Tag Archives: Nottingham

Stratford’s Juniors Excel at Junior National Championships and Masters Conquer at Bewdley

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The weekend saw the British Rowing Club Championships in Nottingham with Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s juniors out in force. Held on the 2000m lake at the National Water Sports Centre, the event brings together clubs and schools from across the country over a four day period.

First to race were the J17/J18 squad. J18 single scullers Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak boated first, however were unable to progress beyond the Time Trial stage. Next to go were the WJ18 double sculls of Millie Smith and Maeve Dunn plus Martha Baines and Poppy Baines. Following the time trial, the Baines sisters progressed to the E Final where they battled their way through from sixth to cross the line in third place. Moving into the second day of the regatta, the J18 boys raced again in the coxless pair. Their time trial performance earned them a place in the semi-finals where they progressed to the B-Final and a fifth place finish. In the WJ18 single sculls, Alexandra Francis recorded eleventh place in the time trial and moved forward to the semi-finals to win a place in the B-Final and sixth place overall.

Blessed with hot weather and mild winds, the following Stratford J16 crews took to the Holme Pierrepoint water on Friday: Maria Ntoukaki and Imogen de Pennington in the WJ16 1x time trial. Maria, still somewhat under the weather a D category struggled to reach a higher stroke rate, recorded a 6:36.2 time over the 1,500m (thirty second out of fifty four competitors) whilst Imogen posted a fabulous 6:13.5 (third place) which put her into the semi final AB2 around at noon, in which she came second, thereby qualifying for the A final. Maria came fifth in her F final, a really good row in the circumstances. Imogen finished sixth in a 8:30.7 time, five seconds faster than her semifinal time. Commenting, Hugo Happel, J16 Coach said, “Credit to both girls who showed grit, determination and dare in their finals.”

On Saturday, Ed Appleton sculled really well in his time trial, recording a 6:11.9 time, against seventy other 16 year old men. Sadly Ed’s great technique did not land him a final. On Sunday, it was the turn of the coxless quads, first up Seb Happel, Euan Richter, Will Shaw and Ed Appleton, followed by Orla Linforth, Imogen de Pennington, Maria Ntoukaki and Erin Appleton. Both crews sculled very well indeed and made their way into a C final later in the day. The boys’ quad came sixth in 7:15.9 and the girls came third in 7:33.4. Commenting further, coach Hugo Happel said, “Overall, a fantastic display of good technique and attitude, a credit to the Club and all came away with numerous learning points as well additional experience. Joint Coach Eric Appleton and I felt very proud of them all.”

Six of Stratford Boat Club’s J15 rowers represented the club in small boats at the Junior National Championships. In the single sculls category, Reuben Stanford finished forty eighth out of seventy six competitors, thirty three seconds behind the fastest time, while Abi Dunn rowed to forty nineth pace out of seventy six competitors, thirty sixth seconds off of first place.

In the double sculls, Bethany Hammond and Raya Hothi placed in fifty fifth places (eleven seconds off a place in the final) with fellow crew of Meredith Paul and Lily Parsons placed sixtieth (fourteen seconds off a place in the final), in a field of sixty seven competitors.

Commenting, Dave Parkin, J15 Coach said, “Although none of the J15 crews were in the top thirty six places to progress to the finals, all six athletes delivered solid performances in strongly contested races and should be proud of their achievements at a national level event.”

The J14 squad was represented at the Championships by Ethan Siwakowski (OJ14 1x), Mary Heenan (WJ14 1x). Both had great time trials given the level of competition and moved forward to F & D Finals respectively where both put in outstanding performances in their finals to finish in second place, one and a half seconds off first and fourth place respectively. Great results from the work put in over the last month especially.

Christopher Durance and Arthur Burt (OJ14 2x) and Islay Milles and Amelia Cruickshank (WJ14 2x) both had great time trails as their earlier squad members did to round off the initial rounds of the event. Chris and Arthur moved forward to their D Final with Islay and Amelia progressing to a sixth place overall in the time trials and semifinals where they also finished sixth  overall and into the A Final. In their final, Chris and Arthur had a great row which improved their seeded position to fifth, again proving that all the hard work that they have put in over the last few weeks.

Islay and Amelia had a tricky start to their A Final which was the last race of the event and had a great race from that point on to finish fourth, two seconds off the bronze medal improving their seeding by two places.

Commenting, Dawson Curnock, J14 Coach said, “Overall, a superb day for the squad with everyone making finals and all the athletes coming away with individual wins and learnings to take away into training and the next event. As a coach, I saw a great effort from everyone, not forgetting the parents that carried boats and blades throughout the day, their support is really appreciated!”

