Tag Archives: Stratford upon Avon Boat Club

Stratford’s Masters Show Their Mettle at Ironbridge!

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Racing first for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club at Ironbridge Regatta was Rebecca England and Suzie Radley in the Women’s Master’s C 2x. They faced Burton Leander in their first race together and, with both crews facing steering challenges, the race ended in a dead heat, forcing both crews to return to the start for a rerow. Strong fitness and good steering calls saw Stratford take a comfortable win in the rerow. In their semi-final, Stratford came up against an inexperienced Trafford crew, which gave England and Radley a chance to find a good rhythm and length while honing their steering. The final, in much hotter conditions, was a closer race but with Stratford pulling ahead, their Windermere opponents steered into shallow water allowing Stratford to take the final victory.

Late morning Gina Fusco and Ellie Davis competed as Women’s Masters E double had  a straight final against Burton Leander. They had a good smooth start and continue to follow their race plan with a consistent rate of thirty three strokes per minute throughout. Whilst they didn’t win, it was a good race losing by one length.

In the afternoon division the Women’s D coxed IV of Rebecca England (stroke), Ellie Davis, Gina  Fusco, Charlotte Jones and coxed by Jen Carey raced against a strong Bewdley crew who were very experienced. Stratford lost by a length and a half but were very pleased with their performance due to having a good length and a solid row rating thirty to thirty two strokes per minute.

Caroline Collins and Jane Cryer joined the Bewdley, Worcester and Stourport composite Eight E at Ironbridge Regatta to compete against Evesham, after a very solid and fast start of getting the advantage from the outset and they enjoyed a confident and powerful start of thirty four strokes per minute down the 750m course winning easily. Caroline said, “It was great row and fabulous to win in such a beautiful surroundings.”

Stratford masters men were represented in men’s quadruple sculls in a straight head to head final against the much fancied Grosvenor National Championship Gold medal winning crew. On a difficult winding course exacerbated by tight rowing lanes and an unusually fast stream steering for all coxless boats throughout the day proved difficult and the race proved no less challenging with both Grosvenor and Stratford leaving their lanes and impeding the other crew. Grosvenor, a length and a half down after a strong Stratford start, exacerbated their steering difficulties by halfway in this 800 metre race and collided with the bank one of many collisions during the day.

The umpires then decided to re-row the race given both crews had left their lanes despite Stratford being in the lead. In the restart, the Stratford crew of Pete Spivey, Dan Simkins, Neville Hand and Tom Doherty had an excellent start to again lead Grosvenor by a length by half way. With Doherty steering an excellent course, they were able to avoid Grosvenor who had no answer as Stratford proceeded to pull away eventually finishing clear winners by three lengths.

Stratford men were not finished however with Pete Spivey and Tom Doherty forming part of a men’s masters eight composite of four clubs against a Button Leander crew. A powerful start and a strong rhythm of thirty seven strokes per minute proved too much for Burton and the composite crew ran out comfortable winners. Said Neville Hand afterwards, ” I’m nearly eighty years old and to get out of the house for a successful Stratford race like this is a real treat!”

Jane Cryer returned to Ironbridge to compete in the 500m Sprint with the Bewdley Women Masters C crew. After a convincing win against a more inexperienced Falcon crew, there was a more matched contest against in the final against Burton Leander. The Bewdley/Stratford crew executed their fast start and opened up the distance quickly which was maintained and built on through the race with a clear two lengths victory. Jane said, “It’s the first Ironbridge Regatta I have done and the longer and sprint course which give great variety on a beautiful stretch of river. It’s always great to row and even better to win and come back to Stratford with two more winners pots!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-masters-show-their-mettle-at-ironbridge-regatta and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/07/03&pages=24#page/24

Stratford Boat Club Honours President Paul Stanton with Inaugural President’s Dinner

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club welcomed just under one hundred guests to the Welcombe Hotel on Saturday 18 April for the Inaugural President’s Dinner, held to recognise the leadership and long service of Club President, Paul Stanton.

Guests were invited to wear regatta inspired attire, and a guard of honour formed by young athletes and their blades welcomed attendees to the dinner, reflecting the strength of the Club’s junior section and the cross‑generational respect for Paul’s contribution to Stratford Boat Club.

