Tag Archives: Rebecca England

Stratford’s Masters Triumph at Chester

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Sunday saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club make the long journey up to Chester for their premier small boats head. The event, raced over 5km, attracts a strong field of competitors as it acts as a training ground for the upcoming London national small boat events.

Stratford Boat Club, represented by Tom Doherty and Rebecca England in the mixed masters double, were up against crews from both the Midlands and the North of England. Blustery conditions and a strong stream made for lively racing. Stratford, setting off at thirty strokes a minute with strong, youthful competitors from Pengwern chasing them down, settled into a good rhythm. Nip and tuck racing saw neither club giving any quarter as both crews overtook a number of other small boats along the course. With the race heading towards the last kilometre, both crews took it up in an attempt to make a decisive push for the line. Stratford, increasing their rate to thirty two strokes per minute, were determined to hold Pengwern at bay and gain the win.

Reflecting on the victory, Rebecca England commented, “It was great to compete over a longer, more challenging course and come out with a positive result to start the head season.”

For media coverage see Stratford Observer back page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/09/26&pages=24 and online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-masters-double-triumph-at-chester and also Stratford Herald page forty four and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/decisive-push-for-the-line-proves-crucial-in-stratford-s-suc-9435034

Stratford Excel at Ross

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The traditional end of season event for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club arrived over the Bank Holiday weekend with thirty one 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. This year, low rivers levels demanded a change in the course and prior experience at the event was no longer an advantage.

For Stratford’s Masters, Rebecca England and Lucy Scarlett enjoyed racing the short 550m sprint course in the Women’s Masters A/B double on Sunday. They started well at a lively rate of thirty eight strokes per minute and quickly moved up on Evesham, their opposition, who benefitted from the staggered start. Settling at thirty six strokes a minute, Stratford powered through to take the lead which they held to the end, winning by a comfortable four lengths.

Whilst the J13 and J14 squads were not at full strength, they made their mark on Sunday’s sprint regatta. Racing over 500m of sun-drenched River Wye the youngest members of the Club chalked up some commendable displays of composed sculling with several victories in qualifying heats. The J13 boys will have doubtless absorbed some technical lessons that will prove vital as they look to develop throughout the coming season, whilst the J14 boys (Reuben Stanford and Connor Birrell) sculled beautifully but were finally outmatched by strong opposition from local clubs in their finals. However, the day truly belonged to the girls with Charlotte Franklin (WJ13.1x), Abi Dunn (WJ14.1x) and the WJ14 double scull of Martina Bruce-Bonilla with Bethany Hammond working their way through their heats to claim deserved victories in respective finals.

Coach of the J13/14 squads Jon Francis was impressed by their performance. “Ross is our traditional end to the summer regatta season and a great place for our athletes to shine. They all gave it everything they had and I’m delighted with the results”.

In the J15 events, Rory Rowan and Euan Richter took on home favourites from Ross Rowing Club in the double sculls event but were unable to overturn the Ross combination who were lifted to new heights by the home crowd support.

Stratford’s J16 squad competed in a mix of J16 and senior events as they sought to make a mark on the Regatta.  Fielding no fewer than five crews in the senior double sculls event the crews raced each other plus visitors from Exeter Rowing Club, City of Bristol RC and Stourport Boat Club. Lily and Poppy Warren succumbed to Exeter however then went on to win over Poppy and Martha Baines. Martha Cooke and Millie Smith pushed Bristol hard to the line whilst Alexandra and Bryony Francis saw off Stourport Boat Club. The Francis combination then met Sophie Evans and, fresh out of retirement, Imogen North. North and Evans pipped the Francis crew and then went on to avenge the other Stratford crews by beating Exeter in the final to take the winners pots.

Elsewhere in the draw, the WJ16 coxless quadruple sculls event was an all too familiar showdown between Stratford and Evesham.  The Stratford crew came out on top with a solid win and a place on the top step of the podium.

