Tag Archives: Jane Cryer

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’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.

Masters Progress at Gloucester!

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On a beautifully sunny day on Gloucester canal, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Women’s Masters VIII had a great race, enjoying fantastic flat water. The crew of Rebecca England (stroke), Rebecca Paul, Jane Cryer, Lin Hansen, Corinna Burger, Katie Burman, Geraldine Chorley and Lucy Scarlett (bow) was expertly coxed by Maria from Bewdley Rowing Club. Over the 5km course, the newly formed crew worked hard, keeping their strokes long and loose despite being hotly pursued. They used this as excellent motivation to increase their pace and finish strongly in their first head race of the season. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all. Masters’ Vice Captain Amanda Bowden commented, “This was a good test for the crew and I am pleased to see increased levels of training are paying off. Well done to Lucy Scarlett competing in her first Head race and to Rebecca Paul, Corinna Burger and Geraldine Chorley returning to rowing following a break. To commit to a 5k race for the first one is very impressive!”

Following the disappointment of previous cancelled events. the WMD4x of Emily Sayers, Christine Goodwin, Gina Fusco and Ellie Davis were looking forward to their first race of the season. The crew rowed well and came second in their event and were pleased with their commitment over the 5k race. Gina Fusco added, “We now have a benchmark for the head season and next weekend’s race at Henley Long Distance Sculls.”

The fastest Stratford crew of the day was the WMD2x stoked by Suzie Radley. Sticking to a consistent rate and boat speed, the crew had an exciting and somewhat rocky race following the eights ahead of them. Amanda Bowden at bow responded positively to the steering of the crew ahead as she looked to overtake. However, failing to find a safe path by which to pass, it wasn’t until the final 1km that the opportunity opened up and the crew went past at the finish line. Racing for ‘time only’, the crew saw this as beneficial training for further races this season.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty two https://digital.imnews.app/app/STR931/editionguid/70fdf4e8-8f3a-4c8a-ae15-2872da07e50a and Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/11/01&pages=32 and online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-womens-masters-impress-at-gloucester-autumn-head

The Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race 2024 – “Taming of the Tideway”

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Congratulations to Suzie Radley who won the Masters D VIII division in a time of 19:59mins. This time was faster than the winning Masters C VIII, a huge achievement having raced the course twice in as many weeks.

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s novice masters women’s crew took on the challenge of rowing 6.7km along the championship course in London. Coxed expertly by Jen Carey, the crew – Jane Cryer (s), Lin Hansen, Katie Burman, Ruth Poulten, Caroline Collins, Vicki Noyes, Clare Booth and Rona Fitzpatrick – raced in a field of two hundred and sixty masters’ boats from Chiswick through to Putney. After several weeks of tough river conditions, the sun shone and the wind died down to allow the ladies crew a good race with a solid rhythm and a strong finish.

Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “Particular thanks to the fabulous support crew – Esme and Alfie Booth and Paul Fitzpatrick. Also a special mention to our wider group of masters’ ladies for their significant support over the last ten weeks through training, coxing and coaching. A great first race experience and plenty to build on!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-radley-tops-division-in-vesta-international-masters-head-of-the-river-race and also on back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/04/05&pages=24

Stratford Conquer The Tideway!

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Congratulations to Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s Masters Women, Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden who raced at the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race (WEHORR) and won the Masters Pennant!

WEHORR is rowed over 6.8km on the Tideway in London from Chiswick Bridge to Putney on the ebb tide, the same course that the University Boat Race will row over at the end of March but in the other direction.

The Stratford’s Masters women were invited to row in a composite crew with other clubs and it was a great privilege to be able to race in the boat that was used by the US Women’s winning eight in the 2016 Olympics.

The masters crew set up with a strong rhythm and maintained that for the duration of the course at 31 strokes per minute, overtaking two crews and gaining on a third. It was a solid row in tough conditions as the head wind pushed against the tide producing very choppy water. The adjusted time for masters was 20:06 minutes which would place the crew 26 out of 158, up amongst some of the university A times.

