Henley Triumphs for Stratford!

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

Golden Week For Boat Club!

On Monday 22 July, at a sunny and windy Holme Pierrepont, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14 squad took part in their first ever British Rowing’s Junior National Championships. In the 900m time trial, they all made it to a Minor Final (1000m). Will Shaw in the OJ14 1x Final F (3rd after a superb sprint to the finish). Seb Happel, Ed Appleton, James Greenwood, Euan Richter and Rory Jones (Cox) made the OJ14 4x+ D Final finishing sixth due to double crab as they sprinted to the finish! Orla Linforth and Erin Appleton got to the WJ14 2x F Final after a time adjustment due to capsize ahead of them and came fifth. Orla Linforth and Erin Appleton said, “Fantastic performance from the J14s, battling tricky conditions and displaying fine technique in both time trial and Finals. This is now the baseline for them and they are eager to return next year”

The baking heat of day one and two of the regatta gave way to more temperate conditions for the third and fourth days of the regatta. Over the shorter course of 1000m, Stratford’s J15 squad competed in single, double and quadruple sculls events against crews from across the British Isles including as far afield as Gibraltar

First to go were the women’s double sculls event in their time trial. With a bumper entry of ninety four crews entered, competition was stiff.  The crews of Sophie Franklin/Bryony Francis and Mille Smith/Josephine Cooper ranked forty eightieth and sixty third respectively, creditable results however meant they did not progress to the finals. The crew of Isla Dunn and Becca Smith ranking thirty fourth in the time trial earned themselves a second row in the F Final whilst the crew of Maeve Dunn and Poppy Warren ranked seventeenth, going on to come home fifth in their C Final.  Day Four of the regatta saw the single scull crews of Maeve Dunn and Martha Cooke take to the water in another packed field of seven crews. Martha Cooke ranked forty sixth, a result that belies her performance at such a competition. Maeve Dunn ranked twenty third and went on to blow the doors off the D final leading through the halfway point only to be overhauled by Hereford, Peterborough and Shrewsbury school in the closing stages. Finally, the coxed quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Millie Smith, Martha Baines, Becca Smith and Poppy Warren (coxswain) stepped up and progressed to the Semi Final rounds with a solid eleventh in the Time Trial.  A tactical row in the Semi Final round saw them into the B Final and a barnstorming row found the girls ending the day ninth overall.

The recently restructured British Rowing Junior and Senior Club Championships held in Nottingham, offered a fresh and dynamic approach to rowing competitions. This innovative format is tailored to enhance the competitive experience for junior rowers while simultaneously introducing a diverse program for senior club events. The inclusion of Championship, Club, Beginner, and Adaptive levels ensures that rowers of all abilities have the opportunity to compete, truly embodying the spirit of a Club Championship. The event’s schedule is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing competitors to select their days of participation, with each event concluding within a single day. This structure not only accommodates varying levels of commitment but also aligns with academic schedules by placing the final day on a Monday, coinciding with the schools’ term’s end. This thoughtful organisation underscores the event’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, fostering a welcoming environment for all participants.

In a display of grit and determination, the Stratford’s junior 16 girls and boys of the rowing club showcased their prowess at the recent time trial event. Alexandra Frances, delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth in a nail-biting race that saw the top four competitors separated by mere seconds. Her efforts secured her a spot in the AB semi-finals and, subsequently, the A final, where she narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth overall.

The coxless quad, comprising Lily Warren, Alice Jones, Sophie Evans, and Poppy Baines, battled the sweltering heat and a tough field to claim fifteenth place, earning them a place in the C final where they finished sixth. The junior 16 boys, represented by Theo Richter, Xavier Sissins-Rofey, Seth Vondrak, Ollie Rowlands and cox Meg Nuttall, continued their impressive form from the National Schools competition, finishing ninth in the time trial. This result propelled them into the B final, where a strategic crew change saw them finish fourth.

Day Two brought further challenges, with Warren and Baines competing in the double sculls event. Out of a field of fifty five crews, they secured twenty fifth place, leading to a fourth place finish in the E final. The regatta debut for the pair of Vondrak and Sissins-Rofey was a commendable one: they fought valiantly in the repechages, earning a spot in the A final and finishing fifth overall. Commenting, Colin Bell, J16 Coach said, “Their performance, particularly against seasoned competitors from Hereford, was a testament to their potential and the depth of talent within the Club.”

The J18 competition started on Friday with the double of Harriet Froom and Nancy David in the double sculls. In unseasonably sunny and warm conditions, they finished fortieth in the time trial, earning themselves a G final. Taking an early lead in the side by side final, they opened up an advantage of several lengths over Bedford, Durham and St Andrews and held off the inevitable challenges to finish first and improve their overall position to thirty seventh on the day.

Saturday started off with an early morning time trial for the 4x- of Lucy Sartain, Scarlett Richardson, V Vondrak and Aimee Appleton were competing up a year in the WJ18 category. Racing hard for top placings they secured an excellent fifth position and a place in the semi finals. A strong headwind in the semis made for difficult racing and they narrowly lost out to a composite crew of St Andrews/Clydesdale to end up fourth and a place in the B final. With the wind easing, Stratford sculled with composure and following their race plan pulled through from fifth at 250m to overcome Dart Totnes, Durham and Tideway Scullers to secure second place on the 2000m course and maintaining their position as fifth fastest on the day.

Senior women, Alice Baines and Imogen North, also raced in the Championship women’s double sculls on Sunday morning. They had a strong performance, finishing eighth in the time trial which was the first of three races within three hours! Following this, they competed in a challenging semi-final to secure a place in the B final. Drawing on their experience and technical skills, they raced fiercely and managed to hold off a strong challenge from the GB development crew to take fourth place.

Meanwhile, the Club’s adaptive squad entered three of the squad’s rowers in the British Championship at Nottingham. The squad won one gold and two silvers. Curtis Dickens, who is on the GB Pathway, has been the dominant force in the PR2 Para Category all summer: he becomes the first Stratford Boat Club’s British Para Champion. Commenting, his coach Mark Dewdney said, “It is a pity that he does not get more effective national opposition: he is clearly the up and coming GB man in his category.”

Andy Morris took part in the very competitive PR3 category. The final consisted of four talented scullers, Andy and rowers from Guildford, Runcorn and Deeside (Aberdeen).  The Scottish sculler is a class act and quickly established a lead that he was not to give up: in the latter half of the 1000m race Andy started to pull away from the other two scullers and came in several lengths ahead of them both to take the silver medal.

Last up was the 14 year old Isaac Clarkson in the Junior PR3 event. The final was a struggle between Isaac and his seventeen year old opponent from Tees. Conditions were very windy and given the nature of Isaac’s condition, this was a clear advantage to the competitor from Tees. Despite his best efforts, Isaac was unable to catch his older opponent. Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “Isaac has beaten the Tees competitor before but he has improved and conditions did not favour us. This is a friendly rivalry which will see many more battles in the next few years. We have worked hard to get Para/Adaptive events in the Championships and this was the first time. We are happy that we have, at last, attained equality and that we had a decent set of results for the Club”.

