Tag Archives: Reuben Stanford

Stratford’s Juniors and Masters Score at Evesham and Dorney Lake

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s younger squads enjoyed their trip downstream to Evesham’s Sprint Regatta on Saturday and acquitted themselves admirably in the season’s first side-by-side racing. The J13 girls’ quad of Mary Heenan, Islay Milles, Isobel Jackson, Charlotte Franklin and Lilly Parsons (cox) overwhelmed their early opponents but narrowly missed out to the home side in the final. The J13s then displayed great character by racing the unfamiliar stretch of the Avon in small boats with all maximising their opportunity to explore almost every inch of the river and in one case, large parts of the riverbank too! The J13 boys’ quad of Archie Mansfield, Christopher Durance, Ethan Siwakowski, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton (cox) rounded off the event in a hotly contested pursuit of the Evesham winners.

The J14s were in imperious form, sweeping aside their opponents in respective blue riband (coxed quads) events. Tristan Hammick, Nathan Lebordais, Connor Birrell, Reuben Stanford and Herbie Shickle (cox) eased to victory over successive Monmouth crews whilst the girls’ boat of Scarlet Wheeler, Lilly Parsons, Meredith Paul, Abi Dunn and Martina Bruce-Bonilla (cox) expertly managed their races to win them all by ‘just enough’ to nullify the boys’ bragging rights! Later small boat outings gave all athletes valuable experience and some points for development.

J13/14 coach Jon Francis commented, “I was delighted with the display from both squads and was particularly impressed with the calm demeanour of the J13s in their first ever regatta!

Stratford’s J15 squad started this season’s side by side racing at Evesham also on Saturday, over 1000m upstream course. In the morning Euan Richter and Will Shaw saw off their Cheltenham College Boat Club opposition in the OJ15 2x SF by five lengths and were successful too in the final against Worcester Royal Grammar, winning by one and a quarter lengths and claiming their navy blue pots. Also racing in the morning, Orla Linforth and Erin Appleton sculled in the WJ15 2x SF with really lovely technique but lost against the strong Evesham duo.

In the afternoon division, the OJ15 4x+ crew of Seb Happel, Euan Richter, Will Shaw, Ed Appleton and Rory Jones won their first race against Ross Rowing Club, won their semifinal against Magdalen College (easily) but lost in the final against Cheltenham College.

Also in division two, Rory Rowan sculled well in the OJ15 1x event but lost out to a stronger sculler from Worcester. In the WJ15 1x event, Naomi Sime showed lovely technique but lost to a powerful sculler from Ross Rowing Club and Maria Ntoukaki won her semifinal against a good sculler from Warwick Boat Club. In the final, Maria lost out to the Ross sculler by a small margin with both showing great sportsmanship after the staggered finish line.

Commenting, J15 coach Hugo Happel said, “The J15 squad again showed lovely technique, attitude and desire both on and off the water with some good learning to carry forward into the next regatta events. Well done to the athletes!”

Stratford’s Masters squad s had five crews racing at Evesham Regatta. The conditions were good and the racing started with the OpMI2x of Paul Collins and Mike Adkins. It was great to see this double competing again.

The OpC/D4+ also raced in the morning division in glorious sunshine. Victory can come in many forms: Jack Ingleby, Mark Kelly, David Vazquez and Phil Marshall came together as a crew for only the third time, using a borrowed bow loader boat, with a borrowed cox and a swap of crew position. They managed to row as a crew quite effectively along the 1,000 metre course. The foursome had some fun as well! Further outings are already planned, seating positions are selected and the future holds great hope!

The tail wind picked up over the course of the afternoon division, Stratford Women’s Masters DVIII crew had a handicapped race with the Evesham opposition being given a head start of eight seconds. Winning the semi-final against home crew of Evesham EVIII, saw Stratford rapidly closing on Evesham’s advantage of a head start. The crew held a strong rate of thirty strokes per minute over the one kilometre course until the final push and the crew were thrilled to take the win in a close finish.

After a quick turnaround, the final was a race between Stratford and the Ross DVIII who took the win for the day.

Crew Captain Katie Burman said, “I’m very proud of this terrific crew of tremendous ladies who have trained hard, showed great team spirit, resulting in a really strong performance!”

Commenting further, Amanda Bowden, Stratford’s Masters’ Vice Captain said, “Special thanks to Phil Marshall from Stratford Boat Club for his assistance with boat checks, to Evesham Rowing Club for the loan of a boat, to our very capable race cox Jess Salmon from Evesham Rowing Club and to all the Stratford supporters who came to cheer us on!”

The other Masters’ crews had mixed results: the senior men’s 4x faced tough opposition from a performance Evesham crew. The WE4x had a straight final, racing hard they just missed out on a win.

Meanwhile on Sunday, the J18 girls of Alexandra Francis, Scarlett Richardson, V Vondrak and Lucy Sartain took on Wallingford Regatta held at Dorney Lake’s two kilometres Olympic course in the WJ18 coxless quads category. They put out a strong performance executing their race plan perfectly with a time of 7:13 minutes in the heats gaining them second place and therefore a place in the final. In the final, the wind picked up making conditions more challenging but the girls still pushed on finishing strong in sixth position against Tideway Scullers, Marlow, Shrewsbury and more competitive schools and clubs.