The crew enjoyed the Victory Celebration presentation in the evening, with the medals being presented by Annamarie Phelps CBE, Olympic Rower and previous Vice Chair of the Olympic Association, and hosted by Stratford’s Honorary Life Member Camilla Hadland-Horrocks, rowing commentator for Olympic and Paralympic Games. Another successful Stratford rower, Katie Wellstead was also spotted at the event, rowing for OUBC.

This year the event had been expecting to host many more crews, but sadly due to the high water levels and in the interest of safety, about 50% of the less experienced crews were withdrawn, including Stratford’s own junior 18 girls boat. We hope that the Stratford J18 crew will get to enjoy the long Tideway Course next year or with future university crews. For now, they should take some comfort, the conditions were horrible!

Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Stratford’s Women Masters Vice Captain said, “We would like to thank the masters women for all their encouragement and support. Messages before, during and after the event have ensured that the masters women are well supported.

There is more masters women Tideway action to come as the Masters E Crew of Jane Cryer, Ruth Poulton, Katie Burman, Lin Hansen, Caroline Collins, Victoria Noyes, Clare Booth and Rona Fitzpatrick and cox Jen Carey will be racing at Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race on Sunday 24th March. They have been training hard and we all wish them good luck!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty six and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-rowers-compete-in-usa-olympics-boat-9357098 and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-womens-masters-pair-triumph-on-the-tideway and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/03/15&pages=24

Mammoth Day at Monmouth for Stratford’s Women’s Masters!

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A strong squad of masters women from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club competed in both divisions at Sunday’s Monmouth Winter Head, winning medals in the VIII and Quads.

This was the largest number of masters women that Stratford has seen out in a while, boating two VIIIs, three quads and a coxed four. Despite a series of unfortunate events that could have derailed the plans for the day, including crew illness, mechanical failure resulting in two boats remaining at Stratford and some pretty awful weather, the adaptability of the squad members coupled with generosity from Monmouth rescued the situation and saved the day.

In the morning division, the first VIII composite had a very solid row in a time of 7.39mins, beating two other crews. The stern pair of Amanda Bowden and Suzie Radley set a strong rhythm for the crew. The middle four of Heather Hayton, Rebecca England, Ruth Poulten and Charlotte Jones, were called upon a couple of times for extra pushes. The response was felt and the boat lifted, supported with good timing from Rona Fitzpatrick and Susan Brown (Xpress Boat Club) in the bows. The crew was ably coxed by Keris McShane.

The second VIII of Jane Cryer (stroke), Ellie Davies, Emily Sayer, Lin Hansen, Geraldine Chorley, Lucy Kelleher, Claudine Pearson and Paola Arevelo Ward, were confidently coxed along the 2.25km by Jen Carey. The crew went off at a rate of 26 strokes per minute, settling to 24 after three minutes before finishing strongly at 27 with a respectable time of 8.22mins. This was an enjoyable row despite the cold wet conditions and challenges faced in order to get a boat on the water. Jane Cryer commented, “Great to see so many women representing Stratford Boat Club at this event and enjoying their sport.”

In the afternoon division, the winning Women’s Masters C 4x- of Ellie Davis, Gina Fusco, Christine Goodwin and Emily Sayers had a very good row. They beat Worcester by seven seconds. They were delighted with the win having stuck to their race plan and produced a good race.

The winning composite Women’s Masters D/E 4x- of Heather Hayton, Suzie Radley, Amanda Bowden and Susan Brown (Xpress Boat Club) had a fabulous row, in a time of 7.37mins beating Upton and Gloucester.

The novice Women’s Masters D/E 4x- was stroked by Lucy Kelleher and backed up by Jane Connolly, Mel Brown (substitute) and Claudine Pearson. Claudine was steering for the first time in a race. This developmental stage for a sculler is a positive step for racing crews. Mel Brown from Monmouth Boat Club, commented on what a great line Claudine had taken down the river.

The Women’s Masters C 4+ was coxed by Jen Carey, stroked by Rebecca England, was supported by Lin Hansen, Jane Cryer and Ruth Poulten. They came in 26seconds after the winners, Evesham Boat Club. This crew is recently formed and one to watch in the future.