Not content with the British Championships, Curtis next moved on to the Home International Rowing Regatta: this takes place annually between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Para events were only introduced a few years ago: Curtis Dickens becomes the first Stratford Boat Club para member to be selected for his country since James Roe competed for GB at the London Olympics.

Curtis had to compete in two events, the long and short course: his main opponent is his friend Jake Woods who represents Scotland. Jake has rowed for GB for a while and is the World Champion at the indoor version of the sport. Due to difference in category, the Scottish sculler was given a twenty four second advantage over the long – 2000m – course: it was clear from the start that Curtis was consistently eating away at the lead granted to Jake. As the finish line approached, the deficit had just been too much. Said Coach Mark Dewdney, “The rules sometime provide a real mountain to climb: Curtis got most of the way up this one but Jake’s experience and quality was too much to overcome”

Later in the day on the short course, the same two scullers had another epic battle. The Scottish sculler again was given a head start, this time of eight seconds. The Stratford rower employed a different tactic by sprinting hard off the start line and Curtis had made up the difference by half-way. The latter half of the race was a titanic struggle with never more than a few feet between these great rivals: Curtis had his revenge winning by just over a second! The points gained in this later race proved crucial in England’s retention of the Senior Men’s Trophy, won by a single point! Curtis now takes a break for a few weeks: his next big target being the GB Trials in mid-November

Meanwhile for Stratford’s Masters squad, it was the sweet sound of the finishing claxon that came to their ears, especially when they are first over the line! The Masters squad won four out the five races on Saturday at Bewdley Rowing Club regatta.

The first race was the mixed masters VIII crew consisting of (bow) Jeannette Caldecott, Tom O’Doherty, John Charlesworth, Rebecca England, Patrick Taylor, Dan Simkins, Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden, coxed by Elisabeth Edwards. They raced against high level opposition from Nottingham. A fast start from both crews saw Stratford neck and neck with Nottingham over the first quarter of the course. With the crew settling to a race pace of thirty three strokes per minute and increasing their power output, Stratford began to inch ahead building on their power advantage to move out to a lead of half a length at the midpoint. A consistent rhythm and focus saw Stratford increase their lead to a length which they held as they crossed the finish line. In their inaugural pairs race, Patrick Taylor and Dan Simkins competed against an experienced Ross crew: establishing a solid rhythm early on, they maintained their strength and composure throughout the race. The men’s pair successfully held their lead, ultimately securing victory by half a length.

Racing together for the first time, Stratford’s Master’s women’s double, Rebecca England and Jeanette Caldecott had a solid start to their first sculling race of the day. They were able to quickly gain an advantage on Minerva Bath Rowing Club and began to lengthen their strokes to settle into an efficient race pace. With fantastic steering from Jeanette in bow, Stratford were able to maintain their power and finish with a convincing win. In their second race in the double sculls, Stratford faced home favourites from Bewdley. Drawn again on the club side of the river, Stratford drew from their experience in the first race and, despite a slightly rockier start, were able to quickly move away from their opponents, finishing comfortably for another excellent win.

The newly formed Men’s Masters VIII had an unfortunate lead up to the race, with illness and injury weakening the crew: however despite that, they came together on the day to row with huge effort and determination. They were beaten by a very strong and seasoned Monmouth crew and gained valuable experience and are looking forward to Stourport Regatta: there is plenty of potential in this VIII and are a crew to watch.

It was also a busy weekend for Masters’ member Tom Doherty who was racing in coastal rowing. He came second in a time of 1hr 44mins, side by side racing the whole distance and lost by only 15 seconds!

The crews would like to thank Elisabeth Edwards for coxing both VIIIs with such skill and intellect. As a younger adult, she worked effectively ensuring that the Masters were doing what she told them as well as giving some invaluable encouragement and instruction, keeping a hard racing line. Our great thanks also goes to Dave Edwards for towing the boats on this occasion. Masters’ Vice Captain, Amanda Bowden reflected, “The Masters’ squad is more active and this regatta saw the men out racing in numbers. I am delighted with the participation and the medals justified the training that these crew members have put in, indoors over the winter and on the water during the summer. I am excited to see how the Masters’ squad continues to develop.” Next regattas for the Masters are Henley Town & Visitors, Stourport and Oxford City.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty six and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-masters-squad-dominate-at-bewdley-rowing-club-regatta and https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-scullers-impress-at-club-championships-as-dickens-stars-on-international-stage and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/08/02&pages=24

Stratford’s Juniors and Adaptives Score at Nottingham!

Competing for the first time in the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta (JIRR) at the Holme Pierrepoint National Water Sports Centre, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14 Open double of James Greenwood and Rory Rowan sculled well in the 1000m time trial and made it into the C Final (1500m), which they subsequently won. The coxed quad of Seb Happel, Euan Richter, Will Shaw and Ed Appleton, coxed by Orla Linforth, sculled well in the time trial and made into the B Final, in which they finished fifth. Said J14 coach Hugo Happel, “Fantastic work ethic from the J14s here, in their first event at this venue. They are taking away lots of fine learning points as well as new connections with the boys from George Watson College!”

Having qualified two boats at the recent West Midlands trials, Stratford’s J15 squad also headed to Nottingham’s National Water Sports Centre to represent the region at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. A national level event, the athletes competed against regional teams from Scotland to Wessex and everywhere between. The women’s J15 coxed quadruple scull of Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines, Maeve Dunn, Sophie Franklin and Martha Cooke (coxswain) powered down the course in the time trial to firmly secure a place in the A Final. Lining up in the lane beside the eventual winners from Great Marlow School, the crew exploded from the stake boat and set about attempting to ruin their competitors’ day. Sadly, it wasn’t to be and the girls came home in sixth place after a mighty row. The women’s J15 coxed four of Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Millie Smith, Bryony Francis and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) performed equally well in their time trial to cement their place in the A Final. The plucky crew treated the Nottingham crowd to a fabulous display of sweep rowing with not a small amount of grit thrown in. Storming down the course, the Stratford outfit found themselves engaged in a ding dong battle for bronze with the East Midlands as the advantage with each stroke. The battle continued to the line where, on the surge, the East Midlands clinched the medal by just 7/100ths of a second! The battle may have been lost but this crew will be back to race again.

The Junior Inter-Regional Regatta once again showcased the remarkable talent and determination of Britain’s young rowers. The West Midlands’ trio from Stratford’s junior 16 squad made their mark on the event. Xavier Sissins-Rofey missed the bronze by a whisper of time, finishing just four seconds shy of third place. Poppy Baines battled through to a commendable sixth place. Alexandra Francis clinched the silver medal in a finish that had spectators on the edge of their seats, a mere two seconds from gold. Commenting Colin Bell J16 Coach, “Their performances have certainly raised the bar for the regattas to come!”

