MRC'S ROWERS PULL OFF A MASTER STROKE AT NAT VETS
Regatta report by Nick Hartland (contact Nick for pictures)
JUNE 14: MONMOUTH RC's rowers again proved old masters at this year's British veteran championships in Nottingham, landing five golds and two silvers. It wasn't quite enough to retain the Victor Ludorum for top club won in 2010, but was still a great haul for the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored Wye outfit.
Gold in the top open events came in over 36 coxless and over 42 coxed fours, with silver in the over 42 8s, while there were intermediate wins for the women's over 36 and 42 fours, plus silver for the over 42 women's quadruple scull, and a novice triumph for the over 50 men's four.
Simon Lee, Nick Hartland, Dave Bowen, Mark Stewart Woods and former Cambridge University women's cox Lizzie Grose were defending the over 42 fours title won by Monmouth in the two previous years. And they quickly threw down the gauntlet to the other five finalists, racing into a length lead at half way in the 1,000m race, and then easing clear to win by 1 1/2L from a composite crew of metropolitan giants London and Thames in 3mins 31.41secs, with Nottingham RC third 2L back, and Cambridge-based X-Press fourth.
With medals for only first and second, James Allison, Paul Downey, John Owen and Eric Froggatt just missed out on a podium finish placing third in over 42 coxless fours, 1 1/2L behind winners Nottingham and 3/4L behind Cambridge Boat Race alumni club Crabtree, but had the pleasure of leaving 1984 Olympic champion Richard Budgett and 1988 Seoul finalist Pete Beaumont 1 1/2L in their wake in Tyrian's crew.
Alex Butler - British open champion in the men's quadruple scull in 2010 - teamed up with James Knight in Old Monmothian colours and two Medway rowers to land the over 36 men's quads title by 2L from Walton, and then joined Monmouth Rc's veteran squad to stroke their boat in the over 36 8s final. But after leading through halfway by a canvas from York, they couldn't quite hang on, losing out by 1/2L.
With the rain pouring down, the crew had just 45 minutes to change their soaking kit and get themselves ready to defend their over 42 8s title won in 2009 and 2010, but were dealt a hammer blow when strokeman Butler ruled himself out with illness after suffering a bug all week. That required a hasty rejig in the stern, with Mark Stewart-Woods swapping sides and seats from seven to stroke, and Dave Bowen coming up the boat from three to seven to reform the coxed four stern partnership, with John Owen filling his seat. It was bound to impact on the crew's speed slightly following at least 10 hard sessions preparing for the defence of the title, and local rivals Ross seized on the opportunity to blast into an early lead that was out to a near unassailable 1 1/2L at half way. Monmouth had cleared the rest of the field by the 500m mark, including Thames who had beaten the Wye club in the Veterans 8s Head back in the Spring, and Tyrian's mix of former GB stars and Henley medallists. And they weren't finished yet, creating an overlap on Ross with 250m to go, and closing with every stroke to the line before running out of water with a 1/2L deficit and settling for silver.
Monmouth's heads could have gone down in the miserable conditions, but just 40 minutes later Stewart-Woods, Lee, Hartland and Allison were on the start again for the over 36 coxless fours final determined to end on a high. And despite an average age of 47 and racing much younger crews, a storming start saw them hit the front from the off, racing clear to win by 1 1/2L from Tyrian stroked by former GB cap Bill Downing in 3.27.32, with half of York's winning over 36 8 relegated to third.
Monmouth's women were also on form, their over 50 IM four of Gail Adams, Julia Oliva, Helen Campion, Liz Lewis and cox Kathryn Lewis landing the first medal of the day with gold by 3L from London outfit Lea.
Not to be outdone, over 42 IM four Sam Tod, Lisa Froggatt, Karen Stewart-Woods, Gail Adams again, and cox Bowen Stewart-Woods then raced well clear of Bewdley and Oundle.
And there was more to come when Monmouth's IM women's quadruple scull of Froggatt, Lewis, Stewart-Woods and Oliva raced home to silver behind Falcon, with Sudbury and Milton Keynes behind.
Former GB long jumper Andrew Mollett also leapt at the chance to medal, taking gold in the men's over 50 novice fours with Jonathan Keyte, Chris Everard, Steve Hughes and cox Kathryn Lewis, coming home 1 1/4L clear of Maidstone.