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2010 Archive
- Monmouth RC Members don't miss training for anything
26th December
Despite temperatures of -13 and a little frozen water, Dave Bowen & Mark Stewart-Woods were determined to stick to the training program. See Gallery or Facebook page for details. - GLORIOUS GOLD FOR QUAD
18th July
LOUIS Paterson, Alex Butler and Tom Penny have rowed themselves into the club’s history books by racing to MRC’s first ever British open title, with Hereford’s Jamie Coombes. The crew led the six-boat final at Glasgow's Strathclyde Park from start to finish in a great show of front running. Just 40 minutes later, Paterson and Coombes were on the podium again adding U23 double sculls silver, while Louise Hart made it a medal hat-trick for the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored club. After failing to secure a place at Henley Royal Regatta by a fraction of a second, the men's quadruple scull were determined to put the record straight at the British Championships against opponents who all made it into the earlier River Thames event. They hoped to make the podium after winning their semi-final, though gold looked a long shot given the calibre of the opposition. But determined to give it everything, they blasted into an early lead on the Scottish national course. And when they were still leading at the half-way mark, by two-thirds of a length from the Welsh national squad crew, hope turned to belief that they could hold on, against a field that included Britain's top club Leander, top rowing universities Newcastle and Bath and tough East Enders Lea. Hitting the three-quarter way 1500m mark, they had just half a length, with the pursuing field tightly bunched and ready to charge, with the Welsh squad crew just half a length up on Newcastle, closely followed by Bath, Lea and Leander surprisingly bringing up the rear. But with Coombes driving the rating up, backed by former British U18 fours champion Paterson at three, Penny at two and Butler at bow, they refused to buckle, crossing with three-quarters of a length to spare from the Rhywfo Cymru outfit in six minutes 20.53 seconds. Behind them there was last-gasp drama, as Lea crabbed yards from the line with bronze in their grasp, only to let Newcastle through just over a length back on the Wye outfit, followed half a length back by GB World Class Start centre Bath, Leander and Lea. Sarah Hall landed the girls' U18 British singles title way back in 1977, but the quad's victory was the first open senior title in the 81-year history of Monmouth RC, and was a fantastic reward for all their training and the efforts of coach John Griffiths. Still exhausted, the stern pair were back on the water within half an hour for the U23 doubles final, where they came home two lengths behind Newcastle GB world universities duo John Ford and Murray Wilkojc for silver, with Evesham GB junior cap Rory Sullivan a full four lengths back in bronze with his Rochdale partner Staurt Sykes. Hart, who is off to study at Loughborough University next month to train under former Monmouth RC man and Henley medallist Derek Atkins, was another podium hope in her six-boat lightweight singles final. And she pushed through from fourth at 500m to third at half-way, just feet down on Welsh rival Kate Evans, with Scotland cap Kelly Limond a length up in gold. And Hart pushed her bows narrowly into silver at the three-quarter way mark before slowly inching out on the Llandaff singler to cross in second a third of a length up in 8.18.87, Limond landing gold two lengths ahead. - Llandaff Sprint 2010
11th July
Four wins on the Taff - mixed IM1 fours, mixed IM2 doubles, women's IM3 fours and vet novice fours.
Mixed IM1 4: Mark and Karen Stewart-Woods, Hannah James, Peter Kelsall, cox Kathryn Lewis - beat Ironbridge by 3L.
Mixed 2x: Mark S-W, Hannah James - beat Two Lions 2 1/2L.
Nov Masters 4+: Colin Lewis, Peter Scott, Harry Beech, Dougie Ferguson, cox Kathryn Lewis - beat Ross 1 3/4L.
Womens IM34 - Karen Stewart-Woods, Louise Sheppard, Liz Lewis, Jill Judd, cox Kathryn Lewis beat Avon 3/4L. - Henley Vets Triumph
10th July
Men's eight raced well in searing heat to win the VB title by 3/4L over Maidstone in a race that was nip and tuck until our opponents clipped the booms with a few strokes to go.
In the VC event, 1 1/2L and 1/2L victories over Notts Rc and Oporto, Portugal, put them into the final against Germany's mighty Munster composite, who were stroked by a former West German international and had a 27-year-old who was the last person to beat former world singles champion Marcel Hacker on home waters, Sadly, after two hard races that day against their one easy paddle, they beat us out of the blocks and just about managed to hold off our finishing spurt by a 1/4L.