The day continued with another J16 athlete rowing up to senior in the women’s single sculls event.  A plucky row from Martha Baines saw here come close to causing upset in the event however narrowly missed out to a handy sculler and eventual finalist from Stourport.

In the WJ16 double sculls event, the combination of Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn overhauled Queen’s Park Chester Boat Club to secure a final versus Stratford’s own Poppy Warren and Bryony Francis.  A race to the line saw Maeve and Isla take the win getting the job Dunn in style!

In the morning division, the J17/18 squad fielded two mixed doubles, with V Vondrak and Xavier Sissins-Roffey first down the course. They started strong, winning their first race against Ross by a length to move onto the semi-final. Hoping to meet the other Stratford mixed double in the final, in the next race they faced a strong crew from City of Bristol who ultimately beat them by a quarter of a length. Meanwhile the crew of Seth Vondrak and Lucy Sartain put in a strong performance in the other semi-final of the event against scullers from home club Ross, racing with composure to win by a length over the senior crew. They then faced a strong Bristol crew in the final where they sculled well, executing their race plan but eventually losing out by just half a length.

Also in the morning, the multiple Women’s doubles crews, including three pairs of sisters made up of J16 & J17s! First up were sisters Lily and Poppy Warren, who started off strong and persevered through a tough race but unfortunately lost out to their opposition. Up next were sisters Poppy and Martha Baines: in a well executed race, the pair had a strong finish but ultimately fell short against strong opposition from Exeter. Also racing in the W2x event was J17 athlete Sophie Evans and her coach Imogen North. They raced against Exeter successfully in their first race and went on to win against another Stratford double in their semi-final. This resulted in a close race against another Exeter crew in the final where they took the win for the event.

In the afternoon, the mixed four crew of Alexandra Francis, Xavier Sissins-Roffey, Ollie Rowlands, Poppy Baines and cox Will Dalrymple-Baker raced up into the open fours category. Opposed by a strong and experienced crew from Bristol, they narrowly missed out on a final after a well executed sprint race. In the Op2- event, two scratched crews meant that the Stratford pair made up of siblings Seth and V Vondrak were in a straight final, coming up against a composite Hereford/City of Bristol crew. Although they rowed an excellent race, they lost to the opposing crew who had a couple years more experience than them, as frequently happens when racing up in the Open category. Finally, in the mixed quads event Nick, Amélie, Toby and Lucy Sartain came together as a family. They rowed well, overcoming the challenges that come with rowing with crew mates of varying sizes (!) to finish just short of the eventual winners of the event, Ross.

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-triumph-at-end-of-season-ross-regatta and also back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/08/29&pages=24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford’s Juniors & Masters Score at Henley!

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The Henley Town and Visitors’ Regatta, a prestigious event with roots tracing back to the late 1850s, has evolved significantly over the years. Initially known as the Henley Rowing Club Boat Races, it underwent a name change in 1887 to Henley Town Regatta, with the term ‘Visitor’ later incorporated to signify its welcoming stance towards rowers from clubs beyond Henley. This regatta is unique in offering competitors the chance to experience the Henley course in a multi-lane format, a feature typically exclusive to venues like Dorney and Nottingham.

The J14s thoroughly enjoyed their first experience of rowing the world-famous stretch of the River Thames that just weeks earlier had hosted the world’s finest rowers roared on by society’s loudest. Connor Birrell and Tristan Hammick thrived on the chance to race down the most picturesque of courses laying down commendable times in their finals both in a double then separately in single sculls but being unlucky to not come away with medals for their efforts.

However, the girls’ quad of Raya Hothi, Bethany Hammond, Abi Dunn, Martina Bruce-Bonilla and Lilly Parsons (cox) chose their moment to shine. Racing up a class against Reading and Shiplake the girls were in imperious form, led from the off and controlled the race throughout gaining enthusiastic praise from the experienced commentary team for their composure and style. When they learned the medallists were much younger than their opponents, the commentary team momentarily lost their composure and professionalism. “Simply super” is not a compliment many get at Henley and is as close to an emotional outburst one could imagine before lunch.