Life Members Sue and David Brooks were among the guests. Sue, originally from Durham, became the Club’s first female rower after Paul Stanton opened membership to women during his captaincy in 1971. His tenure included twinning the Club with Kolkata.

King Edward VI School (K.E.S.) Headmaster Bennet Carr and his wife attended, representing the long‑standing history between the Club and K.E.S. The two organisations share not only the Clubhouse but Olympic and Paralympic medallists.

The evening began with a drinks reception, followed by speeches from President Paul Stanton, Life Member Sue Brooks, and Captain Ed Lewry, introduced by Master of Ceremonies Graham Collier. A tribute from President Paul Stanton, Life Member Sue Brooks, and Captain Ed Lewry, introduced by Master of Ceremonies Graham Collier, was read in his absence due to a family emergency, noting: “A rowing club is more than boats, blades and results: it is a community built upon commitment, continuity and care… Your leadership has left this Club stronger than you found it.”

Olympian Esme Booth delivered an engaging after dinner address, combining honesty, humour and a competitive spark that had the whole room involved. She delivered a specially designed “Heads and Tails” game, to bring the Club’s history to life in an accessible and entertaining way. Drawing on research provided by Head Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney, Esme’s quiz enabled guests of all ages to connect with the Club’s heritage and with one another.

During his speech, Paul Stanton mused on the massive amount of volunteering time had been given both by present and past members with their contributions adding greatly to the spirit of the Club, the financial position and the camaraderie both on and off the water.

Decorations reused from the Club’s 150th anniversary celebrations included handmade bunting, handcrafted table topper oars and a restored original Club oar (“spoon”) repurposed to hold cupcakes. Tables featured spring flowers – lilac, marsh marigolds and bluebells – cut from her garden by Paul’s wife Jan in pewter tankards earned during Paul’s rowing career. Their daughter, Ellie, shared a family anecdote recalling Paul purchasing a boat while on honeymoon in Switzerland. Paul and Jan have now been married for fifty nine years.

A handmade celebration cake, shaped as a rowing blade, was unveiled, charting Paul’s rowing journey alongside the Club’s own. A handwritten and dedicated poem reflected the journey and family anecdotes.

The Club also announced its commitment to a new Honours Board, based on archival research by Mark Dewdney, who has traced every Captain and President from 1874 to the present using local media reports, Club Minute Books and local historical records.

A raffle featuring a coaching session with Esme Booth OLY as well as generous donations gifted by local businesses raised funds for the maintenance of the Club’s boat fleet, undertaken weekly by volunteers and trainee juniors. These efforts support the equipment relied upon by athletes across all sections.

The event brought together juniors, seniors, masters, recreational rowers, adaptive athletes and family to recognise Paul Stanton’s decades of service and to celebrate the Club’s ongoing commitment to community, heritage and its strong volunteer‑led ethos. Stratford upon Avon Boat Club is and remains an inclusive, volunteer led club offering rowing for all ages and abilities, from competitive performance pathways to recreational rowing for fun.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page twenty nine and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/stratford-boat-club-honours-paul-stanton-with-first-presiden-9464404 and also Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/special-dinner-celebrates-stratford-boat-clubs-long-serving-president

Stratford’s Masters & Juniors Excel at Bedford Spring Head

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A glorious spring day saw thirty 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 the town centre making a theatre of rowing for the day. Stratford’s J17/J18 squad were out in force to enjoy racing following many recent cancellations. Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak raced in OpJ18 single sculls achieving second and third places respectively. They then teamed up to race the OpJ18 double scull where they crossed the line in second place, just one second behind the winners! In the women’s events the WJ18 single scull was won in emphatic style by Alexandra Francis with Poppy Baines in second place. Stratford’s J17 ladies scullers of Maeve Dunn, Martha Baines, Martha Cooke and Millie Smith delivered fifth, seventh, tenth and eleventh places in a packed and high quality event. Moving on from the single sculling, Stratford’s J17 and J18 ladies formed double sculls: Alexandra Francis and Martha Cooke powered down the course for a well deserved second place followed by an all Baines crew of Poppy and Martha coming home in sixth. In the WJ17 event, Millie Smith and Maeve Dunn finished fourth with Becca Smith and Isla Dunn on their tail in eighth place. Last but by no means least Stratford fielded a women’s J18 coxless quadruple scull of Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Sophie Evans and Martha Cooke who motored over the line just out of the medals in fourth place.