Stratford’s Masters’ squad were also in action at Bewdley Regatta: in the morning division, a composite crew of Ann Jewell from Gloucester Rowing Club, Eva Rankin from Loch Lomond Rowing Club and Claudine Pearson and Kjersti Rogneflaten Woolley from Stratford Boat Club had entered as WMasG4x drawn against an experienced Bewley women’s crew. After a good start, the crew unfortunately hit an underwater object and had to stop to recover a blade. To complete the race, they had a good row with excellent steering from Claudine, her first in a competition as bow.

In the afternoon division, Eva Rankin and Kjersti Rogneflaten Woolley raced WMasG2x against an experienced double from Evesham Rowing Club in the semifinal. After a good start and some steering challenges in the wind, they worked hard to just beat Evesham by half a length. In the final, the crew were up against a Loughborough. The Stratford double rowed well and won comfortably. Kjersti commented saying, “An amazing day that showed what masters women can do when they just want to race!”

Corinna Burger and Helen Helliwell had a strong day in their double. In their first race, a semifinal against a Hereford crew, there was some pre-race anticipation and worries about steering but once racing, they settled quickly, held a steady pace and raced with great will to take the win. The final was against tough competition: knowing the plan, they put down a confident, well-steered piece with good rhythm but just came up short on the day. Overall, a really positive outing with solid steering experience to build on for future races.

In one of her first races in a single, Rebecca England competed in the afternoon division at Bewdley regatta against Ironbridge. Despite being greeted at the start with the first rain of the summer, England settled into a good rhythm and, for the most part, managed to stay away from the bushes and shallows on the course. This allowed her to steadily pull away from her opponent and take the win. Speaking afterwards, Rebecca said, “I really enjoyed being in a 1x even though the steering was quite stressful!”

Ellie Davies and Gina Fusco raced Women’s Masters E 2x in a late afternoon with a straight final against Monmouth. A strong start enabled the Stratford crew to get into the lead which they extended over the course to take the win.

Jake Blatcher competed in Open singles in one of the first races of the day: this quarter final was against a Worcester sculler who Jake had beaten in Cardiff recently. The result was identical, a Jake win by four lengths. The semifinal was competitive for half the course before Jake’s technique began to tell with Jake going on to win convincingly. In the final, Jake was always a little faster than his Birmingham opponent: that and his superior steering resulted in a comfortable win by three lengths. A great day of racing by Jake with a well earned medal at the end of it: this was Jake’s second regatta win in a couple of weeks.

Patrick Taylor and Dan Simkins competed in the double scull and the pair categories, enjoying a great day of racing with fellow Masters rowers. They finished second in both events, missing out on the medals on this occasion.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-juniors-show-their-potential-at-national-champions-9475966 and also Stratford Observer back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/07/31&pages=32#page/32

For more great pictures of British Rowing Club Championships, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://1drv.ms/f/c/3dd8f6a70c0cb625/IgAeHLJNQmY6QpAR9zkwCOjDAb4Hf4lMesvxfl-1T4V1rXA

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

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Although the wait of a year seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and nineteen crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec. Fun Regatta organiser Adam Franklin said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle even though the weather was hotter than ideal: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed in multi coloured outfits: first place in the Fancy Dress competition were Boudicca’s Babes, second were The John Macenrows and third were Oar Blimey. The winners for the rowing regatta itself were Meander Club by just one foot over The River Rangers

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

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

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

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-hold-annual-fun-regatta-on-the-avon, https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/picture-special-rowers-take-to-the-avon-for-stratford-boat-clubs-fun-regatta and page two https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/07/17&pages=32#page/2 and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/07/17&pages=32#page/30 and also Stratford Herald centre page twenty four and twenty five and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/gallery-15-photos-of-stratford-boat-club-s-fun-regatta-2026-9474677

For more great pictures of the Fun Regatta, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/?id=%2Fpersonal%2F3dd8f6a70c0cb625%2FDocuments%2FPictures%2FFun%20Regatta%202026&listurl=%2Fpersonal%2F3dd8f6a70c0cb625%2FDocuments&ithint=folder&e=s0qZx2&migratedtospo=true&redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0lnQ2VqZFJrVDhmVFQ1WUY3MktNLUhlcEFZTjZUSG9jRmVha3N3UXdnVDhSNEVNP2U9czBxWngy&ga=1

Stratford’s Adaptives Clean Up at Marlow and Nottingham

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive section attended both Marlow Town Regetta and the British Masters Championships at Nottingham over weekend. The highlight was the 14 year old Edward Owen-Smith winning the Chelton Cup at Marlow. The cup is battled out between the fastest male scullers. The final was between Edward and Marlow’s Hussein. Hussein had a much faster start but Edward’s better technique and fitness soon told and he ended up a convincing winner. The Wards, Paulo and Ian, competed in the Mixed Doubles event. Unfortunately, they got caught on a buoy early in their race which put pay to their chances, eventually losing by just a couple of lengths.

