Shanklin’s J16 winner Alex Robertson.
ROWING ISLAND rowers emulated their Team GB heroes last weekend at Itchen regatta.
There was success for all three clubs last weekend, though equally there were some frustrating results.
Newport, who have already felt the effects of the Olympic legacy with around 20 potential new members trying the sport, sent seven crews to the event.
For the first time this season, Newport had two ladies’ junior fours on the water, with Harriet Herbert, Bridget Fryer, Nicki Whiller and Jenny Hyland and Shanklin cox Alex Robertson forming the B crew, and they went out at the heat stage.
However, the A crew of Fran Ladd, Maddie Taylor, Emily Ladd, Sarah Rigby and cox Anja Bennett defeated Christchurch — the overall Hants and Dorset champions — by two lengths in the final and are now in the runners-up spot.
The ladies junior pair of Nicki Whiller and Jenny Hyland enjoyed a convincing victory in their final over Westover A, while a makeshift ladies’ novice four crew due to illness and injury, battled well but failed to reach their final.
For Newport’s men, the novice four of Stephen Smith, Grant Smith, Kieron Stewart, Mark Crook and cox Anja produced a magnificent win in their heat, even after the stroke man’s sliding seat came off, leaving him rowing from an almost static position. Unfortunately they were unable to replicate the result in the final, crossing the line in third.
Novice men’s sculler Olly Hayward had a fine race in his heat to prevail over the more experienced Quentin Lloyd from fellow Island club Shanklin, but was unable to stay on terms with two very powerful scullers from Coalporters in the final, eventually finishing a respectable third.
Anja made the final of the J16 ladies’ single sculls where she came a great third, before joining the Ryde J16 ladies’ four crew of Abbie Cornish, Sophie Brown, Gemma Smith and coxswain Kate Corney to win their final in style.
Ryde’s other successes came in the men’s junior pairs, where champions Sam Corney and Dale Buckett won with ease, while in the ladies’ novice fours, the same J16 crew with the addition of Itchen’s Izzy Ingliss finished third in their heat.
There was disappointment for the men’s senior four of Tom Clark, Sam Cocker, Matt Allsopp, Ian Hayden and cox Ed Newnham as they finished second, while second spot was also sealed by the men’s junior senior four of Charlie Norman, Harvey Kirkby, Charlie Gedling, Joe Norman and cox Ed Newnham.
Three crews came third in their respective heats — Andreas Hicks had his first race in the men’s novice sculls, the men’s junior four of Andreas, Sam, Dale, James Cleary and cox Katie Corney, and the men’s novice four of James, Ed Newnham, Luke Stubbbings and Stephen Johnson.
For Shanklin, Alex Robertson, 15, rowed an excellent race to win the men’s J16 single sculls final and take home the Chapel Cup.
Paul Grattage and Quentin Lloyd came second in the men’s double sculls, while Ella Payne and Emma Sturrock came third in the ladies’ senior pairs’ final.
The men’s novice and senior pairs both rowed well to take second places in their respective heats.