Tag Archives: Xavier Sissins-Roffey

Stratford Excel at Ross

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The traditional end of season event for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club arrived over the Bank Holiday weekend with thirty one crews travelling to Ross Regatta. The event is considered a classic on the club racing calendar with two days of racing on the beautiful River Wye. This year, low rivers levels demanded a change in the course and prior experience at the event was no longer an advantage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All Fun At The Fun Regatta!

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Although the wait of a year seemed a long time, all the expectations of the Fun Regatta were met and even bettered! The Fun Regatta attracted competitors from local companies, villages and groups of friends and twenty crews with just three hours’ training produced some quality rowing, ably coxed by skilled members of Stratford Boat Club’s junior squad and watched by crowds and friends from the Club’s grounds, the Bancroft Gardens and the Rec, Fun Regatta organiser Adam Franklin said, “We were heartened by the huge numbers who came to watch, cheer the competitors on and enjoy the spectacle even though the weather was hotter than ideal: it may not have been Henley Royal Regatta but we like to think that it was more fun to watch!”

Fancy dress was again a major part of the day, with crews dressed in multi coloured outfits, Britney Spears look a likes – One M’oar Time; nuns and bishops – White Smoke; red and white striped blazers and boaters – May The Oars Be With You; Ninjas in black and white and a troop of Jedi warriors! There were also crews made up from local companies and organisations such as Simplify IT, Stratford Ladies Netball Team and a squad from Stratford upon Avon Rugby Club

Commenting further, Adam Franklin Fun Regatta organiser added, “Through the hard work and all the efforts of Club members, we have been able to raise funds for replacing equipment, repairs and maintenance. As always, we are especially grateful for the tolerance of those who make their living on the river and to our sponsor Crowne Plaza Stratford.”

Dawson Curnock, Boat Club Chairman also commented, “The wait was worth it! A fun day was had by all and Stratford Boat Club was happy to contribute to the vitality and atmosphere of the town and give visitors and residents a cause for celebration! We were so grateful that Stratford upon Avon’s Mayor Cllr Dani Hunter and her daughter visited us and presented prizes to the winners: Stratford upon Avon Town Council’s support is essential for the encouragement for sport and recreation in the Warwickshire area and community.”

Whilst the Club members were running the Fun Regatta, the Club’s masters’ squad were competing in a fantastic two days of racing at Henley Masters Regatta. Held on the iconic Henley Royal Regatta course, the event attracts crews from all over the world competing with the best national crews for a chance to race between the booms.

A bye in the first round saw Stratford’s Mx4x race against Trafford in the quarter final. A strong start ably stroked by Rebecca England saw Stratford racing at thirty six strokes per minute ease out to a two length lead by the 300 metre mark and by halfway had stretched this lead to three lengths. With the race under control, Stratford were able to ease back on the power and finish comfortable winners by three lengths.

Significantly sterner opposition awaited Stratford in the semifinal with World and National Championship medallists Warwick Rowing Club. A strong start with Rebecca leading the crew off at forty strokes per minute and a high tempo race pace of thirty six strokes per minute saw the crews neck and neck at the 300 metre barrier. Warwick, knowing they were in a race, began to increase their effort but excellent steering by Jeanette Caldicott, fresh from her excellent win on Saturday, and a big effort by Pete Spivey and Tom Doherty in the engine room kept Stratford in touch out to the 600 metre mark. Warwick’s superior size and strength saw them increase their lead towards the end of the race running out winners by just over a length.

Said crew member Pete Spivey, “Rebecca and Jeanette with their excellent race control and steering gave us a great platform for two excellent races. Given our limited training opportunities beforehand we can be very satisfied.”

Saturday also saw Stratford’s J17 pair of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Seth Vondrak race in Band One of the open pairs category at Burton regatta. The crew took a win in their first round by two lengths against an adult composite from Derwent and Trentham, leading the whole way after a strong start. They then went on to win the final against a Derby crew easily, giving them a solid practice race and a good result the week before racing at the British Rowing Championships.

Meanwhile, Curtis Dickens, the pararower from Stratford’s adaptive squad, followed up his recent GB appearance at the Rowing World Cup in Italy with victory at the trials for the England squad. He will represent his country in two weeks’ time at Dorney Lake, the venue of the 2012 Olympic rowing international competition, in the Home Internationals.