The Masters Championships were offering adaptive racing for the very first time. The Stratford scullers, Gillian Middleton and Ricky Clutterbuck, finishing second and third in their respective events. Head Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney commented, “Both sculled well against some first class opposition. I am very pleased with them both. We attend some events to ensure the sport expands: the four clubs who competed at Nottingham will hopefully ensure the same opportunity for other adaptive rowers in the future.”

Also competing at the weekend were Stratford Masters Women: rowing in one of the last races of the day Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco competed in 2x Women’s Masters 50+ in a final of six crews. Ellie and Gina set off at a rate of thirty six strokes a minute and settled into a rhythmic row at rate thirty two strokes a minute. Feeling strong as they came to the last 200m they unfortunately hit a buoy and had to recover their pace and missed the win by one second. Ellie Davis commented, “Despite no medal, we were pleased with our performance coming fourth out of twenty four crews competing in Women’s Masters 50+.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/06/19&pages=24#page/24 and online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-adaptive-athletes-star-at-marlow-and-nottingham also Stratford Herald page forty five and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/owen-smith-leads-stratford-s-adaptive-rowers-with-chelton-cu-9470667

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

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Although the wait of a year seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and twenty crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec, Fun Regatta organiser Adam Franklin said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle even though the weather was hotter than ideal: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed in multi coloured outfits, Britney Spears look a likes – One M’oar Time; nuns and bishops – White Smoke; red and white striped blazers and boaters – May The Oars Be With You; Ninjas in black and white and a troop of Jedi warriors! There were also crews made up from local companies and organisations such as Simplify IT, Stratford Ladies Netball Team and a squad from Stratford upon Avon Rugby Club

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

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

Whilst the Club members were running the Fun Regatta, the Club’s masters’ squad were competing in a fantastic two days of racing at Henley Masters Regatta. Held on the iconic Henley Royal Regatta course, the event attracts crews from all over the world competing with the best national crews for a chance to race between the booms.

A bye in the first round saw Stratford’s Mx4x race against Trafford in the quarter final. A strong start ably stroked by Rebecca England saw Stratford racing at thirty six strokes per minute ease out to a two length lead by the 300 metre mark and by halfway had stretched this lead to three lengths. With the race under control, Stratford were able to ease back on the power and finish comfortable winners by three lengths.

Significantly sterner opposition awaited Stratford in the semifinal with World and National Championship medallists Warwick Rowing Club. A strong start with Rebecca leading the crew off at forty strokes per minute and a high tempo race pace of thirty six strokes per minute saw the crews neck and neck at the 300 metre barrier. Warwick, knowing they were in a race, began to increase their effort but excellent steering by Jeanette Caldicott, fresh from her excellent win on Saturday, and a big effort by Pete Spivey and Tom Doherty in the engine room kept Stratford in touch out to the 600 metre mark. Warwick’s superior size and strength saw them increase their lead towards the end of the race running out winners by just over a length.

Said crew member Pete Spivey, “Rebecca and Jeanette with their excellent race control and steering gave us a great platform for two excellent races. Given our limited training opportunities beforehand we can be very satisfied.”

Saturday also saw Stratford’s J17 pair of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak race in Band One of the open pairs category at Burton regatta. The crew took a win in their first round by two lengths against an adult composite from Derwent and Trentham, leading the whole way after a strong start. They then went on to win the final against a Derby crew easily, giving them a solid practice race and a good result the week before racing at the British Rowing Championships.

Meanwhile, Curtis Dickens, the pararower from Stratford’s adaptive squad, followed up his recent GB appearance at the Rowing World Cup in Italy with victory at the trials for the England squad. He will represent his country in two weeks’ time at Dorney Lake, the venue of the 2012 Olympic rowing international competition, in the Home Internationals.

Curtis’ adaptive colleagues raced in Cardiff this weekend where Stratford’s adaptive squad won all their races which is in line with their results elsewhere this season. Edward Owen-Smith, a recent thirteen year old adaptive recruit, won in his single and also in a double with buddy rower Aron Altman. Stratford’s Gillian Middleton won comfortably in the women’s double event partnered by a Llandaff rower. The best race of the day involved Paola and Ian Ward who had a titanic struggle with the mixed double crew from Ross with the Wards eventually winning by a length and half. Jake Blatcher had tough draws in the mainstream singles events each day.

Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach, said, “Jake continues to be very competitive but just coming up short: a win must be surely just around the corner!”