Also competing at JIRR for the adaptive squad was Isaac Clarkson racing at his second JIRR. Just past his fourteenth birthday, Isaac is still two years younger than all of his opponents in the adaptive event. Expending minimum possible effort in the opening Time Trial, Isaac focused on the Final: Isaac rowed superbly over the 1000m course and pushed the race leaders all the way to the line. Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “Isaac kept to the plan and has worked hard in recent months: the Bronze is a just reward!”

The next day at The National Water Sports Centre, Stratford’s Pararower Curtis Dickens attended his second GB Squad development camp of the year: two plus days of hard work culminating in a 2000m race against his rival from Scotland. Curtis impressed the GB coaches with his development over the winter. The race proved to be his first win over his more experienced Scottish opponent: it was also the first time that Curtis has beaten ten minutes for the distance and a forty four second improvement since GB Trials in November. Commenting further, Mark said, “We are more than satisfied with how things are going: Curtis’ next big target is to represent England at the Home International Regatta in July!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page sixty one and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-junior-and-adaptive-squads-win-medals-in-nottingham

For great pictures of JIRR, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AO9bx%2DvFRmRxCMg&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21259269&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford and K.E.S. Have A Busy Week!

An early start at Dorney Rowing Lake for the 2024 Oarsport Junior Sculling head was a picture of determination as Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s WJ16 quad category competitors including the crew of Lily Warren, Poppy Baines, Sophie Evans, and Alice Jones took to the water, The event, a testament to individual skill in the art of sculling, was a grueling test of endurance and strategy over the twin 1800-metre courses. The young athletes, juggling the demands of sport and academia, faced a field of fifty four crews in their division in a race that was as much about mental fortitude as it was about physical prowess. Despite their valiant effort and a commendable comeback in the latter half, the girls’ early pace wasn’t enough to secure a top finish. Commenting Colin Bell, J16 Coach, “However, the lessons learned are invaluable, and with a training day scheduled in two weeks at Dorney, they have the opportunity to refine their technique and strategy, turning the tide of their performance in preparation for the challenges ahead.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14 boys’ quad of were racing at the Olympic standard venue for the very first time. They sculled with fine technique in blustery but dry conditions and showed great consistency throughout, finishing twentieth out of forty crews in their division. A very proud J14 Coach Hugo Happel said, “I’m so incredibly proud of the boys: not only did they show great skill and energy management on the water, the way they prepared before boating was exemplary.”

Stratford’s J15 squad were represented by Maeve Dunn, Millie Smith, Tessa Parkin, Becca Smith and Poppy Warren (coxswain) in the coxed quadruple sculls event. After a strong first leg putting them in thirteenth position, the crew steeled themselves for the return 1800m. A ding dong battle over the final 500m with Wallingford Rowing Club saw the crew return a result of twenty first overall from the fifty seven crews racing in their division.”

Earlier in the week, Stratford’s sister club King Edward V1 School Boat Club, having had a very wet season and having all the events they have entered so far cancelled, headed down to London on Wednesday for the Schools’ Head of the River Race. Once again they had entered the School Mixed Eights’ category with a crew of A.Appleton, J. Long, D. Shilvock, J.Warner, A. Mathers, M. Hall, W. Dalrymple-Baker, K. Richardson and I. Hill. Only two of the crew and cox remained the same as last year’s crew and with little to no racing so far, they had no idea how well it would go. With the whole event potentially in jeopardy due to high flow rates, it was a great feeling once the crew were on the water and heading to their marshaling point. Going off at place 282, the crew had quite a wait on the water until it was go time. Leading off their category down the championship course cox Hill steered an excellent course and while doing so also kept the crew on top of their rowing.

Commenting, Hannah Crone, Head of Rowing at K.E.S. said, “Finishing fourth in a very respectable time and not far off the top crews and despite their initial disappointment with the result, the crew were happy with their row and their time: they should all be proud of themselves for the effort and performance they put in on the back of little race experience.”

On Wednesday Stratford’s junior 17/18 women’s quad also headed to London for the first national race of the season on the Tideway. After fears of cancellation, perfect conditions made for an exciting and fast race. A strong pace was set by V Vondrak in the stroke seat with Uch Nwachukwu and Scarlett Richardson providing the power in the middle of the boat. The crew came under pressure from some extremely strong crews however Lucy Sartain in the bow seat was unfazed and steered a strong line down the course whilst going blade to blade with the top boats in the country. The crew finished the 6.8km course strongly in a very respectable time of 20:17.1 to put them 21st out of 30 top level boats.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-young-rowers-impress-at-oarsport-junior-sculling-head

For pictures of Scullery, see Stuart Baines’ great selection at https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j-UffQM-vzC8bM9Wjg

Stratford Excel in London and Hereford!

The weekend started well for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club with India Hamilton from Stratford Boat Club’s Participation squad making the trip to London to compete in the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships.  Held in the Copper Box Arena in the Olympic Park, the venue matched the performance level of the junior athletes competing. India, who is a pupil at Stratford Girls’ Grammar School, competed in the WJ14 Four Minute event in a field of 258 other competitors. With a solid start, India lay in twenty first place after the first minute but with each subsequent minute, her competitors dropped away and a stellar final sprint saw India secure the Silver Medal. India’s Participation Squad Coach, Ralph Johnson summed up well, “What a performance!”

On Sunday, the all too familiar pattern of bad weather continued and the West Midlands Junior Rowing Championships 2024 had to relocate to Hereford as the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta trials only. In Division One, the Stratford women’s J14 coxed quad was narrowly beaten by the Hereford crew. In Division Two, Stratford boys’ 4x+ and 2x both beat their opposition from Hereford Cathedral and Hereford Rowing Club respectively and qualified for the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. J14 Coach Hugo Happel said, “Well done to all athletes for leaving it all on the water. Despite the lack of water time due to floods at Stratford over the last couple of months, they all sculled with good technique and power with some excellent energy management. They can all be very proud!”

In the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta trial format, Stratford’s J15 squad took to the water in crew boats. The coxed quadruple scull of Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Tessa Parkin, Sophie Franklin and Martha Cooke (coxswain) powered down the course to take the win from Hereford on their home water. Not to be outdone, the coxed four of Bryony Francis, Millie Smith, Becca Smith, Isla Dunn and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) also won their event in style ahead of a quality Royal Shrewsbury School outfit.

First down the course at the West Midlands Junior Inter Regional trials for Stratford’s J16 squad was the women’s junior 16 coxless quad of Lily Warren, Alice Jones, Sophie Evans and Poppy Baines. A strong last sprint to the line rewarded them with a competitive third position.

