Tag Archives: Tessa Parkin

Stratford Cruise Home at West Midlands Junior Championships

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club J13 squad were enjoying their first away fixture on Sunday at the annual West Midlands Junior Championships in Hereford, demonstrating just how much they have learned in a few weather-afflicted months. The reputation of the boys’ quad had clearly preceded them, their opposition elected to withdraw before the race leaving them free to proceed down the course in an impressive time. The girls’ quad was equally composed, just missing out on gold to a home crew who they chased all the way to the line.

After so many cancelled events the J14 squad were also out in force to demonstrate that the many hours of training had prepared them well. The J14 boys’ quad were in imperious form, sweeping aside the competition to win comfortably and earn the chance to represent the region on the National stage. Not to be outdone, the girls’ quad was equally impressive amongst strong competition, missing out on gold by just 0.7 seconds over the 1.8km course. In the WJ14 single sculls, Abi Dunn raced straight and strong to claim a deserved gold, followed by Meredith Paul (bronze) and Scarlet Wheeler just seconds later.

Competing for the first time as J15s, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club juniors had a very successful event on a beautifully sunny day. In Division 1, Maria Ntoukaki claimed a bronze medal in the WJ15 1x event, beating some strong opposition from Ross and Hereford Cathedral Rowing Clubs. In Division 2, the might of Royal Shrewsbury School Boat Club proved too much for Stratford’s OJ15 4+ boys consisting of Seb Happel, Will Shaw, Ed Appleton, Rory Rowan and Rory Jones (Cox), nevertheless a tidy and composed row in their first ever sweep event. In Division 3 in the WJ15 4+ event, Maria Ntoukaki, Orla Linforth, Erin Appleton, coxed by Ed Appleton and joined by Evesham rower Daisy Wilkes, beat strong opposition from Royal Shrewsbury over the 1800m course to claim gold and will be representing the West Midlands at JIRR in April, as a composite Stratford/Evesham crew. Also in Division 3, Stratford’s OJ15 2x of Seb Happel and Will Shaw saw off a raft of strong scullers and will be representing our region at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. Commenting, Hugo Happel, J15 Coach said, “Overall, a superb day with our juniors rowing with fine technique and panache.”

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club fielded a record twenty seven crews across the age groups with athletes from J14, J15 and J16 squads competing to represent the West Midlands at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta in April. Stratford’s J16s competed in three events over the 1.8km course on the River Wye. First to race was Martha Baines in the WJ16 single scull: sculling well in the Herefordshire morning sunshine, she recorded a solid sixth place. Next to race was the women’s coxless quad in which Bryony Francis, Tessa Parkin, Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn scored a creditable Silver Medal narrowly missing out to Hereford Cathedral School for the West Midlands jersey. Double sculls of Poppy Warren and Sophie Franklin plus Tessa Parkin and Josephine Cooper recorded sixth and seventh respectively in their event. Lack of opposition gave the WJ16 coxless four a place in the West Midlands team however the crew of Millie Smith, Becca Smith, Martha Baines and Martha Cooke used the event for race practice ahead of JIRR later in April.

The J17/18 squad turned up in numbers itching to put a long winter of training and no racing behind them and turn the hard work into winning races. They didn’t disappoint!

First up in Division 1 were the men’s and women’s coxless quads. The men’s boat of Vondrak, Wilcock, Rowlands and Albrighton, competing for the first time in this highly competitive boat class, sculled well and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal by just three tenths of a second, showing lots of promise for the season ahead. In the women’s event both Stratford and Royal Grammar School Worcester were fielding two boats each but it was a clean sweep for the Stratford girls of Baines, Francis, Warren and Sartain securing gold and Appleton, Cooper, Davis and Jones the silver medal.