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

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer page four https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/07/18&pages=24 and online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/all-smiles-at-stratford-boat-clubs-fun-regatta and Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/masters-compete-against-the-nation-s-best-on-iconic-course-9425571 and pages forty seven and pages twenty two and twenty three

For pictures of the Fun Regatta, see Kathy Baines’ great selection at https://1drv.ms/f/c/8e50dac120123b06/EsckqrD2bNZGuZ_TxqfQOZcBRP0rWUyhtwHd2Bp8W4x3Fg

Peterborough, Ironbridge & Nottingham in One Weekend!

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Saturday saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14 squad in action at Peterborough Junior Championships on the purpose-built Cambridgeshire rowing lake. The event drew in top schools and clubs from the junior rowing scene to do battle on the 1000m four lane course. First to go in the heats were the WJ14 coxed quadruple scull of Martha Cooke, Millie Smith, Josephine Cooper, Isla Dunn and Maeve Dunn (coxswain) with a solid fifth place of the twenty four crews entered.  Going forward to the B Final, the girls had a ding dong battle with Cambridge’s Rob Roy Boat Club to finish second by the slimmest of margins.

Next to go were the WJ14 double sculls of Sophie Franklin and Becca Smith along with Bryony Francis and Poppy Warren going to work in the heats to record fourth and fifth place respectively of twenty two entrants. In their finals the Francis/Warren combination dominated their B Final and romped over the line in first place whilst the Franklin/Smith crew chased Nottingham and Union down the course to maintain their fourth place overall ranking. In the last of the J14 events, Stratford’s single scullers took to the course as the afternoon heat continued to bake the spectators. In the heats Stratford was represented by Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines and Maeve Dunn who recorded eighth, fifth and fourth respectively of the thirty three scullers racing. In the B Final, Tessa and Martha brought their best to finish fourth and second against stiff competition.  Meanwhile, in the A Final, Maeve Dunn dug deep and tore down the lake to better her time trial ranking and earn herself a richly deserved silver medal against quality competition in the process.

Stratford’s Junior 15 squad also competed at the Peterborough Junior Championships. The competition was intense, with crews from Leeds, Lincoln, Oxford, Sussex, and London. There were one hundred and fifty two races, with four-lane racing and initial time trials. The fastest twelve crews were seeded into the ABC finals, which took place throughout the day.

In the double sculls event for the Junior 15’s, Theo Richter and Ollie Rowlands represented their squad and finished third in the C final. Xavier Sissins-Rofey and Seth Vondrak competed in the time trials for the same event and finished fourth in the B final. Vondrak and Sissins-Rofey also competed in the single sculls event and finished fourth in their respective division B finals. Lucy Yang and Alice Jones raced in the Junior Women’s 15 single sculls event. Yang did not qualify for the finals due to being overwhelmed by her first singles event more to come in future events but Jones finished third in the C final.

In the double sculls event for the girls, Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines narrowly missed out on the A final but won their B final. Lily Warren and Sophie Evans finished fourth in their B final. Francis also competed in the single sculls event and won a bronze medal in the A final, while Baines placed second in the B final.

Commenting, Colin Bell J15 Coach said, “Overall, the event provided valuable learning experiences for Francis, Baines, and Vondrak, who will apply what they learned in the upcoming British Junior Championships.”

Sunday saw the trials for the U16 GB vs France match take place at the National Watersports’ Centre in Nottingham. ‘V’ Vondrak and Scarlett Richardson entered in the double sculls event in their first opportunity to compete for a GB Rowing badge. With the forecast for thunderstorms in the afternoon, the side by side finals were cut from the programme meaning selection would be based on performance in the time trials only. The Stratford girls sculled well in the early heat of the day, missing out on a top five finish by just 0.5 seconds but demonstrating they are in the mix with the most competitive crews in the country.

Meanwhile, Jake Blatcher, competing in the open single sculls event, was the only Stratford Boat Club representative at Ironbridge Regatta on Saturday. In the first round he came up against a local rival from Evesham. Jake overcame his opponent, in a hard fought race, by a length and a half. His semi-final against a young sculler from Liverpool Victoria Rowing Club proved a more straightforward affair. Pulling away consistently, he won easily.

This win set up Jake for a final against a very good sculler from Falcon Rowing Club (Oxford). The tall rower from Falcon set up an early lead. In the last few hundred metres, Jake’s improved technique started to tell and he began to close quickly on his rival. Unfortunately, he was not able to quite catch up before the finish line. Mark Dewdney, Head Adaptive Coach commented, “This was another sign of progress in an encouraging season. I’m pleased with the performance”.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-juniors-take-on-peterborough-junior-championships and Stratford Herald page fifty two

For more great pictures of Peterborough Junior Championships, please see Kathy and Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j69o2xUB_tV0JoX2OQ?e=1HikGG

Stratford Triumph at Marlow and British Masters’ Rowing Championships!