Curtis’ adaptive colleagues raced in Cardiff this weekend where Stratford’s adaptive squad won all their races which is in line with their results elsewhere this season. Edward Owen-Smith, a recent thirteen year old adaptive recruit, won in his single and also in a double with buddy rower Aron Altman. Stratford’s Gillian Middleton won comfortably in the women’s double event partnered by a Llandaff rower. The best race of the day involved Paola and Ian Ward who had a titanic struggle with the mixed double crew from Ross with the Wards eventually winning by a length and half. Jake Blatcher had tough draws in the mainstream singles events each day.

Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach, said, “Jake continues to be very competitive but just coming up short: a win must be surely just around the corner!”

Stratford’s junior squads were back on the water on Sunday after coxing at the Fun Regatta, putting in more training for the British Rowing’s Junior Championships at National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham this coming weekend. Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator commented, “The junior squad will be heavily represented with crews from J14, J15, J16 and J17/18 categories all there for their chance for glory against some of the best schools and clubs in the country: we wish them luck! The logistics of getting multiple boats, trailers, coaches, athletes, coaches and supporters to National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham is immense and I’d like to thank all who have given their support, time and effort to make this complex exercise possible!”

For media coverage, see Stratford Observer page four https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/07/18&pages=24 and online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/all-smiles-at-stratford-boat-clubs-fun-regatta and Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/masters-compete-against-the-nation-s-best-on-iconic-course-9425571 and pages forty seven and pages twenty two and twenty three

For pictures of the Fun Regatta, see Kathy Baines’ great selection at https://1drv.ms/f/c/8e50dac120123b06/EsckqrD2bNZGuZ_TxqfQOZcBRP0rWUyhtwHd2Bp8W4x3Fg

Stratford 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 Rounds Off Season at Ross

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford Clean Up at Oxford

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stratford’s Juniors Conquer The Severn!

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On Sunday, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club junior squads went in force to Stourport Winter Head: the J17/18 squad started the day with singles’ events, which featured Will Beattie and Toby Sartain in the J18 category and Charles Happel in the J17 category. Beattie sculled to his usual high standard, finishing strongly to win the event and was followed down the course by Sartain who crossed the line in second place to round out a 1-2 finish for Stratford. Happel came next and sculled to a similar high standard also to claim second place in his event. Next up was the WJ18 pair of Amalia Richardson and Kate Richardson who, despite being relatively new to the pairs event, rowed proficiently and came home in first place. Finally, the afternoon division saw the two J18 doubles of Will Beattie and Tomi Wilcock and Charles Happel and Toby Sartain take on the 4km course: Beattie and Wilcock set off first sculling typically well on their way to win the event just ahead of Happel and Sartain who also sculled confidently to complete an excellent overall performance for the squad in second place.

For Stratford’s J16 squad, the morning division saw the coxless quad of Aimee Appleton, Scarlett Richardson, Molly Vondrack with Megan Rowan in the stroke seat put on an impressive display of sculling to beat the home Stourport boat by 12.5 seconds and take first place. In the afternoon three doubles of Lucy Sartain and Jess Long, Eloise Cooper and Nancy Davis, Ez Elfwood and Harriet Froom all competed to a very high standard and finished with seven seconds of each other over the 4k course. In the end it was Elfwood and Froom who missed out on a second place by just 1 second to take 3rd with Sartain and Long 0.8sec behind them followed by Cooper and Davis. Finally, Jamie Wilcock competed in the singles event and was in the lead at the halfway stage before a collision caused him to lose time and finish second overall.

For the J14 and J15 squads, the weekend saw the Stratford upon Avon Boat Club athletes from across the age ranges compete on the Severn in the “Blackpool of the Black Country, Stourport-on-Severn”! The 4000m course running with the stream presented a good opportunity for all to display the fruits of their winter training over a longer distance. Conditions on the day were superb with a light breeze and sunshine threatening to make an appearance on occasion.

In Division One, Stratford’s J14s fielded two WJ14 double sculls combinations. The crew of Josephine Cooper and Sophie Franklin powered down the course in style to finish over a minute ahead of Avon County Rowing Club and Evesham Rowing Club. The win however was taken by Maeve Dunn and Bryony Francis by a margin of just three seconds with a superb performance. The J15 squad fielded a coxed four into the event but, without opposition in their age range, took on senior crews. The crew of  Theo Richter, Seth Vondrak, Xavier Sissins-Roffey, Oliver Rowlands and James Albrighton (coxswain) thundered down the course to take the win in emphatic style.