Following them was the strong showing in the Junior 16 coxed fours by Theo Richter, Seth Vondrak, Ollie Rowlands, James Albrighton and Cox Meg Nuttal3 who stormed to the line taking a second place finish narrowly missing out on qualification.

Starting division three was Xavier Sissins-Roffey in the Junior 16 singles who pushed pass the worsening conditions to claim one of the two qualifying spots for this event. Joining him was Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines who chased each other down the course to claim both the qualifying positions in a fantastic 1-2 finish.

Sadly because of the change of venue and potential inclement weather, the participation in the event by Stratford’s J13 and J17 squads was scrapped to make the organisation of the event more manageable.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty six and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-participation-squad-athlete-wins-silver-at-national-indoor-championships and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/03/08&pages=24

For great pictures of the West Midlands Junior Rowing Championships 2024/Junior Inter-Regional Regatta trials, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AgY7EiDB2lCOhrR9CAeSfUPS_M07Qw

Stratford Start The Season Well at Wallingford and Runcorn

Starting their full head season for the first time, three J14 squads made their debut at Wallingford Long Distance Sculls, rowing the short course. Thanks to some brilliant intersquad camaraderie, three J15 athletes stepped up as coxswains, enabling all twelve J14 athletes to compete on the day. Martha Baines coxed the girls’ quad (Linforth, Ntoukaki, Sime, Appleton) and came fourth against well drilled crews from Headington School, beating one of the Headington quads on the way from Oxford Brookes to Oxford University boat houses. Maeve Dunn coxed the boys’ quad of Rowan/Shaw/Appleton/Jones and Sophie Franklin coxed Happel/Richter/ Greenwood/Rutter, with the latter taking the win for Stratford in a time of eight minutes and twenty eight seconds. J14 Coach Hugo Happel said: “A really good day for J14’s, showing good technique on this fabulous stretch of water. Great experience gained combined with plenty of laughs. Well done to all athletes!”

The J15 squad’s new rowing season also began last weekend with the opening event at Wallingford. A bumper entry saw Stratford’s juniors travel to Wallingford for the 2023 edition of Wallingford Long Distance Sculls. First out for the J15 squad was the women’s coxed quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Millie Smith and Martha Cooke (coxswain).  The crew stormed over the 4000m course to come within touching distance of Henley Rowing Club’s two crews finishing third by just 2.1 seconds over the nineteen minute race. Next to go, in the 1800m short course event, were the J15 double scull crews of Bryony Francis/Poppy Warren and Tessa Parkin/Josephine Cooper. The two crews duelled over the full course to achieve second and third ranking for the Club with the Francis/Warren combination taking the second place spot after battling their way through the traffic. Last to go for the J15 squad were the single scullers, Martha Cooke and Isla Dunn. Always a gladiatorial competition, Dunn and Cooke fought it out on the Thames to record creditable fourth and sixth places.

One of the most anticipated events in the rowing calendar for Stratford junior squads is the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls, a challenging and prestigious race that draws many competitors from various clubs and schools in the region. The event takes place annually in Wallingford, a historic town in Oxfordshire and the head race has a rich tradition that goes back to 1974. The original course was a gruelling 6,000 metres upstream from Moulsford Boathouse to Wallingford Marina but it has since been shortened to 4,000 metres starting from Cholsey Ferry.

The race consists of two long divisions and one shorter one with different categories of boats and rowers. The Wallingford Long Distance Sculls is a test of endurance, skill and teamwork and showcases some of the best talent in the sport.

The Junior 16 Women’s coxless quad consisting of Tessa Parkin, Sophie Evans, Alice Jones and Poppy Baines were the first down the course. They faced tough competition from local rivals such as Wallingford, Henley and Headington but they rowed with determination and skill. They finished in fifth place which is a commendable result considering that Tessa Parkin, a junior 15 athlete, stepped in at the last minute due to illness: Tessa went on to compete in her own event after a short break.

Another impressive result came from the double sculls pair of Theo Richter and James Albrighton who finished fifth overall. They competed against strong crews from St Pauls School, Leander, Wallingford and Lea and showed great speed and technique.

Finally, Alexandra Francis represented the J16’s in the single sculls event, which had thirty four entries. She had to endure a long wait on the water due to some issues on the course but she did not let that affect her performance: she rowed with power and stamina and finished sixth overall.

The first J17 crew to take to the water were Lucy Sartain, Jess Long, Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton in their coxless quad. They sculled with great skill and were faster than the crew in front over the second half of the race finishing fourth which was an excellent result at such a high profile event.

Charles Happel entered the Open Junior 18 single scull event pitting his skills against forty four other scullers from some of the top rowing clubs in the country. Setting off hard on the first half of the course he was in nineteenth place at the halfway point. Charles put in a very strong final kilometre to finish in a highly creditable sixteenth place.

Molly Vondrak, Ez Elfwood, Eloise Cooper and Nancy Davis all entered the Junior 17 single sculls event finishing seventh, twenty sixth, twenty seventh and thirtieth respectively. Molly’s performance was particularly impressive.

Uche Nwachukwa entered in the Women’s single scull event, a tall order for a junior athlete, finishing twenty fourth out of thirty competitors. She then sculled in a double with Maddie Hall in the afternoon division coming tenth out of sixteen competitors. Also racing in the same event Jess Long and Lucy Sartain came thirteenth, Harriet Froom and Megan Rowan came eleventh and Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton finished strongly in eight place.

Given the favourable conditions, Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden representing Stratford’s Masters’ Women were excited to be racing again in the first head race of the season. Following a convincing start rate set by stroke, Suzie, accompanied by fantastic steering through the bends overtaking several crews in the process, the race was going very well! The boat speed placing the crew second behind a younger age category. However, sadly there then followed a steering error costing the crew thirty seconds which knocked the double out of the competition on this occasion. Commenting, Suzie Radley said, “This race was to be a warm up for the Pairs’ Head of the River in London next weekend. The race has provided much needed feedback, with some key points to work on to improve the competitive edge. This has certainly sparked a fire for next weekend!”

Also sculling at Wallingford were Paul Collins and Mike Adkins who were the only entry in Masters’ H double category and they had a good row. Steered by Paul, they managed to restrict their bank contact on the way to the start! For a first event together, they were well satisfied with the result managing to hold off a good Guildford double.

Also sculling on Saturday, this time at the Runcorn Autumn Head, was Stratford’s adaptive squad. The Runcorn Head of the River attracts clubs from the North West and Midlands to compete on the river Weaver. Andy Morris represented Stratford’s Adaptive Squad in a division which included Runcorn’s Sean Bailey who had recorded a personal best of 18:20 for the course.

This was Andy’s first race without floats and in a boat borrowed from Runcorn. The conditions were fine for the race over a 3650m course which was a series of bends with 200m straights in between. Commenting, Andy said, “I was pleased with my row and the course tested my steering skills. This was my first head in a single without floats and it went well”. Andy’s winning time was eighteen minutes and thirteen seconds.

