Rowers out in force to win at Warwick

Posted on August 23, 2007 | Filed under Rowing

Evesham’s rowers can’t yet row on their stretch of river but 16 of them jumped at the chance to row at Warwick Boat Club’s annual Invitation Regatta and returned home with quite a haul of silverware.

The women’s novice four of Amber Grant, Roxana Watts, Stacey Allen and Rachel Kemp, coxed by Abi Penrose, won their straight final against a strong home crew who really wanted to win as it was the same crew that the visitors knocked out of the running at Evesham’s own regatta.

They came down the 500m course neck and neck when, with just 100m to go, Penrose asked for a push and the crew responded to win by half-a-length and lift the Warwick Vase.

Single sculler David Lynes competed in the ‘new rower’ event and beat a Bewdley competitor by a length and a half.

Senior IV sculler Paul Hoy, who won his novice status in July at Monmouth, entered this event thinking he needing more time training on the water to do well. However, he surprised himself by accumulating enough points in his first two rounds to get into the final.

After a disastrous start putting him two lengths behind at 150 metres, he got himself back together and rowed strongly to pull back and was gaining with every stroke but unfortunately lost by quarter-of-a-length.

The women’s J15 coxed quad of Colleen Penrose, Chloe Bryan, Helen Stirrup and Yasmin Tredell, coxed by Ewan Williams, got the better of crews from Reading and Stratford, while the women’s senior IV double scullers of Abi Penrose and Stacey Allen won two qualifying heats putting them into the final where they lost out to Stratford.

J15 double scullers Bryan and Colleen Penrose picked up their second win of the day after knocking out three very strong Reading crews and then beating Stratford in the final. Abi Penrose (J16) won through to a final against Warwick which she won by three lengths.

Another single sculler, Helen Stirrup (J15), beat scullers from Stratford and Reading before winning the final against another Stratford opponent.

Evesham were in contention to win the Victor Ludorum for most successful club of the day. Throughout the afternoon they vied with Stratford for first place only to be pipped in the last race by their Warwickshire neighbours.

Coaches Alistair Bryan and Pauline Pollard commented that the athletes had made a tremendous effort to get back to winning form after several weeks of not being able to train.

It is hoped that members will soon be able to venture out onto the Avon at Evesham once debris has been completely cleared.

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