In Division Two, the WJ14 coxed quadruple scull of Sophie Warren, Isla Dunn, Becca Smith, Martha Cooke and Josephine Cooper (coxswain) delivered a stonking row to take the win over quality opposition from Trentham Boat Club and Hereford Cathedral School.  The quadruple scull event was followed by the toughest event of the day by far, the single sculls. Testing themselves, representing Stratford were the J14 girls of Martha Baines, Tessa Parkin and Millie Smith. Dicing with strong competition from around the area, they recorded a creditable eighth, fifth and sixth respectively. Commenting, Steve Wellstead, J14 Coach and Junior Co-ordinator said, “No mean feat over the 4000m course so early in their rowing careers. No doubt, these athletes will return to the Severn in the coming years!”

Representing the J15 squad in the women’s double sculls, the powerhouse duo of Alexandra Francis and Poppy Baines provided a show for the assembled crowd with a textbook row, taking the win by a comfortable margin, In the women’s J15 coxed quadruple sculls event, the crew of Sophie Evans, Meg Nuttall, Alice Jones, Lily Warren and Lucy Yang (coxswain) delivered a solid row chasing Ross Rowing Club all the way to achieve a fourth place.

Joining their Stratford colleagues, King Edward The Sixth School Boat Club also headed to Stourport Head. First up in the morning division was the J18 4+ of T. Wilcock, R. Macdonald, T. Wheeler, T. Beard and I. Hill (cox) they were racing in the open men’s category and put in a great performance to see off crews from Warwick BC and Trentham RC to take the win.

The afternoon division saw a debut for our J16 4x of W. Dalrymple-Baker, H. Hoare, A. Mathers and M. Cullimore, three of whom only start rowing in September. Said Hannah Crone, KES Coach, “This was their first race and the aim was to row well and enjoy it: the boys put in a fantastic performance to take the win over Evesham Rowing Club.”

Next up was our WJ18 4+ of A. Richardson, T. Dunn, M. Hall, K. Richardson and I. Hill (cox) again racing in the senior category. Despite a last minute substitution due to injury, the girls had a good row and came out on top ahead of Evesham Rowing Club and Trentham Rowing Club. This topped off a great day for King Edward The Sixth School Boat Club coming home with three wins from three crews.

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty four and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratfords-juniors-conquer-the-severn

For more great pictures of Stourport Winter Head, see Kathy and Stuart Baines’ excellent selection at https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AOAm%5FWXXHbdtI6M&id=8E50DAC120123B06%2190130&cid=8E50DAC120123B06

Stratford Move On Up at Gloucester!

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As the country remains in the grip of the hot weather, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s traditional end of season plans had to change. Ross-on-Wye Regatta was forced to be cancelled due to insufficient water in the Wye so Stratford’s rowers instead headed across to Gloucester to compete over the bank holiday weekend.

An early riser, Julian Foster, a massively experienced sculler from Stratford Masters’ squad was first on the course taking a convincing win in the semi final against the mighty Exeter Rowing Club sculler. A classy row in the final made Foster’s competitor work hard but the Gloucester sculler took the win on home water. Commenting on the race, Foster said, “This is a great marker from which to build my 2023 season campaign, I’ll be back!”

Stratford’s junior squad were in action on the 650m course on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal in the heart of Gloucester’s industrial docklands. In the WJ14 single sculls, Alexandra Francis put on a typically strong display but fell victim to the luck of the draw and lost out to the event winner from Gloucester Rowing club (a former indoor rowing champion). Seth Vondrak then took to the water to represent Stratford in the OpJ14 single sculls. Sculling hard over the course, Seth chased a young sculler from Exeter to just miss out on proceeding in the competition.

In the Seth Vondrak set about working through the field with comfortable wins against Gloucester and Ross rowing clubs taking her through to the final where she narrowly lost out to another quality sculler from Ross-on-Wye. Moving to double sculls, the duo of Xavier Sissins-Roffey and Theo Richter represented the club in the OpJ14 category. In a straight final the boys took the fight to Gloucester on their home water just losing out by four lengths in the final analysis.

Next to go was the WJ13 double scull combination of Maeve Dunn and Isla Dunn in their debut racing together. Lack of competition meant the girls raced in the open category and demonstrated their power to take the event win against the boys of Hereford Rowing Club. Lack of competition again meant the WJ13 coxed quadruple scull of Bryony Francis, Martha Baines, Millie Smith, Sophie Franklin and Poppy Warren (coxswain) rowed up to WJ14 level and cued up the race of the day. To reach the final, the girls raced a quality crew from Ross Rowing Club and took an early win which meant it was an all Stratford final with competition from Stratford’s Lucy Yang, Lily Warren, Alice Jones, Poppy Baines and Meg Nuttall (coxswain). The race proved more intense than the summer sun with the crews being neck and neck across the length of the course and an eerie silence fell with the finish bell, neither crew knowing who crossed the line first. By the slimmest margin, the crew of Francis, Baines, Smith, Franklin and Warren took the victory with the sport rowing being true victor in an amazing race. Serving up dessert in the smorgasbord junior rowing was the WJ13 single scull competition where Martha Baines, Poppy Warren and Josephine Cooper set to work. It was not to be their day however as strong competition from Thames Scullers and Evesham Rowing Club finished the Stratford girls’ day early after some quality racing from all.