Hostilities were then resumed in the bar, where we all swapped kit and sank a few beers!!
Crew: James Allison, Eric Froggatt, John Owen, Alex Butler, Simon Lee, Nick Hartland, Mark Stewart-Woods, Andrew Barnett, cox Hannah Glasson -
JUNE 25, 2010
HENLEY NEAR MISS
Desperate disappointment for MRC's quad at Henley, who missed out on a place in the Prince of Wales Cup draw by one place, finishing fastest non-qualifier in 6.38.6. See www.hrr.co.uk/downloads/qualifying_results_2010.pdf
JUNE 23, 2010
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA
MRC’s quad scull has to qualify this Friday to earn one of the five places on offer.
They're racing 16 other crews against the clock at 4.45pm, and if anyone can get there to give them a cheer, I'm sure they will appreciate it. See hrr.co.uk.
JUNE 20, 2010
MARLOW REGATTA
MRC's quad scull made it through their six-boat heat at Marlow Regatta on the Olympic lake, finishing third behind Reading Uni and a GB junior outfit, 0.8 seconds ahead of the Army.
But in the semi of the elite event, they missed out by two lengths on a final place, finishing fourth behind a London/Leander crew, Tideway Scullers and Reading Uni again, in the 10th-fastest semi-final time. Results at www.mikrotime.com/rowing/row2010/marlow10.html
JUNE 20, 2010
HENLEY WOMEN'S REGATTA
Louise Hart made it through the qualifying time-trial and her first round of women's senior lightweight singles against Machan of Upper Thames, before losing out to Willis
of Reading Uni in the quarter-finals.
JUNE 13, 2010
BRITISH MASTERS CHAMIONSHIPS
MRC racers proved old masters as they pulled themselves to the title of Britain's top veteran club at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre.
Competing against 80 other clubs from the whole of the UK at the 540-boat British Masters’ Championships, they landed four gold and three silvers to take the Victor Ludorum prize and a £500 cheque.
And bobbing in the Wye outfit's wake on one of the greatest day's in its 81-year history were the likes of 1984 Olympic champion Richard Budgett and 1988 Olympic finalist Pete Beaumont.
Men's over 42 eight James Allison, Eric Froggatt, John Owen, Paul Downie, Simon Lee, Nick Hartland, Mark Stewart-Woods, stroke Andrew Barnett and cox Hannah Glasson were defending the open title they won last year on the same six-lane course, and faced challenges from the two Olympic stars in a London University old boys' Tyrian eight containing two more former GB internationals, and Nottingam and Union, including yet more ex-GB stars.
But a blistering start saw the Wye crew take control from the first 10 strokes, powering into a length lead by 300m and a length and a half at halfway.
Holding 36 strokes a minute, and with more racing to come, they then cruised in to win in three minutes 6 secs, finishing 2.6 seconds up on Tyrian who grabbed silver on the line by a canvas from Notts and Union, with Nottingham RC fourth another length back, followed by X-Press and York.
Hartland, Stewart-Woods and cox Glasson were also looking to defend the coxed four title they won in 2009, this time with Barnett and Lee.
And once again, they dropped the six-boat field in quick time, going through halfway with a one-length lead from York.
No mistakes was the order of the day in the second 500m, and they cruised in to take gold in 3.31.1 from the Tyrian crew containing Olympic stars Budgett and Beaumont, who again snatched silver on the line 1 1/2Lback, with Cambridge outfit X-Press just pipping York for third another half length back, followed by Worcester and Medway.
The same crew also launched out in the over 36 coxless fours final 40 minutes after landing gold, and this time had to settle for silver two lengths behind a fast Molesey boat in 3.29.0, with Tyrian in third a length back.
Allison, Froggatt, Stewart-Woods and Barnett also had to give second best to the Hampton-based home club of 2008 Olympic champion Andy Hodge in the over 42 coxless final in 3.32.2, holding off Beaumont and two other GB caps by a length in another Tyrian crew for silver, followed by Worcester, City of Oxford and Walton.
But there was more gold in the mixed 8s final, where Monmouth's over 55 crew included husband and wife Mike and Anne Butler, joined by Peter Kelsall, Gail Adams, Adrian Tulley, Alan Major, Sue Davies, Jools Oliva and cox Harrison Stewart-Woods.
They had a 10-second head-start against their over 42 opponents, and held on to win by two lengths from St Neots with Medway third, in 3.56.4.