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive squad went to Marlow Town regatta for what to most was the first racing of their regatta season. There was a hint of regatta rustiness!

The race of the day was an all Stratford final between Rob Pedley and Jess Dowdeswell in the PR1 singles. This is a fixed seat event for those with a Spinal Cord Injury or some other condition that makes it impossible to use legs. It was nip and tuck all the way with the vastly more experienced Pedley winning by just one foot!

Andy Morris triumphed in a PR3 event, defeating his Oxford rival by a length. There was also a surprise win for Curtis Dickens and Jake Blatcher: Curtis has been rowing for less than two months. However, they trounced a Marlow and Sudbury crew.

The rest of the squad performed well, but all lost their finals by small margins.

Jess Dowdeswell and Curtis Dickens have been referred to the Stratford Boat Club by the GB Paralympic team. The Club’s adaptive coaching team have been asked to develop them to the appropriate level.

The weekend also saw the highlight of the masters’ regatta season with the British Rowing Masters Championships held at the multi lane national course at Holme Pierrepoint in Nottingham. The event, held over two days in glorious sunshine, attracted a record entry of over eight hundred crews to race on the 1000m multi lane course. A very strong tailwind and a choppy course promised challenging but fast racing. Stratford upon Avon Boat Club we were represented by a number of women’s and men’s crews competing over the two days.

Saturday saw the first action for Stratford with Heather Hatton and Tom Doherty competing with their friends Tabatha and Julian Scrivener from the Upton club in mixed masters E (average age 55) quad sculls (two blades [oars] each) against a strong field from Warwick, Monmouth and Ardingly.

A good start from Stratford/Upton saw them edge ahead of Ardingly to lead Monmouth and Warwick by about a length at the halfway 500m mark. A big push from Warwick saw them close to about half a length at the 750m mark with Monmouth still in the race only a length behind. With all to play for, Warwick continued their push drawing level at the 800m mark.

A furious race to the finish continued with Warwick using their size and strength to just push through to win by three seconds with Stratford /Upton settling for the silver medal in second place ahead of a strong Monmouth crew a length behind in third place.

Next up at midday in the heat of the sun was Stratford’s Ed Lewry and Nic Sartain in the Men’s Masters’ B (average age 35) double scull event. The race was a heat with three of the five crews progressing to the final later in the day. A fast start from Ed and Nic saw them pushing hard for a final place.

With only four seconds separating the four crews at halfway, a tight finish was on the cards. With Nottingham and Poplar edging ahead, the final place was between Stratford and Falcon clubs. A very close finish saw Stratford pipped by the slenderest of margins of less than half a second.

Next up for Stratford was Heather Hayton and Tom Doherty in their Mixed Masters E double scull category. Racing former internationals from Castle Semple and also multiple championship winners from Lakeland, the race was always going to be for the minor places. As predicted Castle Semple and Lakeland moved away from the rest of the field in the by now quite choppy conditions leaving a three way battle for the minor placing between Bewel Bridge, Stratford and Bentham. A big push by Stratford in the final 250m was not enough to overhaul Bewel Bridge however and Stratford had to settle for fifth place.

The final Stratford competitor saw Tim Lunel racing in the Single Masters’ E sculls event. In what was one of the strongest entries of the whole championship with three heats, it was always going to be a stiff challenge to qualify for the final. With the choppy conditions still persisting, Tim put in a solid performance but sadly it was not enough to make the final.

Sunday saw Stratford back in action with Tom Doherty racing in the Men’s Coxless fours sweep (one oar) race with Greenbank Falmouth. Despite never having rowed together before, the crew were looking to qualify from their heat for the final. Against a quality field including ex-Irish internationals from Commercial Rowing Club and Upper Thames, Nottingham and Avon County, it was going to be a big ask.

A very fast start rating forty one strokes per minute and a fast race tempo of thirty eight strokes a minute for the whole course, enabled the Stratford/Greenbank composite to edge ahead by a length over a much fancied Nottingham crew to hold third place behind Commercial and Upper Thames and qualify for the final. A further tough race in the final saw the Stratford/Greenbank, Tyne and Minerva Bath crews battle for the minor places with only two seconds separating the three crews at the finish.

And finally for Stratford, Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden won a gold medal at the British Masters’ Rowing Championships! The double rowed with a powerful, consistent rhythm, pulling away from the competition over the length of the course. The conditions were very favourable, although swelteringly hot! The masters’ women were delighted to demonstrate improved cohesion and boat speed, both positive steps in preparing for the European Masters’ Championships at the end of July.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-masters-win-gold-and-silver-at-british-rowing-championships

Success at Junior Championships!