A busy weekend for the J17/18 squad began on Saturday with a single sculls event for Toby Sartain who came up against a formidable opponent from City of Bristol Rowing Club. Unfortunately, the race was lost by a small margin for Sartain, despite the strong technique shown. Next, the WJ18 double sculls events took place where a duo of Ruby Howells and Martha Usselmann fell short against an impressive crew from Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club, located on the same canal as Gloucester. Amélie Sartain and Freya Watts also came up against a crew from Wycliffe, and, helped by an unfortunate mishap off the start line for the opposition, they triumphed by a margin of ‘easily’. They then raced for the prize against the same crew that had beaten out Howells and Usselmann, but they also fell short of the win.

Division One ended with an exciting performance by Lucy Sartain who, entered in the WJ15 single sculls, beat out a Ross Rowing Club sculler and then another from the host club Gloucester Rowing Club before losing out in the final to another Ross sculler by only two lengths. The afternoon saw three entries in the WJ18 single sculls from A. Sartain, Watts, and Elisabeth Edwards. However, none were able to progress beyond the quarter finals after stiff competition from both Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club and Worcester Rowing Club prevented a win.

On Sunday, racing started with a father-son combination of Nick and Toby Sartain who raced in the Open double sculls event. Having never rowed together before, an impressive race was fought before Carmarthen Rowing Club took the win. Following this, the WJ18 girls raced up in the senior category of Women’s double sculls. Ruby Howells and Freya Watts started off with a win over a City of Bristol crew but then faltered against a slick duo from Hereford Rowing Club. Amélie Sartain and Martha Usselmann had a bye to the semi-finals after a crew from Ross scratched their entry, and they were victorious after a close race against City of Bristol, winning by a third of a length. In the final, they met the same Hereford crew that Howells and Watts had lost to in the semi-final and, after a tight battle, they lost out on the win by just one length, the same margin that their teammates had lost to them by.

The weekend ended with an exciting entry from brother and sister T. and A. Sartain in the Mixed double sculls event. A highly anticipated race was unfortunately lost by the Stratford crew against senior rowers from Bristol Ariel Rowing Club but thoroughly enjoyed. Said Abi Terry, J17/J18 Performance Squad Coach, “The weekend was a fantastic opportunity for the Stratford rowers to show their hard work from the 2021-2022 season, and a chance to end the marvellous junior rowing careers of Amélie Sartain and Martha Usselmann on a high as they move up to Senior Category in a few days’ time!”

For media coverage, please see Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/stratfords-end-of-season-plans-change-as-regatta-cancelled-9271441 and page forty five and Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-upon-avon-boat-club-produce-strong-showing-in-gloucester

For great pictures of Gloucester regatta, see Stuart Baines’ selection https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j50qgkt5dAoWjQCXPA?e=YjhPvX

 

Some footnotes from Julian Foster on returning to competitive rowing after twenty four years:-

“This was my first regatta for at least twenty four years and I felt more nervous than I was at my first regatta back in the 70’s! I had to give a five second handicap to semi final opponent from Exeter. I was able to reel back his lead after about thirty strokes and then rowed though to about a two length lead which I sustained to the finish.

The modern division format came as a shock to the system as I was looking forward to a nice rest and a cup of tea to recover before the final. No such luck: sent straight back to the start for the final. Other finalist was local Gloucester sculler. No handicap this time so went off start together.

Gloucester sculler established small lead off start be we remained overlapped. I was feeling much more relaxed and was starting to get more control of my sculling – and nerves. I was able to execute a race plan and got even with opponent after around thirty five strokes.

I had established a bow ball lead and was trying to get into a steady rhythm when my current levels of endurance gave out and there was not a lot left in the tank. My opponent was clearly the fitter and stronger sculler on the day and it transpired he won the silver medal at this year’s Nat champs. He went on to win the final fairly easily.

Overall I was very pleased with how my return to racing is going. Basic boat speed and technique was reasonable. I can justify a winter of strength and endurance training and I know what is needed to be on par with the leading scullers in my class.”

