle four put in a push, causing the stroke rate to rise steadily. The crew were delighted to finish strong over the line to take the win in a time of  seven minutes and seventeen seconds, having enjoyed the fast ride provided by an incredibly strong stream.

By the afternoon the wind had picked up considerably, providing some challenging conditions for all crews entered in the second division. This was the first time the Masters’ Men’s Novice VIII had raced a head race and it was a baptism by fire given the river conditions. They coped remarkably well in the fast stream, grateful for the experience of the stern pair, Gary Kinley and David Timmins and the amazing cox, Jen Cary, who kept a calm head throughout.  To say there were a few race nerves would have been an understatement! The middle four powerhouse were Mark Kelly, Tom Stokes, Dawson Curnock and Andrew Lear, followed by David Triggs and Gavin Bliss in bow. The crew held a consistent pace for the whole of the race, giving it their all and are looking forward to the next one, to build on their encouraging performance in the Wye Valley. Mark Kelly added, “It was good to be in a boat, in a competition! It was a great race!”

The WM4+ crew of Rebecca England, Lucy Scarlett, Corinna Burger and Claudine Pearson having benefitted from the morning division in an VIII, were ready to race again, ably coxed again by Alistair Washbourn travelling especially for the race. In the strong head wind, Stratford started well and created an excellent rhythm that they were able to build on round the bend and maintain throughout. Responding to a fantastic call from the cox, the crew raised the rate for a final push at the end to take the win, negating the time handicap from a strong Bewdley crew.

The MWD4x of Heather Hayton, Suzie Radley, Amanda Bowden and Sue Brown had a great row, despite the conditions, to take the win in a time of seven minutes and nineteen seconds. Amanda Bowden, Masters Vice Captain, commented, “I am delighted that Monmouth Head was still able to go ahead, following the flood waters that had engulfed the whole valley earlier on in the week due to ‘Storm Bert’ and the remaining fast stream. The enjoyment and value gained by developing oarsmen and women is enormous. This is evident in the testimony given by Gavin Bliss who said, “As a novice rower, who only started rowing in April, what an amazing experience on a very fast flowing stretch of river.” In another comment from the Club Chairman, Dawson Curnock, himself recently learnt to row having first followed his daughter’s rowing career when she was a junior at the Club said, “We had a great race, the problem was it was over so quickly! I now understand what all the fuss is about regarding this rowing – I had a great time!” The Masters would like thank the coxes, Jen Cary and Alistair Washbourne and Dawson Curnock for towing.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-squads-celebrate-success-at-monmouth and Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/rowers-scoop-medals-at-annual-winter-event-9394821 and page thirty six.

Henley Triumphs for Stratford!

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On Saturday 2nd November, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Junior Squad travelled south to the spiritual home of rowing, Henley on Thames, to compete in the annual Long Distance Sculls event.  Contested over 3km on Henley Reach the event attracts top clubs and schools from around the country.  With higher than normal stream levels the conditions favoured those who steered a canny course close to the bank. The Stratford J16 squad competed twice in both J16 and J18 events with the first crews to boat in WJ16 double sculls. The double scull of Martha Baines and Poppy Warren delivered a solid row to record fifth place; Tessa Parkin and Josephine Cooper achieved eighth and Sophie Franklin and Becca Smith came home tenth. The WJ16 single scull athletes of Poppy Warren, Tessa Parkin and Becca Smith achieved seventh, ninth and tenth respectively. Rowing up to the J18 category, the J16 athletes delivered strong second rows on the Henley course with single scullers Maeve Dunn, Martha Cooke, Isla Dunn and Millie Smith achieving creditable placings of fourteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and twenty first respectively. In the J18 double sculls event, Martha Baines and Maeve Dunn ranked eleventh, Millie Smith and Martha Cooke ranked sixteenth and the crew of Josephine Cooper and Isla Dunn coming home twentieth after being obstructed by a slower crew for the final 500m of the course.

With the usual first races of the season being cancelled, the J17/18 squad turned up at Henley excited at the prospect of some racing. With fine conditions but still some strong stream to contend with, the first Stratford crew of the day consisted of Aimee Appleton, Lucy Sartain, Lily Warren and Poppy Baines racing in the WJ18 quads. Executing a blistering start, the quad stormed down the course to claim sixth place in a competitive field. Next up were the J17/18 double of Jamie Wilcock and Seth Vondrak racing for the first time together. They sculled well and fought hard down the course to overtake a crew in the final stretch to secure eleventh place. The afternoon division saw V Vondrak and Scarlett Richardson compete in the WJ18 2x event. Settling in quickly to their race pace, rowing a good length and rhythm they overtook one crew in the first 1500m and continued pushing all the way to the finish to earn a very respectable third place. Finally, racing a year up in the J18 1x Xavier Sissins-Roffey got off to a quick start and fought hard all the way to earn himself fortieth of fifty five in a competitive field. J17/18 coach Eric Appleton said, “This was the first chance to race for many of the squad in over the last three months so it was good to get out and put all the hard training into practice on such a famous stretch of river. We’re very happy with the performances and looking forward to the next race.”

Stratford Masters WMD4x squad of Ellie Davis, Gina Fusco, Christine Goodwin and Ruth Poulten were inspired by the opportunity to race the iconic Henley Royal Regatta Course and it didn’t disappoint! Starting 3K downstream, conditions were good with five other crews competing in their category. The crew got off to a great start settling in to their planned rate twenty eight strokes per minute but a strong Marlow quad forced them into the middle of the river at the famous Temple Island and into a challenging upstream current. Undeterred and motivated by the encouragement at recent indoor ergo sessions, the Stratford crew held their line for the rest of the course racing side by side with the Marlow club to the finish and finished in a respectable fifth place.

Nick Sartain represented the Stratford’s Masters men. It proved to be a demanding race, especially given the lack of recent long distance training, against a competitive field. Pleased with his performance, Nick is looking forward to Stourport Head next weekend.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty three https://digital.imnews.app/app/STR931/editionguid/ca79aa62-774f-4c6b-814b-9ee8a4bc1fa5 and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/junior-rowers-tackle-long-distance-event-9390768 and Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/11/08&pages=32 and also online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-juniors-oar-some-displays-at-henley-upon-thames

For more great pictures of Henley LDS, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9kJVQ1KjfA4EylOeRag?e=yEzQjY