And Oliva added a second gold to her collection, with Karen Stewart-Woods, Gabby Miles, Liz Lewis and cox Bowen Stewart-Woods, in the women's intermediate over 42 fours, catching another Monmouth RC crew on the line for gold, with Bedford outfit Star in third.
Kelsall, Tully and Downie were also on the podium again after taking silver in the IM over 42 men's fours, this time with Scott Hazeldine and cox Bowen Stewart-Woods, racing home a length behind Runcorn, with Tees, a second Monmouth Rc crew and Medway in third to fifth.
Monmouth's novice veteran four did well to get up on Norwich by a third of a length for third in their final, while the women's over 50 four were just 2 1/2 L off gold medallists Walbrook finishing fourth in their open final.
And despite most of the crew only taking up the sport within the last two years, the women's over 42 8 were just 2L off the composite gold medallists in their open final, where Londoners Lea beat them into fourth in 3.46.1 by just a tenth of a second.
“To come here and win seven medals - four of them gold - and take the Victor Ludorum is a fantastic achievement for us,” said club chairman Mike Butler.
“We’re certainly punching way above our weight at veteran level, because some of Britain’s biggest clubs were here.
“And it’s definitely one of the most successful days in the club’s history.”
JUNE 7, 2010
METROPOLITAN REGATTA
Sat: Louise Hart won her seven-boat IM2 heat rowing from fourth at half way. In the final she was a battling fifth out of seven.
The 4x of Louis Paterson, Alex Butler, Tom Penny and Jamie Combes went through in third in Sen 4x, beating, York City, Army and Rob Roy.
In the final, they just missed out on victory by a second to Reading University, with crews from Tideway Scullers, Maidenhead RC/Maidstone Invicta RC, Henley RC/Kingston RC/Tiffin School and Agecroft all beaten.
Sun: Louise Hart was fourth out of five in her E ltwt heat.
Louis and Jamie just lost out on winning E 2x by 1/2L length to Reading Uni with Tideway Scullers and Star and Arrow behind them.
The 4x were third in their Elite heat ahead of Bath Uni and York. But the 2x final an hour earlier probably cost them as they were dropped in the final and came in sixth, though only 14 seconds, about four lengths, behind the winners.
Results at www.metregatta.org -
MAY 30, 2010:
MONMOUTH REGATTA
MORE than 1,000 rowers made a big splash on the River Wye at Monmouth Regatta as the host club rowed away with the first ever Phil Mathew Memorial Invitation 8s title, in honour of its former commentator.
One-length victories over Maidstone and then Monmouth School's old boys in the 750m final secured the title from a six-boat field that also included Bristol Ariel, Hereford and Stourport.
The Monmouth RC crew - veterans over 40 boosted by young guns Louis Paterson and Tom Penny - were also able to quench their thirst afterwards by winning an exciting dusk dash barrel of beer race-off over 300m from a seven-boat field, winning the three-boat final by half a length from a Cardiff University/Swansea University composite.
A record 463 boats from 48 clubs raced at the two-day Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored event, with the Wye's host clubs racking up a total 18 wins - 12 at the opening sprint regatta and six over the 1500m course on day two.
Saturday's sprint entry of 252 was a record by 80 boats, with 211 entered on Sunday, as organisers held more than 350 races.
Racing over 750m on the first day, former British junior champion Paterson teamed up with Penny, Alex Butler, former New South Wales sculling champion Down Under, Mark Stewart-Woods, and cox Hannah James to land the men's IM2 coxed for title by 2.5 lengths from Bristol Ariel, while Andrew Barnett, Eric Froggatt and James Allison joined Stewart-Woods to hold off Llandaff to win the over 36 coxed fours.
As well as winning three tankards steering, former Monmouth Comprehensive pupil James also sculled a fourth pot with Germany's Alive Volker - in her Heidelburger Club colours - taking the IM3 doubles final from the former's old school.
Regatta chairman John Griffiths watched son Steven take the U15 singles crown with a 1 1/2L win over his Swansea opponent, while an eight coxed by Monnmouth GP James Allison beat Bristol Ariel by 3/4L to the mixed title.
Monmouth Comprehensive School enjoyed five wins at the sprint, with Josh Kings, Harry Righton, Tom Clarke, Jack Blanch, and cox Matt Royston seeing off their Magdalen College School rivals to win U15 quads by 1L, and Greg Riddell and Nat Haggett landing the men's novice doubles from Maidstone by 2.5L.