Silver Glory for Stratford’s J16 Juniors!

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The National Schools’ Regatta is the largest and most exciting regatta junior race calendar in Great Britain. The regatta attracts crews from over three hundred and fifty clubs and schools with over five thousand competitors. It is the premiere junior regatta in the country. With racing for ten hours per day, exciting closely matched rounds and finals, this is the regatta where you will see future Olympic Champions start out! … and Stratford upon Avon Boat Club juniors were there in force!

Returning to Dorney Lake near Windsor, the Junior 14’s were welcomed by sunshine, a marked improvement from their previous attendance at the 2012 Olympic venue where they had previously competed in torrential rain!

The boys crew of Seth Vondrak, Xavier Sissins-Roffey, James Albrighton, Oliver Rowlands and cox Theo Richter were first to face the time trial raced over the 1000M course. After an unsettled start, the boys soon got into their rhythm and delivered a solid row. Despite a valiant effort, the boys missed out on selection for the finals by eight seconds. Following hot on their heels were the girls’ crew of Alexandra Francis, Poppy Baines, Sophie Evans, Alice Jones, and cox Meg Nuttall. Another solid performance by the girls resulted in selection for the B final. Crossing the finish line in fourth place delivered an outcome of tenth out of thirty-six competing crews. The squad are looking forward to competing at the British Rowing Junior Championships at the National Water Sports Centre in July.

Competing at NSR for the first time, the coxed WJ15 quad of Harriet Froom (cox), Lucy Sartain, Molly Vondrak, Scarlett Richardson and Aimee Appleton (bow) rowed a superb 1000m in the time trial with a top twenty finish in a gargantuan entry of sixth nine crews, 15.7 seconds off the top crew and three seconds away from a B Final. Their time was faster than Thames Scullers A, Kingston, Lea Rowing Club, Fulham Reach Kings School Chester, Henley E and many more. Commenting Hugo Happel, J16 Coach said, “Terrific result, great work ethic and a great foundation to build on!”

The J16’s entered Amalia Richardson, Maddie Hall, Harriet Noyes, Kate Richardson and coxswain Imogen Hill for the Anna Fegen Cup event on Saturday. On the back of a successful head racing season in the four and a strong performance in a quad at The Junior Sculling Regatta, the girls set their sights on reaching the A final. The time trial went according to plan with Stratford recording the second fastest time behind hot favourites Headington School. Stratford needed a top three finish in the semi-final to progress to the coveted A Final. The girls produced a perfect race leading from the start and sitting on their split and rate all the way to the finish taking the win without needing to increase the pressure. The starters’ role call for the A Final was a list of the top rowing schools in the country: Headington, Stratford, Godolphin, Pangbourne, Yarm and Sir William Perkins. The girls had achieved their goal, now could they go one step further and win a medal? Stratford put down another blistering start to lead by a canvas at 100 meters. By 500m Stratford and Headington were neck and neck easing out a lead from Godolphin and Pangbourne. By the 1000m board Stratford had dropped Godolphin and Pangbourne to fight for the Bronze, but Headington were half a length ahead. Stratford gave all they had in the last 500m to secure the Silver medal as Headington hung on to take the Gold.

J16 Coach Sam Hill commented, “To win a Silver medal at National Schools Regatta is a major achievement and just reward for all the hard training the girls put in every week. We look forward to the next challenge at Henley Women’s Regatta in three weeks time!”

For the J17/18 squad, the day started with the boys’ double of Tomi Wilcock and Will Beattie with them taking to the lake to compete in the Open Championship Doubles event. Putting up a strong battle against the wind, they finished a respectable twenty first in their time trial. The girls pairing of Amelie Sartain and Freya Watts were next up in the Women’s Championship Doubles event, finishing a symmetrical twenty first against crews from some impressive clubs. Last out for the squad was Toby Sartain competing in the Open Championship Singles event: Toby finished an impressive thirty seventh against stiff competition from across the country.

It may have been a half term holiday but there was no let up for Stratford Boat Club athletes and coaches as they took part in the Club’s Junior Coaching Assistants’ Course on Monday. Said Abi Terry, J17/18 Performance Squad Coach, “This course is designed to give competent junior athletes the skills to pass on their knowledge to their younger colleagues and those new to rowing and sculling: it covers essential points such as safety, techniques and how to put these across to others. It was heartening to see how many volunteered for the course and the effort they put in over a long day!”

For more great pictures of the J14’s achievements and others, please see Kathy Baines’ selection https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiW2DAyn9tg9j5M5T-GeVQz0ndO5iQ?e=C2Qgjm