Division 2 first saw the men’s pair of Sissins-Roffey and Vondrak up against Kings Worcester in a one on one match but the Stratford boys were too strong for them and took the gold easily. Next, the double scull combination of Albrighton and Rowlands fought hard in a tight bunch of four crews competing for the bronze but in the end narrowly missed out on a medal by just two seconds. The women’s double scull pairing of Vondrak and Richardson were up in a field of eight boats including the GB U19 represented Royal Grammar School Worcester crew. The Stratford girls showed how competitive they are by securing the silver just eight seconds behind RGS and were a clear twenty seconds ahead of the third placed boat.

In Division 3 Stratford fielded three single scullers across the men’s and women’s event. Wilcock and Sissins-Roffey competed in a popular event with eleven boats and secured ninth and fourth respectively.  In the women’s race Francis also secured a 4th place in a field containing the Royal Grammar School Worcester girls from the doubles event. The final race of the day for the J17/18 squad brought the women together to compete in the eights race against Kings School Worcester. The scratch crew showed great form to row a tidy and strong race and took the gold medal by five seconds, rounding off a successful day in the sun for the squad.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-scullers-excel-at-west-midlands-junior-championships and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/03/07&pages=24

For pictures of the West Midland Junior Championships, please see Stuart Baines’ great selection https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AHkTu3llJrwcWSA&id=3DD8F6A70C0CB625%21268907&cid=3DD8F6A70C0CB625

Stratford & K.E.S. Score at Worcester

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Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J16 squad were in action last weekend for the second weekend in succession. This time the might River Severn in Worcester provided the course with 4.5km between start and finish. Worcester Head attracts top crews from the area as the traditional warm up to March’s Tideway events. This year did not disappoint with Stratford’s crews up against the region’s finest.

First to go was the women’s coxed four of Martha Cooke, Becca Smith, Maeve Dunn, Poppy Warren and Josephine Cooper (coxswain). The girls were “rowing up” to compete in the senior event and delivered a superb performance to record second place in the Band 2 event just six seconds behind Cardiff University. In Division 2, the WJ16 coxless quadruple scull of Millie Smith, Martha Baines, Isla Dunn and Tessa Parkin sculled well with Parkin positioning the boat to make maximum benefit of the stream conditions. The crew recorded a third place behind City of Bristol and Hereford Cathedral School whilst leaving Kings School Worcester and Cheltenham College behind in the process.

Also at Worcester Head were Stratford’s sister club, King Edward V1 Boat Club. The K.E.S. Rowing 4+ squad comprised of S.McMahon, A.Stevenson, A.Xifaras, S.Richardson were racing on the water for the first time with the club. With the aid of cox P.Baines, the crew rowed along the 4.5km course to set a stunning start to their rowing careers. In an open event contested by nothing but university squads, from as far as Sheffield to as close as Birmingham, there would have been no disgrace in a crew at least three years younger falling behind. In the end however, the squad blasted through to beat Sheffield University, leaving K.E.S. in a one second neck and neck race with Birmingham University. With a total time of 16:37 minutes and a fifth place position, the five K.E.S. squad members returned home having positioned themselves proudly.

Also on Saturday, Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive squad were on the water at home with Gillian Middleton undergoing an external assessment for her L2 Coaches’ Certificate by British Rowing assessors. Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “We are all very proud of Gillian being awarded her L2 BR Coaching qualification: whilst the squad has had other adaptive athletes gain their L2 award, Gillian is the squad’s first ‘home grown’ disabled athlete to gain the qualification. Gillian’s true grit and determination got her to where she is today and she is an example to us all!”

Meanwhile on a British Rowing’s Paralympic training camp in France, Stratford’s adaptive squad athlete Curtis Dickens who is on British Rowing’s Paralympic Pathway scheme, continues to have his technique and fitness honed by his pararowing coaches: Curtis hopes to be selected for GB’s Paralympic rowing squad for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

On Sunday, in a slightly less exotic location, Stratford’s Masters squad travelled to Gloucester to get some long distance training in for the remainder of this head season and to be ‘race fit’ for the coming regatta season.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/crews-compete-against-the-region-s-best-9404088 and Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/02/14&pages=24

For more great pictures of Worcester Head, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9kKZRoxSMvjkQfvx31w?e=576bQP

Racing at Last for Stratford’s J16 Squad!