A local derby saw the school's Josh Kings and Harry Righton get the better of Monmouth RC's Steven Griffiths and his brother Tom, while David Harris stormed to the U17 singles title by 2L from his Bewdley opponent and Adam Sidgreaves led home a Ross sculler to take the U16 title.
Over the longer course, Monmouth RC's veteran 8 warmed up to defend their titles at next weekend's British Masters Championships in Nottingham by taking down Cardiff University's colours, despite the students having more than 20 years a man on the Wye outfit, the hosts taking the top 8s event by 2 3/4L.
Stewart-Woods, Barnett, Froggatt and Simon Lee were comfortable winners of the veteran fours from Maidstone, while Paterson cruised to the IM1 singles title ahead of his City of Oxford final opponent.
Steven Griffiths was again on form in the U15 singles, beating Staines before leading home clubmate Sam Cowburn, who in his first ever regatta did well to make the final beating Cathedral School Llandaff.
Monmouth School's young sculler Wll England won the U14 singles from Wiltshire Scullers, and Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls' quadruple scull Elena Williams, Abigail Thomas, Rachel Harris, Megan Thomas and cox Laura Dryburgh beat Staines by 2 1/4L to take the U14 title.
Event chairman John Griffiths said: "We had a great entry - a record for the weekend by some 50 boats, and the weather was pretty kind to us. We finished bang on time both days, and the feedback from many clubs is that it's one of the best events they've been to.
"The Phil Mathew Memorial 8s was a fitting tribute to our former commentator, who sadly passed away at Christmas. He was a Henley finalist in the 1950s and coached rowing at Monmouth School where he was a teacher and was long involved in the sport. And it was great that some of his former pupils, racing as the Old Monmothians, got to the final and put up a good fight and that his daughter Nicki was able to present the prizes.
"The dash also proved popular and filled the bar when our band came on, The Bandits, featuring club member Duncan Lovett. And the vets opened the barrel to the other rowers, which went down well!
"It's not easy running a successful regatta these days, with the National Schools the same weekend taking many junior crews away from us, including from our own local schools, and many of the big London clubs only racing at the new London 2012 lake.
"Hereford didn't happen this year because of lack of entries and others are struggling, but thanks to all the hard work the club members put in, and the support we get from sponsors and others, we're still doing our 79-year-old regatta proud.
"We try to run it for the competitors, and I think they appreciate that. We've got a fantastic stretch of river and superb facilities, but it still comes down to people making the event work, and I think we can all be proud of this year's event."
Full regatta results at www.monmouthrc.org.uk.
(Monmouth Regatta is indebted to its sponsors: Monmouthshire Building Society, Abergavenny MOT Centre, Adrian's Heating & Plumbing, Allan Stevens, Brookside Physiotherapy, The Butlers, Callow Marsh Renault, Colourfence, Eastbach Charollais, Elwyn Blease, Frances Lester Silver Blades, The Griffiths Family, H Shackleton Pharmacy, Haberdashers' Schools, Jacklyn Dawson Hurley, The Jenkins Family, Judd Brothers, K&C Yarwood, Kingstone Brewery, Lovat Insurance Brokers, The Mathew Family, Misbah Tandoori, Monmouth Canoe & Activity Centre, Monmouthshire Beacon, Monmouth Town Council, Monnow Eyecare, Partridge Family, Paul Jarrold Tyres, Peter Scott and Helen Campion, Raduni Indian Restaurant, Retreat Beauty Room, Richard Isaac Dental Surgery, Santon Switchgear, Siltbuster, Simon Smith Group, Stacks Property Search, Tecnik, The Kit Crew, Tiles of Newport, Tod Security & Fire)
MAY 25, 2010:
RECORD ENTRY FOR REGATTA
A RECORD 463 boats are set to make a giant splash at the annual two-day Monmouth Regatta this weekend - the biggest rowing event in Wales.
More than 1,000 rowers from 48 clubs will be launching out on the River Wye to race the sprint event on Saturday and the 1,500m event on Sunday.
The entry at the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored regatta is up 106 boats on last year and beats the previous best of 415, set in 2006, when racing had to be cancelled after just two hours because of flood conditions.
With the recent hot spell, there's no chance of organisers experiencing that sinking feeling again this time at the 79-year-old event, with rowers in the river up to their waists this week having to contend with weed, not high water, as they try to clear the racing passage.