Not wishing to pass up the chance for further glory, two doubles of Hammond/ Parsons and Hothi/Bruce-Bonilla took the Hereford boat to task in their second final of the day and pushed them to the line but narrowly missed out on a second medal.

Saturday also saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J15s take to this famous stretch of the Thames for the first time in their junior rowing journey. Racing upstream over the 800m course, Will Shaw and Rory Rowan started strongly but lost out to the Shiplake Vikings OJ15 2x boys by three and a half lengths. Seb Happel and Ed Appleton sculled very well with precise steering but lost to the Wallingford boys by two and a half lengths in the semifinal. Wallingford would go on to win the event.

In Division Two, Erin Appleton sculled very well in the WJ15 1x event but lost by four lengths to the Hereford sculler who went on to win the event. Maria Ntoukaki won her semifinal against a strong sculler from Shiplake Vikings by three and a half lengths. In the three side by side final, Maria came second losing by one and a half lengths to the Hereford Sculler after being neck and neck for the majority of the race. Both scullers showed excellent sportsmanship during and after the race.

J15 Coach Hugo Happel commented, “This was a great experience for our J15 athletes. First time at Henley and they sculled with panache. Not enough for medals but great to test themselves and take away some good learning points for the future. Well done all athletes!”

Stratford’s under 16 squad attended in numbers to enjoy some summer racing.  First to go was the combination of Tessa Parkin and Josephine Cooper “rowing up” to J18 level in their double scull. With conditions lumpy on the Henley stretch, the two came home a strong second against West Midlands rivals from Hereford Rowing Club.  Next up was the coxless quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Bryony Francis, Isla Dunn, Poppy Warren who, although leaving Reading’s J18s in their wake, were unable to overhaul a quality Hereford crew and came home second overall. In the women’s J16 single sculls, it was the turn of Tessa Parkin and Martha Cooke to head down the track. Martha Cooke took on scullers from Pangbourne College and Shiplake Vikings with Pangbourne going through to the final. In the other half of the draw, Tessa avenged the defeats earlier in the day with a win over Hereford only to be overcome in the final by the charging Pangbourne sculler. To close the J16 day out, the women’s J16 double sculls event saw two crews from Stratford take the water. As the crowd refilled their Pimm’s glasses, Martha Cooke and Sophie Franklin chased Hereford down the course with style. Elsewhere in the draw, Bryony Francis and Isla Dunn saw off Shiplake Vikings with ease however, once again, the day belonged to Hereford Rowing Club as they led the Stratford girls home in the final.

Stratford Masters were also at Henley Town & Visitors’ Regatta with their W Masters A 2x crew of Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett (bow) racing the 800m upstream course. The determined Stratford crew fought hard from the start to catch up after the two opposing Masters B crews of Eton Excelsior and Oxford Amateur began with a head start, but despite the close finish it proved too much this time, with Stratford finishing half a length behind the second crew.

For media coverage see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-rowers-among-the-leading-lights-at-prestigious-eve-9428575 and page thirty seven and also Stratford Observer https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-juniors-and-masters-compete-at-henley-town-and-visitors-regatta and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/08/08&pages=24

Junior National Championships & Masters at Bewdley

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

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

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

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

In the time trials, it was brutal:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven

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

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

Stratford in Spain, Ironbridge and Henley

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive section were represented at the IMART Regatta in Spain by Paola and Ian Ward where they travelled with the rest of the international teams to Orio where the regatta was taking place. Due to high winds and choppy waters, they were only allowed to go in wide boats to get familiar with the massive river Orio which is a strong tidal river so they had to wait until 16.00hrs for boating. The weather was fine apart from the wind.

The next day, the competitors were taken out again but this time for the competition. Paola and Ian raced in a fine double sculling against Armida Club from Italy. Unfortunately, this time, they were faster than the Stratford crew. Commenting, Paola said, “We found our boat settings difficult to adjust so our main objective was to avoid a capsize!”