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The British Rowing Junior Championships took place at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham over the last three days with tight racing from the J14 & J15 crews on Friday. The day started with a morning of time trials over the 900-metre course ahead of the G to A Finals in the afternoon held over 1000 meters. It was a complete regatta for the J14 and J15 crews, with their J16 and J18 counterparts racing across Saturday and Sunday.

Spirits were high from the onset, with friends, family and teammates supporting their rowers right from the first-time trial to the last A Final. The time trials took place in ideal conditions with light winds and comfortable temperatures. This was short lived as the cloud dissipated, temperatures rose and typical of the venue the winds picked up in the afternoon and several of the young crews found it challenging to line up at the start.

First up was Eloise Cooper representing the Junior 15’s in the single scull E final. Elouise was determined to make up for her capsize at the Stratford Regatta. Racing neck and neck for three quarters of the course Eloise finally finished third behind City of Bristol and Wallingford.

Next up representing the J14’s in the B final of the double sculls were Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines. A strong start from the Stratford girls gave them a slight lead at the 200 meters marker, however Maidenhead having a slightly lower rate started to pull ahead and maintained their lead to finish first. A battle for second and third ensued resulting in a third place for Francis and Baines just three seconds behind Calpe.

Representing the J15 girls in the double scull C final in challenging windy conditions were Lucy Sartain and Aimee Appleton. The girls had a tete-a-tete with Falcon Rowing Club for most of the course vying for the fifth and sixth positions. With less than a second between both crews, Sartain and Appleton had to wait for the photo finish judges analysis. The result was a fifth place for the Stratford double.

Following hot on the heels of the girls were Will Dalrymple – Baker and Jamie Wilcock in the B final of the Open J15 double sculls. Competing against very strong opposition both athletes gave it their all and finished in a creditable sixth place.

Next down the course in the WJ14 coxed quad F final were Alice Jones, Sophie Evans, Lily Warren, Lucy Yang coxed by Meg Nuttall. Determined to make up for their time trial equipment failure, a closely fought race between Wallingford and Stratford ensued and concluded with a third place for Stratford.

Last race of the day and after a long wait lining up for the B final of the WJ15 coxed quad were Scarlett Richardson, Megan Rowen, Jessica Long, Harriet Froom coxed by Nancy Davis. Being drawn into Lane One, the girls bore the brunt of the increasing crosswinds and finished in sixth place behind Henley Rowing Club.

Commenting, the J14 and J15 coaches said, “Some excellent results for the Junior 14 and 15’s squads in their inaugural British Junior Championships. Three crews in the top twelve and one in the top sixteen, some lessons learnt and a good stake in the ground for all athletes as to where they are against the best of the best.”

The J16 squad entered Charles Happel in the single scull event, which attracted a large field of thirty competitors. Finishing sixteenth in the time trial, Charles qualified for the C final run at mid-day on Saturday. In spite of exhausting heat, Charles sustained excellent technique throughout the 2k course to finish a superb fourth place.

The WJ16 Coxed Four of Kate Richardson, Maddie Hall, Harriet Noyes, Kate Richardson and Imogen Hill faced fourteen crews in their time trial on Saturday morning, five of whom had beaten them at Henley Women’s Regatta, so to qualify for the A final required a top performance from the Stratford crew. They duly delivered with the fourth fastest time. Returning for the final on Sunday, Stratford made a superb start and pushed hard to gain a half a length lead at 500m. They held on to 1000m but Glasgow Academy/George Watson composite and Henley eased through in the third place and Sir William Perkins just took the bronze medal ahead of Stratford. Stratford’s J16 Coach Sam Hill said, “It was a brave and typically competitive race strategy from our crew to round off a highly successful season with an excellent result!”

Toby Sartain was the first representative of the J17 and 18 squad to take to the lake, competing in the Open J18 singles event. Placed forty second in the time trial, Toby went on to maintain this position in the G final in the afternoon against some very tough competition.

The pairing of Freya Watts and Amelie Sartain competed in the Women’s’ J18 doubles event, qualifying sixteenth to race in the C final. They finished fourteenth overall racing right up to the line. Tomi Wilcock and Will Beattie entered the Open J18 pairs category, a difficult event full of technically skilled crews. They qualified in twelfth position, returning on Sunday to race in the B final and maintain their position from Saturday’s time trial. The last crew from the squad was the girls’ quad of Martha Usselmann, Ruby Howells, Grace Beason and Lucy Browne who competed in the Women’s J18 quad event. They placed an impressive fourteenth in the time trials, finishing fifteenth overall after their C final in the afternoon.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page fifty three and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-enjoy-success-at-british-junior-championships

For more great pictures of Stratford Boat Club Juniors at the British Rowing Junior Championships, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgY7EiDB2lCOhaIIslipeO-ODXfMbQ?e=0HvdDY

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford Masters Settle Some Old Scores!