This year sees the launch of the Phil Mathew Memorial Invitation 8s sprint on Saturday, in memory of the former Monmouth School coach and long-time regatta commentator who sadly passed away last December.
Six boats are entered, including an Old Monmothians crew composed of former Monmouth School pupils, who line up against Londoners Maidstone, Bristol Ariel, Stourport, Hereford and Monmouth RC.
Monmouth Rowing Club regatta chairman John Griffiths says: "Last year was the first time for about five years that we had hot sunny conditions, and we're hoping the weather holds again this time.
"It's a great entry, with our Saturday 750m sprint introduced in 2002 overtaking our traditional 1500m regatta for the first time ever with a record 252 boats - up by a huge 80 boats on last year's record.
"Sunday is up as well, by 26 boats on last year, with 211 boats, and we're looking at 350 head-to-head races over the whole weekend. It's going to be all hands to the pumps for club members with a race every three minutes."
It's a triple whammy of records for Monmouth RC, following best-ever entries for their Autumn and Winter Heads last September and December, which attracted 228 and 161 boats respectively.
The three local schools - Monmouth Comprehensive, Monmouth School and Haberdashers' Monmouth - are all heavily involved at the National Schools' Regatta in Nottingham this weekend, but will still be represented at the Wye event.
Former Comprehensive School student Hannah James is returning to race a double scull with German rower Alice Volker, who is working locally for four months and will be representing her home club Heidelburger - the first time the regatts has had a club entered from Germany, while other clubs include top Thames outfits Upper Thames, Kingston and Reading University.
Racing is from 9am to 6pm on both days, entry is free, and parking, drinks and refreshment are available. You can see the full draw and other information at www.monmouthrc.org.uk
MAY 2, 2010:
CROSSING THE IRISH SEA
Monmouth Rc’s dirty dozen have successfully rowed across the Irish Sea from Arklow to Aberystwyth, in the 96-mile Celtic Challenge race, in a little over 14 hours.
Well done to the guys - Louis Paterson, Jamie Combes, Alex Butler, James Allison, Scott Hazeldine, Colin Lewis, Mark Stewart-Woods, Eric Froggatt, Paul Downey, Simon Lee, Andrew Barnett and Paul Carpenter, who were ably supported by Lisa Froggatt, Jules Oliva and Nick Hartland.
Here’s James Allison’s personal account:
SAT in the bar, fortified by a few Butty Bachs, rowing the Irish Sea seemed like a paddle on the pond compared to crewmate Andrew Barnett’s 2006 Atlantic crossing, and through our pint glasses we were already half way across.
It seemed like a great adventure – affordable and doable, on our doorstep.
But in the cold light of the rainstorm that saw us off the Irish coast at 4pm, buffeted by wind and waves, we were in for a battle to finish the 96 miles of the Celtic Challenge, and a long, cold night.
Even Andrew voiced doubts when our support cruiser lost contact with our Celtic longboat in the pitch black of 3am.
The crew were ready to change over and were knackered, but could see the cruiser’s lights disappearing and were rowing harder and harder to get back in touch.
Luckily, we found them 15 minutes later, and they were just about able to scramble onto our inflatable attached to the main boat.
Navigation proved our biggest weakness. The Irish Sea’s a big place and we weaved about a bit and should have gone further south. Our practise on a flat Severn Estuary wasn't much help either, as we had eight-foot swells and climbing in and out of the boat proved tricky.
We had somersaults and smashed hands - a boat being thrown up and down with blades flying around requires some acrobatics, and we could have lost someone overboard.
Technically, fixed seat sea rowing was very different from river rowing, and when we saw the other crews rowing longer, leaning right over forward and back, and their boats cutting through the water better, we switched style.
You can't sit a boat in a force five, either. You must hunt for the water, as it disappears beneath you. At times, you’ve just got to take the battering, but surfing was great, sprinting to catch a wave to come down fast.
Opting for 12 rowers rather than 10 and two coxes, we organised three crews in hourly stints with turns at coxing, which was freezing. But swapping from steering to rowing, you were sweating buckets in a minute, so layers you could easily strip off were essential.
My first stint rowing, the rain was so hard we were bailing out after 10 minutes, and I thought ’my God!’
A blade collar and a seat broke and we had to pull into the support vessel twice, by which time the leaders had disappeared. But then the rain stopped and the sun set behind the clouds over the Emerald Isle – superb.