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After an extended break due to high and fast river conditions and cancelled head of the river races, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s J16 squad were back in action racing at Wycliffe Big Head. Held over 4500m on the Gloucester – Sharpness Canal, the event provides an excellent standard of competition in the junior head racing season.

In a departure from normal events, Stratford fielded an VIII comprising Bryony Francis, Sophie Franklin, Josephine Cooper, Becca Smith, Tessa Parkin, Martha Baines, Martha Cooke, Millie Smith and Poppy Warren (coxswain). Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J16 Coach and Junior Coordinator said, “The crew delivered a strong performance throughout to finish a creditable second place just ten seconds behind Kings School Chester.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/crew-secures-second-place-on-their-return-9403133 and page thirty seven and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-junior-squad-return-to-the-water-at-wycliffe-big-head and also back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/02/07&pages=24

For great pictures of Wycliffe Big Head, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9kKVWi-QhE2c6RjH_Ng?e=d8AYdD

Henley Triumphs for Stratford!

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On Saturday 2nd November, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club Junior Squad travelled south to the spiritual home of rowing, Henley on Thames, to compete in the annual Long Distance Sculls event.  Contested over 3km on Henley Reach the event attracts top clubs and schools from around the country.  With higher than normal stream levels the conditions favoured those who steered a canny course close to the bank. The Stratford J16 squad competed twice in both J16 and J18 events with the first crews to boat in WJ16 double sculls. The double scull of Martha Baines and Poppy Warren delivered a solid row to record fifth place; Tessa Parkin and Josephine Cooper achieved eighth and Sophie Franklin and Becca Smith came home tenth. The WJ16 single scull athletes of Poppy Warren, Tessa Parkin and Becca Smith achieved seventh, ninth and tenth respectively. Rowing up to the J18 category, the J16 athletes delivered strong second rows on the Henley course with single scullers Maeve Dunn, Martha Cooke, Isla Dunn and Millie Smith achieving creditable placings of fourteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and twenty first respectively. In the J18 double sculls event, Martha Baines and Maeve Dunn ranked eleventh, Millie Smith and Martha Cooke ranked sixteenth and the crew of Josephine Cooper and Isla Dunn coming home twentieth after being obstructed by a slower crew for the final 500m of the course.

With the usual first races of the season being cancelled, the J17/18 squad turned up at Henley excited at the prospect of some racing. With fine conditions but still some strong stream to contend with, the first Stratford crew of the day consisted of Aimee Appleton, Lucy Sartain, Lily Warren and Poppy Baines racing in the WJ18 quads. Executing a blistering start, the quad stormed down the course to claim sixth place in a competitive field. Next up were the J17/18 double of Jamie Wilcock and Seth Vondrak racing for the first time together. They sculled well and fought hard down the course to overtake a crew in the final stretch to secure eleventh place. The afternoon division saw V Vondrak and Scarlett Richardson compete in the WJ18 2x event. Settling in quickly to their race pace, rowing a good length and rhythm they overtook one crew in the first 1500m and continued pushing all the way to the finish to earn a very respectable third place. Finally, racing a year up in the J18 1x Xavier Sissins-Roffey got off to a quick start and fought hard all the way to earn himself fortieth of fifty five in a competitive field. J17/18 coach Eric Appleton said, “This was the first chance to race for many of the squad in over the last three months so it was good to get out and put all the hard training into practice on such a famous stretch of river. We’re very happy with the performances and looking forward to the next race.”