Later, Paola and Ian sculled in a coxed wide quad combined with two of our Italian friends. Again, they lost to our Italian home opposition!

Commenting further, Paola said, “Apart from losing, we have had a great time learning a lot and meeting old friends and making new ones! We’ll be back on the Avon this week!”

Several masters crews went to Ironbridge Regatta over the weekend . A beautiful setting in the Ironbridge Gorge with lots of sun and some blustery wind. Rebecca England at stroke and Lucy Scarlett at bow in the women’s 2x were the first of the Club’s crews to take to the water. An unusually swift starting sequence unfortunately led to the Stratford crew being slightly askew off the start costing crucial early momentum. Despite this, the Stratford double refocused, pushed hard and steadily gained ground, nearly drawing level by the final stretch. While the early deficit proved slightly too much on this occasion, they appreciated the race experience and look forward to building on it over the summer.

Next up In their debut regatta, Jack Ingleby (stroke) and Tom Stokes (bow) delivered a strong performance in the Open Double Sculls. Despite a solid row and good pace, they were beaten by a more experienced Pengwern crew. A very promising performance to start their racing journey.

In their first race together, the women’s masters B coxed 4 of Rebecca England, Suzie Radley, Lucy Scarlett, Fiona Schulz and Jenn Cary (cox) were drawn against Huntingdon in their semi-final. The Stratford crew started strong, winding up the rate and quickly gaining a lead within the first few hundred metres. They maintained a consistent rhythm, extending their lead to two and a half lengths by the finish line to secure their spot in the final. After a quick turn around, Stratford took to the river again, this time to face a master’s C Bewdley crew. Benefitting from a head start and a bye through to the final the Bewdley 4+ took an early lead. Although the Stratford crew fought hard and reduced the deficit over the course of the race, they were unable to catch their opponents on this occasion. Stratford will look to build on this performance over the course of the summer.

Last of the Stratford crews to begin their racing  was the quad of Ellie Davies (stroke), Gina Fusco, Christine Goodwin and Ruth Poulten (Bow) masters E. The crew put in a solid performance with their best average splits for a race this season but unfortunately not good enough to win lost by three quarters of a length against a strong Stourport crew who went on to win in the final.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J17/18 girls’ quad of Lucy Sartain, V Vondrak, Scarlett Richardson, and Alex Francis raced the time trial for the Bea Langridge trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta. They raced well, managing to overtake the Molesey crew ahead of them and execute their race plan perfectly. They placed a very respectable joint twenty first out of forty one crews: unfortunately just missing out on an opportunity to progress to side by side racing.

In the first event of the day, Poppy Baines took on the Di Ellis Trophy for Junior Singles, a highly competitive event fielding scullers from across the Atlantic. Facing a hot time trial, Baines secured a place in the side by side elimination rounds where she was drawn against the reigning national champion. A strong start saw her take the lead in the beginning, however she was slowly chipped away by the Chester sculler, knocking her out of the competition on the Saturday afternoon after a hard fought race.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/pair-learn-from-their-spanish-trip-9423832 and page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-in-action-in-spain-ironbridge-and-henley and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/07/04&pages=24

For great pictures of HWR, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0V0QjRSNmVodExoTnIyWkYzV3MtTGRVQnBXLTRtNXloWHJIclBSNDlqeUI3OFE%5FZT11UUhBcWY&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21sa74778d0b4a14db8af6645dd6b3e2dd5&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford Make Their Mark at National Schools Regatta

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The Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J14 squad sent a boys quad and a girls quad to the National Schools Regatta 2025 at the Nottingham Watersports Centre on Friday. This was the return of the event to the Nottinghamshire venue after a gap of several years and the competition was tough. The weather was glorious and both boats showed strong determination. The girls reached the D final and despite injuries in the team, managed to hold their own. They had a strong start, coming out of the first 100m in second position but were outpaced in the reminder of the race. The boys reached the B final and also had a great start, they were second at the halfway mark but lost ground in the second half, coming fifth overall. Commenting, Rebecca Paul, the J14 Coach said, “Both crews had a great day out, learnt a lot from the experience and are looking forward to the next event.”