For media coverage see Stratford Herald page thirty six and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-success-for-stratford-boat-clubs-scullers-at-evesham-sprint-regattam and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/05/09&pages=24

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’s Masters and Junior Squads Thrive in Sunny Bedford!

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Having had their wings clipped by so many weeks of bad weather, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s junior and masters’ squads travelled to Bedford Spring Head where the J13 squad were itching to take make their competitive debut in Club colours. The weather and setting combined to deliver a great introduction to racing, and some really confident sculling was on display from the youngest athletes on a complicated course surrounded by quality crews of all ages. The first quad of Connor Birrell, Charlotte Mansfield, Herbie Shickle and Raya Hothi, calmly piloted by Martina Bruce-Bonilla, made effortless progress down the course and recorded a commendable time despite an issue in the closing stages that would have ruffled far more experienced crews. They were followed by a double scull containing Reuben Stanford and Nathan Lebordais who combined power with enthusiasm to deliver a highly creditable result.

The afternoon’s racing saw a second quad of Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammond, Tristan Hammick and Scarlet Wheeler propelled down the course under the guidance of Abi Dunn as coxswain. A tight racing line around the final bend scattered the swans and helped them record a respectable time achieved with minimal fuss. A final double scull of Dunn and Bruce-Bonilla then returned upriver to deliver a composed and well-measured race that saw them steadily close on the boat ahead of them. Commenting Jon Francis, J13 Coach, “All in all, an excellent day of racing for the whole J13 squad at their first event.”

Rowing their last head race this season, Stratford’s J14s started the Bedford Spring Head with the OJ14x+ of Rory Rowan, Euan Richter, Will Shaw, Rory Jones and Ed Appleton (c), rowing well and finishing fouth. The Women’s J14 coxed quad of Orla Linforth, Erin Appleton, Maria Ntoukaki, Naomi Sime and Rory Jones (c) did very well and came second, beating crews from Wallingford and Falcon Rowing Clubs. Finally, the Open J14 double sculls of Seb Happel and Euan Richter and James Greenwood and Ed Appleton came third and fourth respectively. Commenting, Hugo Happel, Stratford’s J14 Coach said, “The athletes gained valuable experience here, which they will take into their next events.”

A glorious spring day saw a total of twenty five crews from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club on their trip to Bedford for the Spring Head. Held over 2000m on the Great Ouse the course runs through the town centre making a theatre of rowing for the day.  Stratford’s J15 squad competed in both coxed quadruple sculls and double sculls. In the quadruple sculls, it was a Wallingford sandwich with the crew of Bryony Francis, Martha Baines, Maeve Dunn, Becca Smith and Isla Dunn (coxswain) taking the win ahead of Sophie Franklin, Millie Smith, Martha Cooke, Tessa Parkin and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) in third and Wallingford Rowing Club in between. When it came to the J15 double sculls event, the Stratford girls made their presence felt again in dominant style with the athletes taking first (Bryony Francis/Maeve Dunn), second (Martha Baines/Becca Smith), third (Millie Smith/Sophie Franklin), fourth (Isla Dunn/Martha Cooke) and ninth (Josephine Cooper/Tessa Parkin) places.

The Junior 17/18 squad raced the 2k course twice. Jamie Wilcock put in a very consistent performance in his single scull recording exactly the same time in both runs placing him seventh out of fourteen in the J17 event. Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton lead their event after the first division in their double scull only to be beaten narrowly by three crews from Wallingford racing at the end of the day. Nancy Davies and Ez Elfwood sculled well to finished eighth in the same event.

Amalia Richardson, Aimee Appleton and Lucy Sartain entered the Junior 17 single sculls event finishing a very close race in seventh, ninth and tenth respectively covered by just thirteen seconds.

The WJ18 coxed four of Amalia Richardson, Aimee Appleton and Lucy Sartain won the Women’s event by twelve seconds in the morning, then went two seconds quicker in their second run in the afternoon. Commenting, J17/18 Coach Sam Hill said, “Bedford has been a successful event for the J17/18 squad who have shown they all have potential to perform well in the regattas to come this summer.”

For Stratford’s masters men racing in Division 5, where a noticeable tailwind had picked up compared to the morning racing, the quadruple scull of Ed Lewry, Eric Appleton, Tom Doherty and Nick Sartain attacked the course from the gun to make the best of the favourable conditions. Initially striking thirty six strokes per minute, the pace was frantic until they settled into a steadier race-pace after a minute. The crew held a solid rhythm as they ticked off the many bridges which cross the course as it curved through the town. As the finish approached, they found a final sprint for the line to complete the race in 6 minutes 36 seconds and a commendable third out of the sixteen men’s quads present.

The ladies’ masters WMD4x quad of Ellie Davis at stroke, Gina Fusco at three, Christine Goodwin at two, and Emily Sayers in bow, had a strong row, finishing second place on raw time, in 8.09mins. Following handicapping time adjustments, the crew were placed sixth. This crew is one to watch, having made significant progress in training.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/…/rowing-stratfords…  and Stratford Herald page forty five and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/enjoyable-debut-for-club-s-juniors-9362077