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online  https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-make-strong-start-to-new-season-at-wallingford-and-runcorn and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/10/06&pages=32: see also Stratford Herald page forty five

For great pictures of Wallingford, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AKg7Ldg9UzZfSuU&id=8E50DAC120123B06%21101272&cid=8E50DAC120123B06

Stratford Rounds Off Season at Ross

Experiencing the Ross on Wye Sunday 550m Sprint course in the morning division for the first time, the J13 doubles of Seb Happel/Rory Rowan and Ed Appleton/ James Greenwood showed excellent steersmanship however the crews of City of Bristol and Queens Park High proved a tad too strong in the semi finals.

In the afternoon division, the WJ13 doubles of Maria Ntoukaki/Naomi Sime and Orla Linforth/Erin Appleton proved equally adept at steering the tricky course, but were narrowly beaten by a powerful Hereford double by half a length. Also in the afternoon, the same four J13 boys took to the quad and, expertly coxed by Rory Jones, took victory in the OJ13 4x+ event by 1.5L against Hereford Rowing Club. Commenting, Hugo Happel, J13 Coach said. Overall it was a brilliant day for the J13s, their last competition before they transition to J14, armed with even more learning and desire to develop and have fun!”

The traditional end of season event for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club arrived over the Bank Holiday weekend with thirty nine crews travelling to Ross Regatta. The event is considered a classic on the club racing calendar with two days of racing on the beautiful River Wye. The Sprint Regatta on Day One saw J13, J14, Masters and Adaptive athletes compete over the 550m course.

In the Masters G single sculls, Stratford’s Julian Foster took an early scalp with a solid win in the first round against Thames Tradesmen. Ross Regatta attracts competitors from far afield and in the final Stratford’s Foster lined up against the bronze medallist from the British Championships. Undeterred, Foster gave chase to the Star Club athlete but was unable to cause the much hoped for upset and finished second.

The Stratford’s J14 squad were out in force at Ross with entries across all categories in their age group. First to go were the single scullers entered in both Band One and Band Two events.  An all Stratford final was assured in Band Two as Tessa Parkin romped past Queens Park High School and Millie Smith recorded a narrow win against her squad mate Poppy Warren. The Band Two final did not disappoint with Tessa and Millie battling it out and Millie Smith the eventual winner. The Band One final was less dramatic and Stratford’s Sophie Franklin left the City of Bristol Sculler in her wake to record the win.

Next to go was the Stratford’s Sophie Franklin (coxswain) who executed a superb race to take the win against Queens Park High School. With the morning’s excitement barely receding, the afternoon racing got underway with the Stratford’s J14 girls coxed quadruple scull of Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin, Millie Smith, Poppy Warren and Sophie Franklin (coxswain) took to the water to race against Liverpool Victoria in the boys event. Another great race saw the girls delight the crowd by chasing the boys hard down the course and just a quarter of a length margin put the Liverpool boys through to the next round. Finally, in the WJ14 double sculls event, Stratford fielded crews of Martha Baines/Isla Dunn and Josephine Cooper/Bryony Francis. The crews swept their competition aside in the semifinals to deliver another all Stratford final. Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J14 Coach and Junior Coordinator, said. “And what a final! The two crews passed the assembled crowd bow ball to bow ball, the Wye boiling with heat of competition! In the final analysis, some classy steering from Dunn saw the Dunn/Baines combination take the win and round off a pot-tastic day for the squad! 

First on the water were the open J15 doubles: despite having issues with their start, the double of Seth Vondrak and Xavier Sissins-Roffey managed to close the initial gap between them and their opposition from Queens Park High, missing out on a place in the final by only a metre to the eventual winners of the event. Also competing in this event, the double of Oliver Rowlands and James Albrighton comfortably won their semi final but unfortunately lost in their final against Queens Park High.

Competing in the junior 15 women’s coxed quad was the quad of Lily Warren, Poppy Baines, Sophie Evans and Alice Jones, cox Lucy Yang, who in a close race against yet another Queens Park High crew, unfortunately lost by less than a boat length. In the junior 15 women’s singles event, Alexandra Francis raced against a strong sculler from A B Severn and after establishing a lead relatively early on, went on to win the event.

In the afternoon, the doubles of Alice Jones and Lily Warren and Sophie Evans and Poppy Baines competed in the women’s J15 double sculls. Jones and Warren raced well in their heat but unfortunately were beaten by a double from Queens Park High. The double of Evans and Baines won their heat by a comfortable margin but in their semi final against an Evesham double, lost out by a small margin after some very close racing.

In the open junior 15 singles Xavier Sissins-Roffey raced a very experienced sculler from Black Sheep Rowing Club and despite being very close for the majority of the race, unfortunately clipped a buoy before the finish line allowing his opposition to pull away and take the win. In the open J15 coxed quads, the quad of James Albrighton, Oliver Rowlands, Seth Vondrak and Alexandra Francis, coxed by Lucy Yang, raced a quad from Queens Park High and quickly established a considerable lead over their opposition, winning the event by five lengths.

The J16’s were represented in the Sunday sprint event by Jess Long, Harriet Froom and Will Dalrymple-Baker in the single sculls along with Aimee Appleton and Lucy Sartain in the double sculls event. Both Jess and Harriet put on great displays of sculling and stayed in contention through to the finish, but were unable to overhaul their opponents despite big efforts from both girls.

Dalrymple-Baker faced a familiar opponent from Evesham in his semi final and having never beaten him was determined to ring in the changes. Quick off the start and gaining the advantage, Dalrymple-Baker maintained a high stroke rate and held off the advancing Evesham sculler to secure a place in the final by two feet. Despite the gargantuan efforts of the semi final, Dalrymple-Baker picked himself up to face an even bigger opponent from Monmouth but despite deploying the same race strategy, narrowly missed out on the win by just two feet.

The afternoon division saw the Appleton/Sartain double square up against Staines in a semi final. Rounding the bend the girls were just over a length down and sculling well together before the Staines crew used their physical advantage to push on and counter the attack from the Stratford girls, denying them a place in the final.

On Monday Jess Long and Harriet Froom came together in the double sculls event on the longer regatta course. Facing local rivals Evesham in the semi-final, the girls displayed the same levels of determination from their singles event the previous day to take a convincing win and secure a place in the final against Liverpool Victoria. Feeling buoyed by their win the girls put in another gutsy performance but ultimately the Liverpool crew were too strong and took the win.

Amélie and Lucy Sartain were first up on Sunday, racing in the senior women’s doubles event. They sculled strongly despite minimal practice but fell to a close defeat in their first round. Freya Watts was next on the course in the WJ18 singles event, and rowed a brilliant race to come home just short of a win against a previous National Champion from Evesham. The OJ18 double of Charles Happel and Toby Sartain then took on a straight final against a crew from Evesham Rowing Club in what would be their last of many races as a pairing this season and they cruised home to take the win by a margin of four lengths.