On Friday, Day One of the National Schools Regatta, saw Stratford upon Avon Boat Club WJ15 4+ crew of Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Naomi Sime and Erin Appleton (coxed by Ed Appleton) take to the Holme Pierrepoint water in the 1900m time trial, in relatively calm and temperate conditions. They set the fifteenth fastest time (out of twenty four crews) and secured their place in the C Final. In the 2000m Final, side by side with other fine crews, they were superb in their race execution: they rowed through a few crews including Royal Shrewsbury and looked to be heading for a second place finish but Kingston Grammar were wise to the challenge and finished 0.17 seconds ahead of Stratford in dramatic fashion. Where other crews seemed to be imploding, Stratford were totally steady over the 2k distance, in a solid 2:13 minutes for each 500m. J15 Coach Hugo Happel said, ” The WJ15 4+ crew did incredibly well against tough competitors from Great Britain and Republic of Ireland, sticking to their game plan and delivering a very memorable row. Both on and off the water they were terrific!”

Conditions on the second day of the regatta started to become less favourable with gusty headwinds on offer. Stratford’s WJ16 coxed four of Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines, Becca Smith and Poppy Warren (coxswain) embarked on their time trial and battled hard to achieve twelfth position and a spot in the B Final. With increasing winds, the crew again took the lake for their final in the afternoon but were unable to improve their position after a plucky row. With the cancellation of racing on the third day of the regatta, sadly the WJ16 coxless quadruple scull of Sophie Franklin, Millie Smith, Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn did not get the opportunity to show the result of their training. Musing, said Steve Wellstead J16 Coach said, “However, they will be back!”

Stratford’s WJ18 4x- and WJ18 1x also raced at National Schools Regatta: this is one of the biggest races in the rowing calendar, where over five thousand junior competitors attended.

In the first event of the day on Saturday, Poppy Baines took on the windy conditions in the Women’s Championship Singles event. Sculling with great technical focus, she claimed twenty third out of fifty three scullers in a highly competitive field. After a long ten hour gap, Baines’ D final arrived where she had a rocketing start to maintain her position from the time trial.

The girls’ quad of Alexandra Francis, Scarlett Richardson , V Vondrak and Lucy Sartain executed their race plan perfectly in the 2000m time trial putting them in twelfth place and therefore gaining them a place in the B final against competitive crews such as Henley, Headington, Hartpury and Shrewsbury. The wind picked up over the day making conditions challenging for the final but the girls still battled through the choppy water finishing respectively in fifth position beating competitive crews.

Meanwhile at the other end of the country at Monmouth Rowing Club’s regatta, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s masters were represented at the weekend by Tim Lunel who reported that the regatta was efficiently run regatta and also very enjoyable.

Commenting, Lunel said, “I had to sit on the start for six seconds as a handicap in the semi final but managed to catch my opponent by half way and then win by a couple of lengths. In the final, it was a handicap of twelve seconds against an opponent nicknamed ‘The Pocket Rocket from Totnes and Dartmouth’! The starter and I tried to persuade him he didn’t need the twelve second handicap but unfortunately we didn’t convince him so he pretty much sat on the lead all the way down the course. At least he said that it was hard work when we got to the finish!”

Also out at the weekend were Stratford masters’ rowers who headed to the west for a day out at Hereford regatta. Held in the beautiful surroundings of the River Wye in mixed overcast and windy conditions, Stratford was represented firstly by Rebecca England and Tom Doherty in mixed masters C/D double sculls.

With Stratford having an age advantage (being younger!), they had to give their opponents the highly rated Drinkwater couple from Bridgnorth, a seven second head start resulting a tough ask to reduce the deficit.