Vice Captain, Amanda Bowden said, “The squad is developing to show real strength in depth. Crews are beginning to see rewards, or will do soon, for the effort they put in. Time on the water and in the gym is ensuring that we have strong and technically competitive crews. I am delighted with the progress this autumn, it bodes well for the summer racing. Thanks goes to Eric Appleton for trailering and supporting the crews on a rather cold, damp day and to the finishing coaches Dan Simkins and Sam Hill.”

Sadly, the juniors squads’ Wycliffe Small Boats Head on Saturday was cancelled at the very last minute after the crews and their boats had travelled to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

For media coverage of Stratford’s Women’s Masters’ triumphs at Monmouth Rowing Club’s Winter Head see Stratford Herald page thirty nine and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/medals-for-rowers-at-monmouth-meeting-9343383 and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-mammoth-effort-from-boat-clubs-womens-masters-at-monmouth and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/12/08&pages=24

A Week of Prizes for Stratford’s Masters’ Women’s Squad!

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Last week started well for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club with Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden attending the Pairs Head Prize Giving at Barnes Bridge Ladies Boat Club, London, on Sunday. Said Amanda Bowden, Women’s Masters’ Vice Captain, “We were delighted to receive our medals and a pennant plaque, for Stratford Boat Club, from the Great Britain sculler John Collins. John is the two times Olympian in the double sculls and currently training for Paris.”

Amanda and Suzie’s celebrated their win at The Pairs Head was in unimaginable glorious conditions with the two masters’ women’s double rowed on the 4.5km Championship Course from Chiswick to Hammersmith. Club Captain Heather Hayton and Liz Collins also raced in The Pairs Head in the WMB2x event and had a fabulous race thoroughly enjoying the occasion. Amanda Bowden and Suzie Radley’s win the WMD2x Club event at The Pairs Head was in a time of 16.26 minutes. Amanda commented, “This was first time I have rowed this event: it was great fun and I was delighted to have steered a good course. We all look forward to returning to the Tideway racing again soon.”

This last weekend was also a day of firsts, this time at Gloucester Autumn Head: the Club was hugely pleased to boat three masters’ women’s crews at this Autumn Head on Sunday.

The masters’ women’s novice four was stroked with length and strength by Jane Cryer with cox Celia Price steering from bow for the first time, navigating canal bridges and brambles from Cleopatra’s coffin seat with care. Katie Burman, Rebecca England and Claudine Pearson completed the novice crew. The crew, who had no points on their British Rowing licences, were pleased and disappointed in equal measure that only a second separated them from the significantly younger Evesham crew who took the win.

The afternoon division put the women’s masters’ coxless quad through their paces. Steered again from the bow, by Rosie Stone, with Jackie Joesbury, Kate Slater and Clare Pass (stroke), the crew got off to a good start. Maintaining a lead for half the race, they could not quite hold off the youthful opposition of a crew from the University of West England. Given that this was the first race the crew had attempted in a coxless quad, they were pleased to have finished the race in style and had a great day out!

Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden also had a good race. The bobbly water was challenging but they were happy to beat last year’s time and take the win!

Masters Women’s Vice Captain, Amanda Bowden was particularly impressed with Celia Price’s enthusiasm to bow steer for the first time after lowering herself into the bow ‘seat’. Amanda commented further, “This is not for the faint hearted and takes some time to adjust: Celia did this after only one practice! Katie Burman was racing for the first time and Rosie Stone steering a coxless crew for the first time. I was really proud of the squad: it was a fun day and a win for the novice crews is on the near horizon! Many thanks from all the masters’ women to Simon Price for trailering the boats!”

Also at Gloucester Autumn Head were Paul Collins and Mike Adkins who were against a crew from Taunton in the Masters’ H 2x category. Conditions were a bit choppy and challenging but they managed to catch and pass the Taunton crew, extricate themselves from a melee of eights, doubles and singles and row on for a win!

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty two and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-clubs-masters-womens-squad-impress-at-gloucester-autumn-head and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/11/03&pages=32