What a Regatta!

Posted on May 2, 2006 | Filed under Rowing

Evesham Rowing Club hosted its most successful Regatta weekend ever over the Bank Holiday. With around 600 crews taking to the water, club officials were stretched to their limits to ensure that the event ran smoothly. It did. And Evesham picked up a grand total of 24 wins over the weekend - the best performing club.

Saturday was the Main Regatta with crews racing upstream over 1,000 metres from the Abbey Road end of town to the finish line in Abbey Park. Top junior Ali Gregory, who has recently been trialling for Great Britain selection, put in a stunning effort in the Men’s Senior 1 single sculls, winning easily on his home water. Tom Walker won the J16 singles event with an easy win over a sculler from Upper Thames Rowing Club. Things were tougher for J15 sculler Oli Staite competing in the final against fellow club member Rory Sullivan. The pair were neck and neck all the way down the course until Staite gave a final push in the home strait to win.

Junior girls excelled at single sculling over the weekend. Fifteen-year-old Abi Penrose competed against the adults to win her Novice single sculls - and her Evesham cap - on Saturday. Having rowed several heats she was pitted against a sculler from Eton Excelsior but made it look easy with a three length lead on the finish line. The women’s junior 14 single sculls looked a piece of cake for Ruth Whyman who won the final easily against a sculler from Bideford Amateur Rowing Club.

Two crew boats picked up wins on the Saturday. The women’s junior 14 quad of Collen Penrose, Chloe Bryan, Sam Edwards and Lucy Palmer (coxed by Zoe Thomas), were pressured all the way down the course by a crew from Avon County Rowing Club. A final push from the Evesham crew put them over the finish line half a length ahead. There was an easy win for the boys junior 14 quad of Ben Farrar, Jon Farrar, Tom Noble and Rob Barnett (coxed by Jack Lazenby) competing against a crew from Royal Shrewsbury School in the final.

The sprint races on Sunday offered some of the most exciting races of the weekend. With only 500 metres to play with good technique and explosive power are what wins races at this distance. This time crews were rowing downstream from Workman Bridge towards the club house. Although it’s a short course this section of river has a slow bend and required some skill in steering boats gently round towards the finish. The umpires were kept busy ensuring crews stuck to their lanes and there were many warnings, and one disqualification, for poor steering.

Evesham notched up 17 sprint wins on Sunday. At senior level Steven Redgewell, who coaches the junior girls squad, proved he can row too. In a closely fought final for the senior 2 single sculls event Redgewell put in a final push, crossing the finish line just one foot ahead of a sculler from Staines Boat Club. There was another close win in the women’s senior 4 double sculls with Victoria Seymour and Jayne MacIntosh finishing two feet ahead of the Warwick Boat Club finalists.

In the men’s doubles Marcus Hutchings and Sergei Phoursa stormed down the course to win their novices with a convincing two and a half length lead against Stourport Boat Club. There was also a veteran B men’s double win for Richard Evans rowing in a composite crew with his brother from Northampton.

Evesham’s women reached the final of the senior 3 eight. Emma Woodedd, Cherie Gayton Chloe Farrar, Emma Purfield, Oli Jeacock, Cati Baird, Tor Messent and Abi Black (coxed by Jayne Macintosh) faced a tough challenge from the more experienced Ross Rowing Club crew but they soon proved to be the more powerful crew with a good win.

The home club’s junior single scullers collected five silver goblets. Emma Woodedd had an easy win in the women’s senior 3 singles. Abi Penrose, rowing at senior 4 after her novice win the previous day, picked up the senior 4 singles win in a close race against a Stourport sculler. Abi’s sister Colleen proved that sculling is in the family with a win in the women’s J14 event. For the junior boys Tom Walker cruised home to an easy victory with two and a half lengths between him and the Staines competitor. It was another all-Evesham final in the J15 single sculls with Will Tew and James Crumpton battling it out. Tew was put under pressure in the first half of the race but found his form and won by over a length.

Junior crew boats brought home plenty of silverware too. One of the fastest races of the day was the junior 16 coxless quad race between Evesham and Stourport. Staite and Sullivan for Evesham were out to win as they’d suffered defeat at Stourport’s hands in a heat of the J15 doubles event thanks to catching a crab. Teaming up with Tom Walker and Will Tew the boys gave the crowd a chance to roar them home in a closely fought race that saw the Evesham crew over the line with three-quarters of a length to spare. The boys junior 14 quad of Ben Farrar, Jon Farrar, Tom Noble and Rob Barnett (coxed by Jack Lazenby) notched up another win against a strong competition from Bideford Amateur Boat Club. The junior 12 quad of Andre Roberts, Eddie Surman, Toby Harris, John Rowland (coxed by Robert Bonham) showing excellent technical ability won the final against a crew from Northampton. It was an all-Evesham final in the junior 12 doubles sculls with Eddie Surman and Andre Roberts having the edge over their club-mates.

The women’s J14 quad of Chloe Bryan, Ruth Whyman, Sam Edwards and Lucy Palmer (coxed by Katy Cattell) won two heats before coming up against King’s School Worcester in the final, which they won by two and a half lengths. Bryan then teamed up with Colleen Penrose in the women’s J14 double sculls which they won easily. The women’s J13 of Katy Baldwin, Katy Syvret, Nicki Pitchford, Jorden Parsons (coxed by Jess McKay) also had an easy win against a crew from Llandaff Rowing Club.

There were two Victor Ludorums offered over the weekend, both sponsored by Evesham Technology. One Saturday the cup was won by Staines Boat Club, on Sunday the cup was won by Stourport Boat Club. Both clubs went home with £250 prize money.

Evesham Rowing Club would like to thank the companies and individuals who so kindly sponsored races at the Regatta and the many volunteers who ensured that the event was run efficiently and safely.

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