With Rebecca taking the crew off at 39/40 strokes per minute, the chase was on but despite holding a high tempo of 38 strokes a minute for the whole 850 metre course, Stratford were unable to close the deficit finishing exactly seven seconds behind at the finish!

Afternoon racing saw the Stratford women’s double of Lucy Scarlett and Rebecca England racing in their double scull in women’s senior sculls against Minerva Bath. With Rebecca again taking Stratford off at a good tempo, the crews were neck and neck approaching the halfway point with both crews rowing hard. Minerva Bath’s experience began to tell and they edged ahead over the last 250 metres to win.

Said Rebecca England, “Hats off to Lucy who steered a great course in tricky windy conditions against tough opposition. We were pleased with our row and look forward to the next event.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-club-make-their-mark-at-national-schools-regatta-9419727 and page thirty seven and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-make-their-mark-at-national-schools-regatta

For pictures of National Schools Regatta, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0V1TEhQQmd4NmJGSHR0QWZmRUVGYzhBQkZxZmpNLVJhUnBYeU0taWNXM3gycHc%5FZT1hZTB2d2w&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21s183cc7e2e93147b1b6d01f7c410573c0&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford’s Juniors and Masters Score at Nottingham and Birmingham

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Following the recent West Midlands trials, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club juniors 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 crews from Scotland to Wessex and everywhere between. Stratford’s J14 boys were representing the West Midlands in the quad and approached the time trial with a now familiar enthusiasm. Just seconds separated the nine fastest boats and the crew of Reuben Stanford, Connor Birrell, Nathan Lebordais, Herbie Shickle and Tristan Hammick (cox) missed a slot in the A final by just a fraction of a second. They embraced the challenge of side-by-side racing on the big stage in a thrilling show-down across the full 1.5km, with the lead swapping between them and Thames London throughout. With fearsome encouragement from their cox, Stratford timed their final surge to perfection for a deserved B final victory.

Stratford’s J15 squad had two crews taking part in the inter regionals regatta. First up in the 1000m time trials, the composite WJ15 4+ of Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Erin Appleton and Daisy Wilkes (Evesham Rowing Club sculler), coxed by Ed Appleton, rowed well and qualified for the B final with the crew bemoaning their stroke rate and their catches. Next up in the OJ15 2x event, Seb Happel and Will Shaw had a good row and qualified for the C final. In the afternoon, the WJ15 4+ came fourth in their 1500m stake boat start final, finishing ahead of WAGS/Wales and Wessex. The OJ15 2x won their final, beating WAGS/Wales. J15 Coach Hugo Happel said, “The J15’s showed good technique on the water, gave 100%, took the learning from the Time Trials into the Finals and showed superb team spirit and collective off the water. Brilliant work and attitude: they should be very proud!”

The women’s J16 coxless four crew of Martha Cooke, Becca Smith, Martha Baines and Millie Smith delivered a solid row in the time trial to secure a place in the B Final. Lining up against sweep rowing powerhouses such as Aberdeen Schools, the girls exploded from the start and took an early lead by clear water. The race remained a close run event with Stratford battling to hold a lead over the fast charging opposition eventually losing ground in the closing stages to cross the line in fourth place.

Meanwhile closer to home, the newly formed masters 2x crew of Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett (bow) travelled to Edgbaston Reservoir on Saturday to compete at Birmingham Regatta over the 700m laned course. Having been promoted out of the lower category due to a lack of opposition, the Stratford double faced a tough race against home favourites, Birmingham. Fortunately, weather conditions were favourable with flat water and little breeze. While being held on the staked start for a previous incident to be cleared, anticipation and nerves grew. However, the Stratford duo started smoothly and powerfully, edging ahead of their opposition early on. When lengthening into their race pace, they were able to maintain an efficient rate of thirty three strokes per minute which enabled them to pull further away from the Birmingham crew. Lucy, at bow, steered an excellent line which saw the Stratford double cross the finish two lengths ahead, taking the win. Rebecca and Lucy would like to extend a special thanks to Thomas Doherty for transporting the boat and enabling them to race. They now hope to build on this success, developing their training to become a more established crew throughout the summer.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty five and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-masters-pair-win-gold-at-birmingham-regatta and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/05/02&pages=24