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J14s fielded a full squad across the Bedford Spring Head’s divisions and delivered some exceptional rowing, something that bodes well for the approaching regatta season. Capitalising on some intensive training in quads both the girls (Islay Milles, Eva Cruise, Amelia Cruickshank and Mary Heenan coxed by Charlotte Franklin) and boys (Archie Eaton, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Ethan Siwakowski coxed by Eli Ford) blew all their opposition away to claim deserved golds in respective events. These deserved successes were followed by boys’ doubles of Eli Ford and Archie Mansfield then Chris Durance with Arthur Burt who recorded solid times and placed well amongst strong crews. The girls’ crews of Eva Cruise and Charlotte Franklin then Amelia Cruickshank and Islay Milles similarly impressed amongst some quality opposition.

Coach Jon Francis was delighted, “As a curtain closer on the winter head season we could have asked no more and the J14s come away with richly deserved silverware for their efforts.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J13 squad had a great first race experience at the Bedford Fours & Small Boats Head. On a slightly overcast day, the squad showed just how much they have learned over the last few months, despite set-backs from the numerous weather-driven cancelled sessions. The J13s were racing up a category, which required lots of confidence for their first race outing. The girls’ quad was first to race with Hattie McGurk doing an excellent job coxing a lovely line right down the middle of the course: Georgia Wheeler at stroke kept up a lively rate backed up by Margo Paul, Harriet Wheeler and Zilpha Pope. The girls came an impressive second from bottom, with a time of ten minutes and thirty one seconds, a great first performance against much more experienced crews.

Second up was the boys double of Gregor Francis. They put in an excellent performance, showing some real promise, finishing second last with a time of nine minutes and twelve seconds in a field of much more experienced crews.

The boys’ quad was last up, under the guidance of Gregor Francis as cox, they put in a superb performance against a formidable set of opponents. Their time of nine minutes and forty seconds was a real credit to their focus and determination. Commenting, Rebecca Paul, J13 Coach said, “This was the J13’s debut racing event: considering that the squad has only been sculling for less than eight months, with many sessions off the water due to inclement weather and river conditions, they should be proud of their achievements. We certainly are!”

Competing in the Women’s Masters E 2x category, Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco were looking forward to racing in the morning division. Slightly blustery conditions but the duo settled into a solid rhythm and followed a good line on the course. They were delighted to catch up their two opposition in that division and then had to wait to see how their time of compared to the remaining three crews racing late afternoon. At the end of the day, the duo came first beating five other crews and commented, “We had to wait until the evening to know where we had come but we were over the moon when we discovered we had won. Many thanks to Sam Hill for his coaching.”

With the juniors and women’s masters setting the pace during the day with some excellent results and wins, it was left to the mixed masters double of Rebecca England and Tom Doherty to keep the standard high in the final division of the day.

Changeable weather conditions saw blustery winds and rain add to the challenge of navigating some narrow bridges and other crews. Stratford led off the start ahead of four of their opposition on the 1.9km course. Determined to set a high tempo from the start, Rebecca England at stroke set a metronomic pace of thirty two strokes a minute enabling Stratford to pull ahead of their opposition over the first half of the course.

Having navigated the worst of the bridges, calamity struck when the footplate of Rebecca’s feet broke. This led to some technical adjustments by Rebecca to maintain the pace and rhythm of the boat. Approaching the finish in blustery conditions, Stratford were able to maintain their pace to finish in a respectable time of eight minutes and five seconds. The time turned out to be comprehensively faster than the other competitors resulting in another win and a very successful day for Stratford Boat Club.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page thirty seven and also online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-boat-club-s-juniors-and-masters-shine-at-bedford-s-9461987 and Stratford Observer back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/04/24&pages=24

For more great pictures of Bedford Spring Head, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://onedrive.live.com/…

Safety First: Every Time!