Stratford Masters WMD4x squad of Ellie Davis, Gina Fusco, Christine Goodwin and Ruth Poulten were inspired by the opportunity to race the iconic Henley Royal Regatta Course and it didn’t disappoint! Starting 3K downstream, conditions were good with five other crews competing in their category. The crew got off to a great start settling in to their planned rate twenty eight strokes per minute but a strong Marlow quad forced them into the middle of the river at the famous Temple Island and into a challenging upstream current. Undeterred and motivated by the encouragement at recent indoor ergo sessions, the Stratford crew held their line for the rest of the course racing side by side with the Marlow club to the finish and finished in a respectable fifth place.

Nick Sartain represented the Stratford’s Masters men. It proved to be a demanding race, especially given the lack of recent long distance training, against a competitive field. Pleased with his performance, Nick is looking forward to Stourport Head next weekend.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty three https://digital.imnews.app/app/STR931/editionguid/ca79aa62-774f-4c6b-814b-9ee8a4bc1fa5 and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/junior-rowers-tackle-long-distance-event-9390768 and Stratford Observer back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/11/08&pages=32 and also online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-juniors-oar-some-displays-at-henley-upon-thames

For more great pictures of Henley LDS, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9kJVQ1KjfA4EylOeRag?e=yEzQjY

Stratford & Marlow Regattas: Success All Round!

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The weather could have been better for the Stratford upon Avon Boat Club regatta but the rain didn’t stop the great participation with local crews and further afield from Evesham Rowing Club, King’s School Worcester Boat Club, Royal Grammar School Worcester Boat Club, Ross Rowing Club, Clifton College Boat Club, King Edward V1 Boat Club, Worcester Rowing Club, Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club and AB Severn Boat Club as well as major entries from Stratford upon Avon Boat Club itself. The regatta this year had three divisions and one hundred and fifty nine separate races starting at promptly at 08.30 and running all day through until a close at 17.45hrs! Running a regatta to time is no mean feat and is a tribute to the race organisers!

This year the Club was very heartened again by the huge turn out from local and distant clubs and the interest from the public. A massive thanks to all our hard working Stratford Boat Club members, visiting crews, umpires and officials and especially the public for supporting the event. The Club was especially honoured to have Stratford upon Avon Town Council Mayor Cllr Jason Fojtik attend the regatta and walk the course with Stratford Boat Club President, Paul Stanton.

Dawson Curnock, Regatta Secretary and Chairman commented, “It was a long day’s racing: our tea tent was extremely busy dispensing dozens of cakes and snacks. What a magnificent day topped by great racing! We ran the regatta under very tight safety protocols. We were especially grateful for the help and tolerance of those operators who work and make their living on the river.”

Saturday proved to be another day of rowing success, fun times and great learning for the Stratford Boat Club’s squads. For the J14 squad starting off in Division 1, Erin Appleton and Orla Linforth boated nice and early in the WJ14 1x event. Both sculled very well and steered a nice line on the Club side but lost out to Evesham by a canvas and to Ross Rowing Club by three lengths. Later in Division 1, Will Shaw was drawn in a straight final, sculled very well too with good pace and line on the Club side and won by two lengths against Worcester Rowing Club.

In Division 2 in the OJ14 4x+ event, Orla Linforth coxed the boys’ boat of Seb Happel, Euan Richter, Ed Appleton and James Greenwood. They won their semifinal by three and a half lengths against Monmouth. In the final they sculled very well but lost by one length to another crew from Monmouth.

In Division 3 in the OJ14 2x event, Rory Rowan and Rory Jones won their first race against Kings School Worcester. They sculled really well too in their next race against Monmouth, the latter winning easily.

Also in Division 3, in the WJ14 2x event, Maria Ntoukaki and Naomi Sime showed excellent timing and power, but were let down by their steering as they were repeatedly warned to get back in their lane and failed to do so, thereby getting disqualified.

J14 Coach Hugo Happel commented. “Overall, a great day with some really nice sculling, enjoyed by all. Numerous parents and coaches fed back what a great event the Stratford Junior Sprints is, so thanks to all involved. Great job!”