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Saturday saw a return to competition rowing for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Masters crews following the Club’s junior squad’s successful return to racing of the previous week. The Masters’ crews took on the very significant challenge of the British Rowing Masters Championships held on the multilane course at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham. Held at a venue renowned for its blustery conditions and variable weather, this year saw a reasonably calm and hot day, an unusual occurrence remarked on by many competitors!

The competition which, due to Covid restrictions, was reduced to a one day event with all status crews competing together which led to some high quality and fiercely competitive racing throughout the day. The Stratford Boat Club’s mixed double crew of Heather Hayton and Tom Doherty in their first national competition together in their age group race found themselves in a field of four other boats, all of whom had previously won championship golds.

Faced with such a task, Stratford’s crew who were blessed with a strong headwind gave it everything off the start to stay with the field over the 1000m course. At 600 m they were still in the mix but the experience and power of the other crews saw them pull away over the last third of the race. A satisfied but shattered crew were pleased to have been able to race and to have been competitive against some of the best the best crews in the country.

Said Tom Doherty, Masters’ Vice Captain, “The weekend’s race was a real baptism of fire for Heather in her first national standard completion and multilane race and she passed with flying colours. The experience gained over the weekend will be very beneficial as we look to further races as lockdown is hopefully reduced in the future.”

Also competing at Nottingham at the weekend in the Open Masters E single sculls was Tim Lunel. Not holding out for much more than a competitive day out, Lunel was very pleasantly surprised to find himself leading at the 500m mark in the first round with the comforting knowledge that the first three go through to the final. Banter was inevitably to follow as ex-Stratford Boat Club Piers Copham “rowed through” or was allowed to exert extra wasted energy to take first place depending on the perspective of the scullers in question.

Lunel’s and Piers’  fears that the other heat contained the fastest sculler in the field was then confirmed in the A Final where those rowers took the podium positions with Denis Crowley from Commercial Rowing Club of Ireland hopping over the Irish Sea to record a cracking 4.08 as the winning time

The only race that really mattered in the final though this was of course the one between Tim Lunel (Stratford) and Piers Copham (ex-Stratford) and we are pleased to report that staying at Stratford Boat Club to enjoy the new singles (rather than relocating to the Cam as Piers has done) produced the desired result with a “winning margin” of 2.6 seconds for Stratford’s Lunel!

Commenting, Tim Lunel said, “A great day of racing after an eighteen month gap, celebrated by one of those really rare events … a sunny day with a moderate breeze rather than a howling gale at Holme Pierrepoint!”

Whilst their Masters were battling to gain honours for the Club, the Junior Squad and others were at home battling the very busy ungoverned river to achieve their weekend river outings. Sunday saw the second Stratford Boat Club Internal Young Coaches’ Assistant Course: the course consisted of technical ‘classroom’ based sessions and much appreciated outdoor practical sessions. Commenting, Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President, said, “We are so grateful to Abi Terry, our very successful J16 coach, for delivering these courses. The potential coming through our Junior Squad, not only our athletes but also their talented coaches, gives us some much confident for the future. We are delighted with the local and regional response to our junior summer camps for August which are now full!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/masters-settle-old-scores-9203306 and page sixty one

Busy Weekend for Stratford’s Rowers!

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On a perfect but cold and windy weekend, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s squads went to various locations to test their skills.

The Senior Men’s elite squad spent the weekend at Nottingham training on the multi-lane course honing their technique in preparation for Henley Royal Regatta in July.

Said Bill Sullivan, Senior Men’s Elite Coach, “It was windy and cold in Nottingham but the boys got in some good training putting them in a good position for the preparation for some hard racing at Henley.”

Heading to the other end of the country on Saturday were two senior crews from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club who travelled to Totnes in Devon to compete in the annual Head of the Dart River Race. This year the processional time trial was planned to run from Totnes to Dartmouth over a distance of fifteen kilometres.

Due to weather and river conditions on the day, organisers deemed the conditions at the lower reaches of the river toward Dartmouth too dangerous to run the event over the planned full course. The decision was made to run the race over a shortened five kilometre course, which involved crews rowing down to the revised start and then rowing back up to finish adjacent to the Dart Totnes Amateur Rowing Club.

The re-scheduled shortened race still attracted over one hundred crews from all over the United Kingdom taking part in a very varied range of coastal and river boats (including pilot gigs, canoes and fine boats). Stratford crews rowed in fine boats, more suited to calm inland river conditions.