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Whilst Stratford upon Avon Boat Club members were indoors doing land training because of inclement river conditions, fourteen coaches, launch drivers and other embers spent Saturday afternoon at a four and a half hour practical first aid session learning new protocols and updating previous knowledge

Commenting, Ian Wilcox, Stratford Boat Club’s Water Safety Officer, said, “The Club takes all aspects of safety very seriously and all coaches, most launch drivers and many other Club member hold first aid accreditation which must be updated and renewed every three years. As well as the practical session, there was an extensive on-line element which had to be taken and passed before attending the course”

The course content included some aspects such as the role of a first aider, resuscitation, use of a defibrillator, seizures, choking, blood loss, minor injuries, burns, heart attack amongst other eventualities

Commenting further, Paul Stanton, the Club’s President added, “We should thank all those who went on the course as there was a considerable investment of the volunteers’ own time. Stratford upon Avon Boat Club continues to strive to be an exemplar of good practice not only for the safeguarding and wellbeing of its own members but also the wider Stratford and Warwickshire community with whom we interact”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page twenty

Masters Triumph at Avon Spring Head

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First off for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club rowers at Avon Spring Head was the Masters’ C mixed quad of Rebecca England, Pete Spivey, Lucy Scarlett and Thomas Doherty. Going toe-to-toe with strong opposition from Gloucester in very blustery conditions, the Stratford crew started strongly with Doherty steering an excellent line round tricky bends to remain in the fast flowing stream. Taking the rate up in the final 1km straight, the Stratford crew did well to hold off their opposition, finishing second in a very respectable time.

The Senior women’s double of Rebecca England and Lucy Scarlett were thrilled to have the opportunity to race at Avon County head after a frustrating start to the year with floods in Stratford preventing them from training on the river. Racing in Band One down a windy course, Scarlett and England held a good, consistent rate over the first half of the 3.5km course. After being held up under the bridge by a crash between the crews in front, Stratford restarted well, overtook their opposition and upped their rate coming into the final straight. They were pleased with their third place finish and hope to be able to increase their water time over the spring.

Stratford’s Thomas Doherty and Pete Spivey were last to go in the afternoon division. With slightly calmer conditions, racing in his first head race in a single scull, Spivey had a relaxed start before winding up both the rate and power as the course progressed. “I was very pleased with my racing line and loved every minute, feeling like my winter training paid off” said Spivey, who managed to catch the sculler in front in the final stretch and finish a very strong second in his category. In the Master’s G/H single sculls, Doherty started strongly. Gaining on the sculler ahead, he increased the tempo over the middle part of the course. Raising the rate to 30 strokes per minute in the final straight, Doherty stepped up the pace to overtake his opposition in front and ultimately take the win. “It was a very successful day on the river with this being my first ever win in a single,” commented Doherty.

Meanwhile, sadly Stratford Juniors’ hopes of racing at the weekend were dashed with the cancellation of British Rowing’s West Midlands Championships for which the whole junior squad had been training for several weeks and, adding further to their frustrations, water sessions at home at Stratford were also cancelled due to the River Avon being in flood again with high river levels and fast flow.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty three and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/strong-results-for-stratford-boat-club-rowers-at-blustery-av-9456215 and also Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-masters-triumph-at-avon-spring-head and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2026/03/06&pages=24.

Club Falls Silent as President Leads Act of Remembrance: We Will Remember Them

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Sunday was a busy and poignant day for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club with Club members taking time out from rowing to remember those who died in World Wars and other conflicts past and current

On Remembrance Sunday, the whole Club stopped to meet around the Club’s memorial: as is Club tradition, wreaths were laid by the Club’s oldest member, Donald Imrie and the youngest member, Hattie McGurk, to remember Club members who gave their lives in wars and conflicts. Seventy three years separate Donald’s and Hattie’s rowing and life experience!

The Club was honoured to have Louise Beardmore (née Hitchman) lay a wreath to commemorate Francis Percival ‘Frank’ Hitchman, a Club member, who died in World War One. Louise and the Hitchman family first noticed the memorial to Frank Hitchman during their marquee wedding celebrations at the Club in August. Mark Dewdney, the Club’s Archivist, researched Frank Hitchman and found that Francis Percival “Frank“ Hitchman was born in Stratford in early 1895 and grew up in the town. Frank started working for the local railway company Stratford and Midland Junction Railway as a clerk. He was also known to have played for Stratford Rugby Football Club as a forward in the 2nd XV. He started at the Boat Club as a cox and was known to have won in a large fours event at Ross in 1908. He was the third member of that crew to perish in WW1. Not destined to remain a cox, he grew to over six foot tall and weighed around fifteen stone! Frank joined up in November 1915 and served with 15th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment (2nd Birmingham Pals) and went to France in February 1916 where he served during the infamous 1916 Battle of the Somme. Wounded in Sept 1916 and again in May 1917, Frank’s end came in the third Battle of Ypres – Passchendaele. On 6th October 1917, Frank was wounded close to Menin Road. He was evacuated from the front to a casualty clearing station where he died without regaining consciousness. Frank lies in Godewaersvelde British War Cemetery near the Belgian border with 1,000 other soldiers. During his brief resume of Frank Hitchman’s life, Mark Dewdney commented, “It is now eighty years since the end of World War Two and we should take this time to remember the sacrifice that Club members and local Stratford people made in the two World Wars and other conflicts”