Stratford’s J15 squad were also in action at Stratford’s home regatta. First to go were the ladies double sculls where crews of Sophie Franklin/Josephine Cooper and Martha Baines/Tessa Parkin raced hard against Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club and Kings Worcester to eventually meet in the final. The final proved a crowd pleaser with the Franklin/Cooper combination coming out on top. Next up were the single sculls of Martha Cooke and Maeve Dunn who also made short work of the heats and semi-finals sweeping aside Evesham Rowing Club and Kings Worcester to deliver the second all Stratford final of the day. Firm squad mates in training, the two temporarily put aside their friendship to tear up the track in gladiatorial style. In the final analysis, it was Dunn who triumphed by the narrowest of margins in a superb demonstration of single sculling. Finally, the coxed quadruple scull of Isla Dunn, Millie Smith, Becca Smith, Bryony Francis and Martha Cooke (coxswain) turned up the heat with another set of races giving them safe passage through to the final where they met a quality outfit from AB Severn Boat Club. Fine sculling and fierce competition ensued with the AB Severn crew snatching a three quarters of a length win.

The first division saw J16’s Xavier Sissins-Rofey clinch a remarkable victory in the single sculls event, showcasing a burst of speed that left his opponent trailing. His next round was against a strong opponent from Monmouth School: sadly Sissins-Rofey could not repeat his first-round success losing by one length in the semifinal. Meanwhile James Albrighton, despite a valiant effort in his debut singles race, narrowly missed out on victory. In the women’s junior 16 sculls finals, Alice Jones faced a formidable challenge against the National Schools doubles champion, and despite a strong performance, fell short by a mere length. The day’s races culminated with the girls’ quad, who dominated their event, securing a decisive win against their local rivals Evesham.

Saturday’s Junior Spring Regatta was the 500m course following the Avon through the town from Holy Trinity Church through to the finish line at the Club’s grounds.

Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President said, “Although we weren’t blessed with good weather for the regatta, there were still crowds watching the racing adding much to Stratford’s atmosphere and vitality: we were glad to showcase our sport and demonstrate our part in the success of our town! Again, we appreciate the tolerance and help from the other river users and colleagues and look forward to our Fun Regatta on Saturday 13 July”

Meanwhile, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive squad travelled to Marlow on Saturday to take part in the rowing event that forms part of the Marlow Town Festival.

The trip proved to be highly successful with Stratford only losing one race all day and winning six of the seven events. The fastest sculler from each of the four largest competing clubs was entered in to the Charlton Cup. Stratford’s Curtis Dickens beat a tall Marlow sculler in his semi-final by two lengths. Dickens then faced an experienced rower from Guildford in the final. Dickens’ second row was better than his first and he comfortably beat his opponent to win the event. The Cup was presented to Curtis by the five time Olympic Gold Medalist Sir Steven Redgrave.

Andy Morris won his single’s event by several lengths and then he then joined forces with Dickens to triumph in Open Doubles event. Gillian Middleton was entered in the Ladies Doubles and won it convincingly. Middleton was then asked to compete in another event in a scratch crew which also won.

The mother/son combination of Paola and Ian Ward completed the day with another convincing Stratford win in the Mixed Doubles. Isaac Clarkson in the J14 singles made a bad error right at the start: this in the end proved fatal to his chances of success. He did however fight back to lose by only a couple of lengths to a very good young Marlow sculler in the final.

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald pages forty six, forty seven and forty eight and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratford-regatta-hailed-a-huge-success-9371167 and also Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-host-successful-summer-regatta and https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-clubs-adaptive-athletes-dominate-in-marlow and back sports page https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2024/06/21&pages=32

For great pictures of Stratford regatta, see Stuart Baines’ excellent selection https://1drv.ms/f/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j_Be-11W8zQR3-MX4A?e=aqqrzo

Stratford’s Juniors and Adaptives Score at Nottingham!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford’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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford Excel in London and Hereford!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford Start The Season Well at Wallingford and Runcorn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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