After launching boats from the Dart Totnes Amateur Rowing Club clubhouse in Totnes, crews rowed down to what became a very congested marshalling area. Once underway, the race itself required a high level of skill in negotiating the tight and winding course, navigation buoys, mud flats, river traffic as well as other competing crews. Due to the delay in the start time, rowing against an outgoing tide and south-easterly winds made conditions severe with a high risk of the boats taking on water.

Top Stratford Boat Club performers on the day were the Women’s Masters crew (coxed quad) of Rosie Stone, Andrea Duxbury, Clare Nash, Rona Fitzpatrick and Alfie Nash (cox), winning their category in an adjusted race time of 00:26:21.

The Stratford Men’s Masters crew (coxed four) of Simon Skillings, Graham Cann, Dave Edwards, Richard Anderson and Jessica Cann (cox) finishing in an adjusted race time of 00:26:43.

Said Alfie Nash, Women’s Masters crew coach, “Although the event was a logistical challenge with the transportation of boats to and from the start and finish locations, it proved to be a very interesting and enjoyable challenge to all crews taking part. Those crews stopping over in Dartmouth and Totnes were able to fully appreciate the hospitality of the host club as well as fellow competitors!”

Meanwhile, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J13 squad entered three crews in Abingdon Rowing Club’s Spring Head of the River Race on Sunday held on the River Thames over 1850m

The first to boat in Division One at 8.00hrs from an icy pontoon was Imogen Hill and Maddie Hall in their double scull. Undaunted by their first experience of a major event raced over two kilometres, they sculled superbly to finish third in a time that would have beaten two WJ14 crews.

Next to race in Division Two was the WJ13 4x+ of Emily Stobart, Grace Beason, Uchenna Nwachukwu, Ruby Brooker-Collins and cox Kate Richardson: they soon showed they have what it takes to mix it with the big clubs by finishing second splitting the two Henley crews.

In Division Four, the Open J13 4x+ of Ciara Wilson, Louie Beason, Amalia Richardson and Millie Hodgson coxed by Imogen Hill mixed it with boys crews to come third in an identical time to the girls’ quad of 10minutes and 38 seconds. Said Sam Hill, J13 coach, “The results were really encouraging and the whole squad displayed good technique all the way to the finish.”

Matilda Watts and Geoffrey Flambert also both put in strong performances in the J17 1x events finishing fourth and sixth respectively.

The J14 squad was also in Abingdon. In Division One, the squad was represented by the J14 2x of Tomi Wilcock and Will Beattie. Rowing in the higher band, they put down a very strong performance to take the Band One win by seven seconds, despite coming up against very good opposition.

The WJ14 4x+ of Freya Watts, Fleur Griffiths, Bella Chappelhow, Harriet Holmes and cox Toby Sartain were also placed in Band One and despite putting in a good time were just pipped by a crew from Wallingford and were beaten by just four seconds to take second place.

Division Two saw the first of the Stratford J15’s take to the water. The WJ15 singles of Sophie Elstone and Harriet Hodgson both raced well with Elstone battling at the top of the field to take a brilliant win, a second over her closest rival from City of Oxford. Hodgson also put in a good performance finishing eighth.

Will Clarke raced in the J15 single against some strong opposition and managed a sixth place finish. The J15 double of Conar Aitchison and Emma Harrison raced against some all boys crews to finish eighth.

In Division Three, more of the J14’s took to the water with the J14 4x+ of Tomi Wilcock, Will Beattie, Ruby Howells, Bella Chappelhow and cox Toby Sartain in action. Again they faced some strong opposition from Wallingford and were unfortunately unable to overhaul the all-boys crew to finish second by just four seconds.

Next up were the WJ14 double sculls with two Stratford boats in action. The first was Fleur Griffiths and Harriet Holmes, again facing a crew from Wallingford. This time the girls were able to overhaul the opposition and take the event win. The other Stratford crew of Freya Watts and Anne Mynors also put in a very good performance to finish in a highly credible fourth place.

Division Four saw the final Stratford crews of the day racing again with more J15’s on the water. The WJ15 4x+ of Emma Harrison, Abbey Meggeson, Harriet Hodgson, Julia Zanpronio Gurden and cox Sienna Rawlings raced strongly to finish in sixth place. Also racing in this division was the J15 double of Will Clarke and Sophie Elstone who again raced against a lot of all-boys crews to finish in sixth place beating several crews in the process.

The final J15 crew was Conar Aitchison in the single who, despite being rather nervous about competing in the single, had a good race to finish in fifth place over a minute ahead of the sculler behind him.

This week also sees the J17/18 squad on a training camp in Henley and next week is the turn for the existing J13/J14/J15 squads to train at Stratford.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/busy-weekend-for-stratfords-rowers and Stratford Herald page 15.