Reflecting further on Sunday’s Act of Remembrance, Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President said, “Whilst the Club is a forward looking organisation with its sights set firmly on the future, we take this time to look back, pause, reflect and give thanks for those who served and died for their country and colleagues so that we may live in peace and pursue our sport with happiness and joy. We were also pleased to have members of the public join our act of remembrance and be part of our community: we were especially happy to have Louise and the Hitchman family with us as it emphasises the connection between the past and the present”

For media coverage, see British Rowing online https://www.britishrowing.org/2025/11/club-falls-silent-in-act-of-remembrance, Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/picture-special-remembrance-sunday-in-south-warwickshire-2025-58963 and pages five, six and seven and also Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/remembrance-sunday-2025-south-warwickshire-pays-respect-to-9441484 and page twenty three

Stratford Clean Up The Medals at Evesham Head

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Making a welcome return to the Stratford Boat Club’s racing calendar, after several years of cancellations, was Evesham Autumn Head. The race which was run over 2000m on the River Avon in Evesham always proves popular and this year was no exception.  Stratford upon Avon Boat Club packed the entries with over thirty crews racing over three divisions.

The J14s were out in force fielding crews across all three divisions. An excellent day of racing kicked off with Chris Durance, Arthur Burt and Archie Eaton delivering composed performances in their single sculls, unfortunately losing out to strong Evesham crews enjoying home advantage over familiar waters. Hot on their heels in the girls’ event came Islay Milles and Eva Cruise who processed to blow the opposition away finishing first and second in one of the larger events of the day. To prove it was no fluke, the girls swiftly returned to the start in their double scull for a Division Two race and duly confirmed their status as Queens of the Avon with a blistering performance against yet more strong opposition. Double medals, and all before lunch.

The afternoon saw the now familiar local derby between the Stratford J14 boys’ quad (Eaton and Burt joined by Eli Ford, Archie Mansfield and Ethan Siwakowski) pitted against Evesham. As best of frenemies, the two boats battled valiantly down the 2km course with the Evesham crew recording a winning time less than one second better than Stratford’s, an incredibly close result over a long distance.

Coach Jon Francis was pleased with the day and said, “They’ve built on solid performances at Wallingford to land the first silverware of the new season, proving this squad have the makings of something special”. Club Chairman, Dawson Curnock, was similarly impressed not least with the young athletes’ ability to navigate the gentle curve of the river whilst avoiding the large yet static moored barges.

Stratford’s J15 squad fielded a large entry at Evesham, with ten boats in total across all three divisions and with many of the athletes rowing the 2km course twice. First up in the lovely flat conditions were the doubles, with all three girls’ crews finishing a few seconds apart in fifth (Martina Bruce/Bethany Hammond), sixth (Abi Dunn/Meredith Paul) and seventh (Lillian Parsons/Scarlett Wheeler). In the boys doubles, Reuben Stanford and Tristan Hammick had a good row to finish second.

Later in the morning, the J15s rowed in the quads, with the girls racing well against a field of Headington School boats (which took the top four places) finishing sixth in the division (Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammon, Raya Hothi, Martina Bruce, Charlotte Mansfield (cox)). The boys once again demonstrated the power that had given them good finishes in national events last year to win their division by nearly a minute (Nathan Leobordis, Reuben Stanford, Herbie Shickle, Conner Birrell, Tristan Hammick (cox)).

In the final division of the day, Stratford’s J15’s put out four singles, with Abi Dunn placing fourth and Raya Hothi eleventh in a competitive girls’ race. In the boys’ races, Conner Birrell had an excellent race, setting off at the head of his division and increasing the gap to the chasing boats to secure his second medal of the day, and Nathan Leobordis followed not far behind in third.