For pictures of JIRR, see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?redeem=aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL2YvYy8zZGQ4ZjZhNzBjMGNiNjI1L0V0RUJkazdaeXVaSHJnbVR2X3BoeENRQjVZWEZBWlVYYkJEbEVXcG1sUWRHOEE%5FZT1JRUdxbE8&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21s4e7601d1cad947e6ae0993bffa61c424&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford Out In Force at Bedford and Henley

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At Bedford Spring Head on Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s youngest squads were out in force and able to display their skills on a stretch of river that was perfect for all to witness how far they have progressed. The J13’s, racing up a category as J14’s, put out two quads in consecutive divisions who both recorded solid times and impressed with intelligent race plans that saw them cross the line just seconds apart. The combination of Burt, Franklin, Heenan and Siwakowski ultimately claiming bragging rights on this occasion over Durance, Cruise, Jackson and Ford. The coxswains of those boats, Lilly Parsons and Islay Milles respectively, then raced-up again in the J14 double sculls and showcased some real promise with a composed performance and a highly creditable time.

The J14 squad were similarly well represented. Hothi and Mansfield competed early in the double sculls but were beaten into second by a strong Walbrook Rowing Club pairing. A mixed quad of Stanford, Lebordais, Birrell and Dunn, coxed by Mansfield, enjoyed the strong challenge from local clubs and also managed to record the second fastest time in that event. Tiring of second place finishes, Birrell and Lebordais took to the water again in a double scull and blew the competition away, recording the event’s fastest time and taking the gold whilst being chased all the way to the line by their squad mates Hammick and Shickle whose performance was no less commanding.

Both Stratford Boat Club J15 coxed fours were racing: first up were Seb Happel, Will Shaw, Euan Richter and Ed Appleton, coxed by Rory Jones, rowing neatly in the OJ16 4+ against three home crews from Bedford School in seven minutes and thirty seconds, beating all crews coming in as one out three. Next up were Orla Linforth, Maria Ntoukaki, Naomi Sime and Erin Appleton, coxed by Ed Appleton, rowing nicely in the W4+ and setting a great time of eight minutes and seventeen seconds, matching the Stratford WJ18 crew!

Finally, in the OJ15 2x event, Euan Richter and Rory Rowan sculled well over the 2k distance, in eight minutes and seven seconds which wasn’t enough for a medal. Commenting, Hugo Happel, J15 Coach said. “Credit to all three J15 crews, they all did a great job!”

A glorious spring day saw a total of thirty five crews from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club travel to Bedford for the Spring Head. Held over 2000m on the Great Ouse, the course runs through Bedford’s town centre making a theatre of rowing for the day. Stratford’s J16 squad competed in four events throughout the day. First to go was the women’s coxless quadruple scull of Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines and Bryony Francis who competed in the J17 event for the day and delivered a superb row scoring a second place against Walbrook Rowing Club. Next off was the women’s coxed four crew of Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Tessa Parkin, Maeve Dunn and Bryony Francis (coxswain) who again rowed up a category to race against senior women and again demonstrated their quality to come home second against the Loughborough Rowing Club women. The racing continued thick and fast with the WJ16 double sculls of Martha Cooke and Isla Dunn sprinting home to fifth whilst Martha Baines and Bryony Francis took the win in style. Hungry for more, the J16’s then took to the water in the single sculls event.  Racing for a third time in the day Tessa Parkin came home a creditable sixth in a seventeen strong field, Becca Smith in fourth and Maeve Dunn took the win with a confident row in the late afternoon sunshine.