Plunged into darkness, it was cold and rough, but the sky was clear with a full moon and the Milky Way. And amazingly, you could see the Space Station moving through the heavens as you rowed - stunning.
Dawn came at just the right time psychologically, and seeing the Welsh coast 15-20 miles off around 5.30am gave us a huge lift.
I rowed the final stint and we drove through the tiredness for the line, finishing at 8.30am in 16 hours 32 minutes, where it was great to be cheered in on the harbour wall.
Would I do it again? Definitely - one to savour... like the monster fry-up we all devoured afterwards!
* Monmouth Rc finished fourth, with Aberdyfi first home in 14.47, just a minute off the record. Results at www.celtic-challenge.org.uk.
APRIL 20, 2010
WELSH TRIALS
In Div 1 in Cardiff, Louis Paterson was 12th out of 66 overall in 9.09 and 9th fastest sculler, with Tom Penny 16th overall in 9.13 and 11th fastest sculler. In Div 2, Tom was fourth in a 2x with Llandaff's Jasper Warner in 8.37, while Louis was 9th overall and second fastest pair with a Cardiff Uni rower in 9.04. See www.walesrowing.com for results.
MARCH 30, 2010:
VETERAN 8s HEAD
For the second time in recent years, Monmouth RC’s men were unfairly penalised by the upstream race from Hammersmith to Chiswick starting on a totally slack tide that gave much faster conditions to later starters.
Mon RC's Vet C 8 starting 26th lost their category by just 0.5 seconds to Donostia Arraun Lagunak, Spain, who started 10 minutes later, for a ninth overall finish.
The fact they were beaten by Barnes Bridge Ladies (no offence girls!) by three seconds who started 150 places back puts things into perspective.
Monmouth's VD ladies beat our VE men by four places and 12 seconds finishing 168th overall. Results www.vestarowing.co.uk/events
MARCH 15, 2010
WOMEN'S 8S HEAD
Excellent effort from Mon Rc's women's 8, who made the top 200 in London, finishing 192nd in 21.48.
See www.wehorr.org for results and Big Blade and Jet Photographic for pics - Monmouth Sprint & Regatta 2010
29th & 30th May
A record entry of over 450 crews over the weekend ran very successfully thanks to great support from all club members & friends as well as very friendly cooperation from the competing clubs. A big thanks to everyone.
Some videos now available on RowTv
Results on the regatta page - Celtic Challenge 2010 - Arklow to
Aberystwyth
1st May
An incredible effort from James Allison, Andrew Barnett, Alex Butler, Paul Carpenter, Jamie Coombes, Paul Downie, Eric Froggatt, Scott Hazeldine, Simon Lee, Colin Lewis, Louis Paterson and Mark Stewart-Woods in coming 4th in the 90 mile race across the Irish sea - an amazing performance for their first effort. Further details to be found here. Some photos available on the gallery pages. - Bedford Small Boats Head
11th April
Al Butler, Tom Penny, Louis Patterson and Jamie Coombes (Hereford RC) undertook a major cross country trek for some early season 2k racing. As a quad, they were the 3rd fastest crew overall by only 1 second which was an excellent performance - even more so as the rudder fell off on the way to the start and the whole course is one big bend! They then split into doubles and again only 1 second separated them with Al & Louis winning the IM1 pennant.
Click here for results - Veteran's Head of the River
28th March, River Thames London - Hammersmith to Chiswick
Indeed the Vet C VIII are still masters - fastest UK VIII in their category and only 0.5 second behind the Vet C winners from Spain. Outstanding performance 10th overall against the tide!
Women's Vet D VIII managed to hold their course and finish a creditable 6th in their category and 168 overall whilst the Vet E VIII had a solid row finishing 172 overall.
Click here for results - Women's Eights Head of the River
13th March, River Thames London - Chiswick to Putney
Our intrepid Women's squad took on the rest of the country at the premium head race for women in the UK. Finishing a very respectable 192 out of 289 eights, they moved up over 50 places and beat nearly 100 crews - great result girls! - Cardiff Head of the Taff
27th February, River Taff, Cardiff
Great turn out for the club with 4 eights racing over the 2 divisions. Impressive performances from the Vet C VIII (with a J15 on board?) only 15 seconds behind the Welsh "performance" squad and the Women tying with Cardiff University to win their event. Dare I comment on the age difference there?