Next up was the WJ18 coxed four of Kate Richardson, Maddie Hall, Uchenna Nwachukwu, Harriet Noyes and cox Imogen Hill. Despite proficient rowing. they were unfortunate to fall short to a crew from Black Sheep Rowing Club in their first round. Will Beattie followed in the senior men’s singles category and, after taking a superb win in his first round by four lengths to a sculler from Liverpool Victoria, he then fell to an extremely close loss in the final by only one quarter of a boat length. Beattie was soon to race again though, this time alongside Toby and Amélie Sartain and Freya Watts in the senior mixed quads event. In another straight final against a crew from Queen’s Park High School, the four scullers put in an immense performance with no prior training in the boat to turn the race around in the last one hundred metres, coming from behind to take an unexpected and special win. Finally, Charles Happel took to the water one last time in the J18 singles event, and rounded off a victorious day for the squad with an effortless win in his final. J18 Coach Abi Terry commented. “As the final race for the J18’s as juniors, it was a great way to end the season!”

Stratford J16s and J17s also combined forces to enter an VIII in the Senior Women’s event. Megan Rowan, Aimee Appleton, Ez Elmwood, V, Harriet Noyes, Maddie Hall, Uche Nwachukwa, Kate Richardson and coxswain Imogen Hill drew a strong crew from Warwick in the semi-final but displayed better technique and soon pulled out a convincing lead to progress to the final. Despite a quality row and holding a high rate for the entire 750 metre course, Stratford could not hang on to a very experienced and powerful composite crew from Black Sheep Rowing Club in the final. J16 Coach Sam Hill said, “The girls have put in a superb performance, punching way above their weight with very little time training together: so it bodes well for next season when they ‘graduate’ to J17/18’s this September.”

Ross Rowing Club has recently started a Mixed Ability section which follows Stratford Boat Club’s example: Mixed Ability seeks to integrate adaptive rowers with able bodied club members. A Mixed Ability event took place at Ross Regatta between ladies’ doubles from each club with Stratford’s more experience crew of adaptive athlete Gillian Middleton and buddy rower Jackie Joesbury winning the day by four lengths.

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-club-round-off-season-at-ross

Stratford Clean Up at Oxford

Sunday 20 August saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J13 and adaptive crews take on the 500m Sprint course at City of Oxford Regatta with stakeboat start by Jesus and Keble College boat house. In the morning division, competing in the WJ13 2x event, the doubles of Orla Linforth/Erin Appleton and Maria Ntoukaki/Naomi Sime steered a good course but were beaten by very competent crews from Oxford City and Thames Scullers (eventual winners).

In the afternoon division, competing in the J13 1x event, Rory Rowan, Euan Richer, Seb Happel, Noah Rutter and Ed Appleton sculled very well too but were beaten by more experienced scullers from Falcon Boat Club and Oxford City, rowing on their home waters. Said Hugo Happel, J13 Coach, “Overall, the J13s bagged some worthwhile experience on the Thames, taking away many positive learning points.”

First on the water was the women’s J15 double of Lily Warren and Alexandra Francis who won their first round against a crew from Upton: however, they then lost their semi final to a strong Wallingford crew by three quarters of a length after a close race and a commendable sprint finish.

In the open J15 doubles, Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Theo Richter raced a formidable Falcon crew who had the advantage as they were on home water and despite a strong racing start which gave the Stratford crew an initial lead, lost to the eventual winners of the category. Also in the open J15 doubles was the mixed double of Poppy Baines and James Albrighton, who, despite never having rowed together before, gave an impressive performance but were beaten by tough opposition from a Wallingford crew.

In the afternoon division, Seth Vondrak won his initial race against a Falcon single by a comfortable four lengths. Progressing on to the next race he showed great sportsmanship in requesting to race his opposition from Wallingford in the semi final, despite the fact the Wallingford single had been initially disqualified which would have secured him a spot in the final. After a closely battled race, Seth narrowly missed out on his spot in the final. Also competing in the singles events, Alexandra Francis competed against a strong single from Wallingford in her semi-final and, after a very close race from start to finish, she won by just two feet which meant she progressed through to the final where she met another Wallingford single who she also beat to win the women’s J15 singles event.

Stratford’s J16 squad entered two crews, the first being a WJ16 quad with Aimee Appleton, Eloise Cooper, Esme Elfwood and Lucy Sartain: rowing up against seniors due to lack of competition in their age group, the quad lost narrowly to a strong Abingdon crew. The Stratford boat finished strongly gaining with every stroke but Abingdon held on to cross the line just a quarter of a boat length ahead.

In the same division Molly ‘V’ Vondrak enjoyed success in the WJ16 single sculling category. Following a confident row and comfortable win over Wallingford in the semi finals, Vondrak went on to the final against a sculler from Exeter Rowing Club. It was nip and tuck over the first half of the race but the Exeter sculler was unable to maintain the pace with Vondrak taking the win by a comfortable margin and collecting a medal.

Stratford’s senior women’s squad of Amelie Sartain and Alice Baines, racing together as a combination for the first time in over two years, had a strong first race against Bentham Boat Club in which they found their rhythm halfway through to power away to a four length lead over the finish line. In the final they drew a strong crew from Reading Rowing Club who jumped out to a length lead off the start but the Stratford double stuck to their plan and rowed through the competition on the inside of the bend and winning the event in style!

Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive section also joined the Club’s J13 squad on a sunny Sunday for the Oxford Sprint Regatta. The morning saw all the adaptive single scull races. There were several really good performances from Stratford’s adaptive section: Andy Morris, who has remained undefeated for most of the summer, again won his event overcoming his final opponent from the local City of Oxford Club by several lengths. Stratford’s adaptive thirteen year old Isaac Clarkson then had a very convincing win against an adult opponent from Marlow. Rob Pedley competed in two events and suffered a narrow defeat in the first race but winning his second final very convincingly over a Sudbury sculler.

Jess Dowdeswell had the hardest task of the day competing against a Paralympian from Kenya. Although Jess was beaten, this was the best performance of this her first summer of racing. Both coach and Jess were very pleased!

All the adaptive double races took place after the lunch break. These events saw another three Stratford Boat Club adaptive wins. Andy Morris and Isaac Clarkson, teaming up to defeat Guildford by a few lengths and then Daniel Browne and his support rower, Neville Hand, won their event in the most exciting final of the day, defeating a plucky crew from Marlow by a mere two feet! The last win was in an all Stratford final between James Bastin/Neville Hand and Phil Startin/Andy Morris. Phil winning his first ever event by a couple of lengths commented, ”My first regatta: what a fantastic day! Thank you Mark, Andy and everyone!”

Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach commented further, “With the exception of a few races on the Bank Holiday, this wraps up another very successful regatta season for Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive squad. We will be visiting Turin for an international event in early October and we have many exciting projects in hand to bring rowing to a wider audience of adaptive rowers.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty one and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/winning-ways-for-crews-at-oxford-9327338 an and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-club-scullers-clean-up-at-oxford

For more great pictures of City of Oxford regatta, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21APoYhH8AIy0FjnU&id=8E50DAC120123B06%21100237&cid=8E50DAC120123B06

Stratford Triumphs on the River, Beach and in Munich!

After the excitement of National Junior Championships, the Stratford upon Avon Boat Club junior rowing summer calendar turned to Henley Town & Visitors Regatta for the next races. Held over 800m on the famed Henley Reach, the event always provides great racing and moreover a great relaxed atmosphere. First to go from the J14 squad was the women’s coxed quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Becca Smith, Martha Baines, Bryony Francis and Poppy Warren (coxswain). Competing in the J15 category, the crew made easy meat of Wallingford Rowing Club in the first round. However not to be outdone, the hunter became the hunted in the final and a second Wallingford Rowing Club crew, recent National Junior Championship finalists, took the win in the final by just four lengths over the Stratford girls.

The racing continued furiously with the WJ14 single sculls next to boat. Sophie Franklin and Millie Smith represented Stratford with great sculling in a tough headwind, both placed second in their respective semifinals and narrowly missing out on a place in the final. Challenging conditions continued for the WJ14 double sculls event where three Stratford crews competed. Bryony Francis and Martha Cooke powered their way past a quality Wallingford Rowing Club double in the semifinal whilst Martha Baines and Becca Smith booked their place in the final showing Falcon Rowing Club nothing but wake. Meanwhile in the third semifinal, Isla Dunn and Poppy Warren narrowly missed out to a quality Henley Rowing Club double. With the regatta drawing to a close, the final wasn’t quite an all Stratford affair and the Henley Rowing Club crew took full home advantage securing the win with Stratford nipping at their heels until the finish line.

Stratford’s Junior 15’s had four events to participate in, starting with Theo Richter and Ollie Rowlands in the Junior 15 double sculls. They faced tough competition from Falcon and Henley who took an early lead and kept it until the end. Richter and Rowlands did their best but could not catch up on the short course. Sadly, they did not qualify for the final.

Stratford’s J15 girls had more success in the single sculls event with Sophie Evans, Alexandra Francis, Poppy Baines and Meg Nuttall representing Stratford Boat Club. Evans raced against City of Oxford and Wallingford and, despite being more used to racing in bigger boats, she performed well and finished third. Francis and Baines competed in the second heat against Shiplake with Francis advancing to the final finishing first with Baines finishing second in their heat. Nuttall who usually coxes, tried her hand at sculling in the third heat but lost to the eventual winner of the event. In the final, Francis fought hard against Wallingford but lost by a narrow margin.

The next event was the J15 singles where Seth Vondrak faced Henley in a straight final. The two boys were evenly matched in the first part of the race but Vondrak used his experience from the British Rowing’s recent Junior National Championships to pull ahead in the middle section. He maintained his lead and won by four lengths. Finally In the double sculls event for girls, Lily Warren and Alice Jones competed for the first time as a crew. They faced Wallingford and Shiplake in their heat who were both strong contenders. Wallingford took an early lead and kept it until the end, winning the overall event. Stratford and Shiplake fought for second place but Warren and Jones overtook them at the halfway point and secured their position, finishing second.

Stratford’s J16 squad entered three crews, enjoying an early success in the double sculls when Jamie Wilcock and Will Dalrymple-Baker executed their race plan perfectly in a straight final against a Wallingford crew. The boys went off hard to open an impressive lead by halfway and maintained their composure with a two boat length advantage as they crossed the line. Next to compete was Elliot Baird in the J16 single sculls: Elliot found himself in a very competitive heat with scullers from Wallingford and Henley. A strong start saw Elliot well in touch during the early part of the race before eventually crossing the line a couple of lengths behind the other two crews in a closely fought finish. Finally, the WJ16 coxless quad of Jessica Long, Scarlett Richardson, Megan Rowan and Harriet Froom took to the water rowing up an age category against a composite WJ18 crew from Staines and Mundener from Germany. Despite a good start and clean row from the Stratford athletes, the age difference told with the very accomplished WJ18 opposition taking the win in blustery conditions.

From Stratford’s J17 squad, Charles Happel stepped up to do battle in the Senior single sculls event.  Despite remaining in contact throughout, it was not to be Charles’ day as his opponent from Upper Thames Rowing Club took full benefit of a home crowd and crossed the line first.

The weekend also saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club masters and adaptive rowers competing against athletes from far and wide with rowers in Germany in the European Club Championships on the south coast of England at the British Offshore Rowing Championships and also at Henley on Thames for the Henley Town & Visitors Regatta.

The British Offshore Rowing Championships took place off Exmouth and attracted its largest entry with rowers from the Czech Republic, France and Germany taking part in racing over two days.

Racing commenced on Friday with Stratford rowers Andrew Morris and Tom Doherty joined by their fellow rowers Ali Martineau and Kath Coleman-Jones from the Coastal Barbarians Club racing in the mixed ability quads sculls over a 4 km course. Up against crews from Fishguard, Llandaff and Mayflower, it was going to be a closely contested race with Mayflower with two of their senior men and Sophie Harris former GB Paralympic squad member.

A good start saw Stratford/Barbarians gain a half length lead which they held to the buoy turn out to sea. Over the next two kilometres, Mayflower edged back and both crews were racing for the buoy side by side in the choppy sea conditions. At the three kilometre buoy turn, Mayflower started to edge ahead by a length but drifted off course allowing Stratford/Barbarians to close and edge ahead and gain a short lead which they held to the finish. Said Tom Doherty, crew captain, “This was Stratford’s Andrew Morris’s first experience at sea rowing and he put in an incredible performance to win a gold medal. It also shows there are no limits to what adaptive athletes can achieve.”

Stratford were not finished with Tom Doherty back on the water half an hour later for the senior Men’s 6km Double Sculls final with Robin Steward from the Mayflower Club. In a very competitive field of six crews, a good start saw the double edge into second place behind Jersey with Eastbourne neck and neck. A long side by side race ensued with Eastbourne finally pulling away at the three kilometre point. Jersey, who had been leading, began to tire and were pushed into second place as Stratford/Mayflower attempted to close on second and hold off a fast finishing Ardingly crews behind. Jersey rallied enough to hold onto second place with Stratford/Mayflower finishing in third place for the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Stratford’s Women’s Masters were competing in the Euro Master Regatta in Munich. Stratford’s Masters Women won five gold medals and secured several second and third positions of the thirteen events entered. The races were all extremely tight with often just a second between the top three places.