Stratford’s combined J17/J18 squad were in action throughout the day with the first crew down the course being the women’s J18 coxless quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Lily Warren, Josephine Cooper and Poppy Warren.  The crew opened the scoring for the club with an emphatic win over Evesham on their home water.  Next up was the open J18 double scull of Ollie Rowlands and Theo Richter who delivered a strong performance to record third place overall. Matching the boys’ efforts, the women’s J18 double scull of Alice Jones and Sophie Franklin also recorded third place. Hot on the heels of the doubles was the women’s J18 single scull of Becca Smith who battled down the course for fourth place overall. In the final division of the day, all the J17/J18 athletes had the opportunity to race again. With the opposition firmly in their gaze, the Mixed J18 coxless quadruple scull of Lily Warren, Ollie Rowlands, Theo Richter and Becca Smith sneaked victory over AB Severn by a mere two seconds. Then came the turn of the women’s J18 coxed four of Sophie Franklin, Josephine Cooper, Poppy Warren, Bryony Francis and Alice Jones (coxswain) who again delivered the goods to win by two seconds over Evesham Rowing Club.

First up for Stratford Masters Women Division One were Corinna Burger and Helen Helliwell in a Women’s Masters C double. Their first race after training through the summer, Corinna said, “After a period of anticipation, we were off with good consistent rowing right up until the end, minding a few trees along the way and coming second overall.”

Next up were Ellie Davis (stroke) and Gina Fusco in women’s masters E double. Competing in their first head together, they executed their plan to row a strong, steady and relaxed race which led to a win. The crew were delighted.

In Division Two, Rebecca England (stroke) and Lucy Scarlett racing in their first head together in the senior women’s double. They had a good start and settled into a solid rhythm, Scarlett steering an excellent course round the long bowside bend. A final push gave them the win with which they were thrilled.

In the last Division Three of the day Women’s Masters had three crews entered. Corinna Burger, Clare Booth, Claudine Pearson and Ruth Poulten (bow) in the Women’s Masters D quad. Their boat, Imperious Countess first outing with new riggers and a new crew formation. In the water, the first stroke appeared to demonstrate a complete inability to row but captain Ruth Poulten (bow) navigated “gate-gate” with calm and confidence and thanks to on-land support and a spanner, gates and oars adjusted, once again the crew were mobile. Ruth steered the course superbly for a respectable timed result. Handicaps placed Stratford third behind two home crews. Ruth Poulten said, “Crew camaraderie, team focus and determination ensured we overcame a number of obstacles on the day to complete the 2k race with smiles all round.”

The newly formed Women’s Masters C crew of Rebecca England (stroke), Ellie Davis, Lucy Scarlett, Gina Fusco were joined by J16 Cox Rory in a coxed four. They started well and settled into a strong rhythm. Pushing off the bend, they were able to increase their power, upping the rate and ably steered by Rory Jones, they overtook two quads ahead of them. This gave them the momentum they needed to finish strongly and take the win.

Last up of the day for Women’s Masters was the beginners quad crew of Sarah Walker (bow), Charlotte Juxon (2), Urania O’Reilly (3), Sally Bliss (stroke) and Jen Carey (cox). They came over the line in great form to finish second of three in their first ever head race together. They kept a steady rate from the start with a final push to secure their position. the crew were super proud of what they achieved.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page sixty three and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-rowers-are-out-in-force-at-evesham-event-9437519 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-win-medals-galore-at-evesham-autumn-head and also back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/10/17&pages=24

British Rowing’s Coaches’ Course Hosted by Stratford Boat Club

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Sunday was the final day for Stratford members taking part in British Rowing’s Coaches’ Level Two Course: a total of ten members took part including five from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club

The course was run by British Rowing’s Marcus Walker, Level 2 and L3 Course Coach: the extensive four day course covered topics such as risk management; warming up and cooling down exercises; understanding the assessment process, coaching behaviours, the code of conduct, responsibility, safety requirements; cold water immersion and hypothermia; developing athleticism and the practical application of boat adjustments

Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach who booked and promoted regional participation said, “To have the British Rowing (BR) coaches’ course at Stratford is a major benefit and shows BR’s commitment to Stratford Boat Club and the region. The emphasis of the course is to teach the participants how to be a coach and ensure the safety of all athletes”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty five and https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/club-proud-to-host-coaches-course-9436815 and also Stratford Observer https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-host-british-rowing-coaches-course

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