Racing first down the course for the Stratford crews were the boys J18 quads. Xavier Sissins-Rofey, Theo Richter, Jamie Wilcox and Seth Vondrak set off at a blistering pace, executing a solid race plan to put them in second place, although the fifth fastest overall crew of the day. Later in the day they returned to the water in Open Coxless Fours’ event, where they put down another strong performance against their older competitors to finish fourth.

In their first race of the day, Poppy Baines and Lucy Sartain paired up to race the WJ18 doubles in dominant style. They powered down the course taking an expert line through the bridges to claim a distinct win over the rest of the field. Also racing in the WJ18 doubles were Lily Warren and Aimee Appleton. They executed a strong race plan and raced tidily to come out third in their field. In the WJ18 1x event, both crews from Stratford put in good races to come second and third, chasing each other down the course. Later the WJ18 quad rowed an excellent race, brilliantly steered by Lucy Sartain, to win their event by over ten seconds. In Division Six, the crew of Alexandra Francis, Aimee Appleton, Scarlett Richardson and Poppy Baines took to the course in the Women’s Coxless Fours’ event: competing against older and more experienced crews, the four completed a powerful race to claim a win of over twenty seconds to claim silver.

The Bedford Course is a testing row over 2km, with the river becoming narrow in places and requiring crews to navigate numerous bridges. Commenting, Amanda Bowden, Masters’ Vice Captain said, “This was the first race for several of Stratford’s Masters’ crews and the first time steering a race for a couple of the bow steers persons. A huge co granulations for all who raced today! It was wonderful to see so many masters rowers competing in the sunshine today!”

The MxD4x of Suzie Radley, Dan Simkins, Patrick Taylor and Amanda Bowden won the category with an adjusted time of six minutes and forty eight seconds. The crew raced hard and were consistent throughout the race, despite steering challenges and very choppy water conditions in places. The MD2- of Dan Simkins and Patrick Taylor stuck to their race plan and were delighted to complete the 2k race in an adjusted time of seven minutes and twenty four seconds, under rating the winners, coming in second place. There is definitely more to come from this crew!

The single scullers of Tom Doherty in the Masters’ E category and Nick Sartain in the Masters’ D category both rowed strong rhythms and completed the course in times of eight minutes and twenty one seconds and seven minutes and forty dix seconds respectively. Tom was nip and tuck with the Leicester sculler for the whole course, with choppy waters in the mid section adding to an eventful race. The Stratford sculler just prevailed by five seconds to finish in second place in a field of five competitors with local sculler Bedford using his local knowledge to run out the winner by nine seconds. The Mx2x of Tom Doherty and Rebecca England came fourth in their category.

The WMD2x of Suzie Radley and Amanda Bowden had a great start then as they overtook another double, this competitors lost control and steered into the Stratford double. This resulted in a stop, resulting in a considerable time loss of thirty seconds. The result was second place for the Stratford double. The OpME4- of David Noyes, Rich Shepherd, Nev Hands and John Charlesworth raced hard gaining valuable experience on a challenging course. Unfortunately the WME4x including Christine Goodwin, Gina Fusco was hampered by injury and sickness, thankfully they had two subs of Rebecca England and Imogen North and were able to enjoy a row over the course for time only in seven minutes and fifty seconds. Thanks again go to Hugo Happel and Steve Wellstead for towing the trailers and to all the support from the bank.

Meanwhile, Stratford’s adaptive squad attended the annual Adaptive Phyllis Court Time Trial on the Henley Regatta course. The squad was largely made up of established competitors, the event coming a little too soon for a number of recent recruits. The best Club time of the day was achieved by the mother and son combination of Ian and Paola Ward. Best newcomer went to Ricky Clutterbuck. Gillian Middleton, competing for the first time in a single scull, won the Club Most Improved category. Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “Phyllis Court is a useful precursor to the main regatta season. It was attended by the Henley MP, Mayor and Stratford Boat Club’s President, Paul Stanton. The next outing for the adaptive squad is Marlow Spring Regatta in early May.”

For great pictures from Bedford Spring Head, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AAnHz3nIhATIuP8&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21269548&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625