Particular congratulations to Suzie Radley, who won three of the gold medals in women’s VIII; Amanda Bowden, winning a gold medal in women’s VIII; Heather Hayton, winning gold in a Mixed double and Kjersti Rogneflaten Woolley who represented Stratford across several boat classes at times combining with other clubs. All the events saw hard racing from everybody involved across the four days.

Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Stratford crew member, said, “Lining up on a start to hear the starter announce ‘Great Britain’ alongside the other international competitors was totally thrilling! It was hugely inspiring to race masters’ athletes at this level, competing against other nations and great fun catching up with previous rowing friends and making new ones! Many thanks to all our supporters, with a special mention to Dan Simkins for boat support and David Bowden for the driving to and from Munich!”

For media mentions, see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/08/04&pages=24

For more great pictures of Henley Town & Visitors regatta, see Kathy Baines’ selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j7QT6aOurkcIfval3A?e=NE1B7N

Stratford Juniors Shine in Strathclyde!

To close out the National competitions for the season, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior squad competed at the British Rowing Junior National Championships. This year’s edition proved more of an adventure than most with the selected venue being in Strathclyde in Scotland. Undeterred, Stratford fielded seventeen crews across the J14 to J18 age range into the event on Strathclyde Loch.

First to go from Stratford’s J14 squad was the coxed quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Sophie Franklin and Isla Dunn (coxswain). A solid time trial performance secured the crew a place in the semi-final where a gutsy row earned them a place in the B-Final after a tussle with Calpe Rowing Club of Gibraltar. In the B Final, the crew led from the front and wowed the crowd with a dominant and confident row to take the win and seventh overall.

On Day Two of the regatta, it was the turn of the J14 single scull event with Maeve Dunn and Martha Cooke representing Stratford Boat Club. In a howling headwind both athletes demonstrated composure in both time trials and their finals to end the day in twentieth and twenty seventh places respectively in field of over forty competitors, a great result with quality opposition in their wake.

Day Three saw the WJ14 double scull event and another day of challenging conditions with a heavy tailwind demanding a change in technique to take full advantage. Stratford fielded three crews with the combinations of Martha Baines/Sophie Franklin, Millie Smith/Isla Dunn and Poppy Warren/Martha Cooke. The Baines/Franklin combination smashed the time trial to secure a spot in the A Final with Warren/Cooke and Smith/Dunn well on the pace in D and E Finals respectively. A tough lane draw in the A Final meant Martha and Sophie were unable to better their time trial result ending the day a superb sixth place nationally. Poppy and Martha delivered again to take third place in the D Final whilst Millie and Isla showed their grit and quality taking the race to the Tideway clubs in the E Final with a stonking win by just 1.5 seconds over the 1000m course.

Stratford’s J15 squad also headed north of the border to the British Rowing Junior Championships held at Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell. Strathclyde Park is the only 200M multi-lane course in Scotland, built in 1986 for the Commonwealth Games and it hosts the Scottish Rowing Championships each year and more recently the 2018 European Rowing Championships.

Representing the Junior 15 girls on Day One were Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines in the single sculls event. Despite the long delay at the start, both girls showed amazing determination and skill in their time trial, overcoming the gusty conditions and earning spots in the C and D finals. Francis finished second in her final, while Baines came sixth, both with impressive times.

Day Two saw Baines and Francis teamed up for the Junior Women’s double sculls event. They faced the Scottish weather with courage and resilience and made it to the D final, where they had a thrilling race and finished just behind Queen Elizabeth High School.

Also competing in this event were Lily Warren and Sophie Evans who had a fantastic row and gave their best effort but unfortunately missed out on a finals selection by a narrow margin.

Day Three saw Seth Vondrak made his debut in the single sculls event. Vondrak had a superb start and middle piece showing his talent and strength but the conditions on the day were very challenging and he did not qualify for the finals. However, he should be very proud of his performance and his participation in this prestigious event..

Gusty conditions welcomed the W16 2x to their time trial on Friday morning. Despite the winds, the double of V Vondrak and Aimee Appleton finished fifteenth securing a 3rd place spot in C final, followed by Lucy Sartain and Ez Elfwood who placed twenty firth and secured a D final race in a field of thirty seven competitors. Throughout the afternoon, conditions worsened but the racing continued in the pouring rain. In their final, the 2x of Sartain and Elfwood had a fast start and kept the pace throughout the race, pulling ahead of three other boats, earning them fourth place. They were followed by Vondrak and Appleton in the C final who gained momentum through the race and overtook close rivals from Lea RC to finish second, only 1.5 seconds off the winner over the 2000m course.

Windy conditions prevailed again for Sundays racing and the W16 4x- started with the time trial, finishing tenth in a field of seventeen very competitive boats, earning them fourth in the B final after a fabulous race. Semi finals were cancelled due to the weather conditions, so they proceeded straight to the finals. Off to a strong start, they held the line with the other boats. but with tricky conditions one of the crew caught a crab which stopped the boat and allowed the other boats to pull ahead. Showing real grit the girls quickly got back up to race pace and with the second fastest final 1000m, put their months of hard training to work to catch the pack, pulling ahead of local rivals Stourport to finish fifth in the last few metres of the race.

Also on Sunday, the OJ2x combination of Jamie Wilcock and William Dalrymple-Baker battled the rough conditions and placed a respectable twentieth place out of thirty seven competitors and qualifying for a place in the D final.  A tightly bunched field highlighted the importance of marginal gains with over twenty crews finishing within eight seconds of each other over the seven minute course.

Four members of the J18 squad, Will Beattie, Tomi Wilcock, Charles Happel and Toby Sartain also travelled to Glasgow to compete in the annual British Rowing Junior Championships at Strathclyde Country Park. Friday saw all four boys competing together in the OJ18 coxless quads event, an event that took place over three rounds of side by side lane racing throughout the day. The first round saw them finish in eighth place out of thirteen competitors which moved them into a second round repêchage against three other boats in which they were placed in third place, fighting a strong headwind and heavy rain. This then put them into the B Final, in which they pushed hard and sculled well in similarly tough conditions to come home in fourth place, just missing out to the third placed crew by less than a second.

Saturday then saw Beattie and Wilcock compete together in the OJ18 doubles event, and in the first round time trial event they sculled excellently to place a highly respectable twenty first place out of thirty seven crews. Facing similarly tough weather conditions to the previous day, they then attacked the D Final and edged out a crew from Grosvenor Rowing Club to claim a well earned second place to conclude both a successful and enjoyable weekend for the squad.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald page forty four and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/junior-rowers-head-north-for-nationals-9323323 also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-boat-club-juniors-close-out-competitive-season-at-junior-national-championships and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/07/28&pages=32

For more great pictures of British Rowing Junior National Championships, see Kathy Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j7J6BC78SySITB0ARg?e=d3IKSp