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Results 2005 Burway Small Boats Head 10th December 2005 Burway Small Boats Head took place today with several Staines and SWPS crews competing. Cath Lake reports ----- I can report that the Women's squad have been trying their hand at small boats, with some good results from Burway Head this Saturday. The 2nd Division was the first competitive row for the novice double of Suzanne Mckenner and Kate Rumbold. They put in a strong challenge and finished with a time of 13.15, 4th out of the Novice group. The 3rd Division saw Cath Moore and Cath Lake also in a novice double complete the course after a near miss with a rather large cruiser with a time of 12.32. Many thanks to Bob for encouragement from the bank and to all the supporters who cheered us on. Also a big thanks to John Walton who had to complete the course three times ( the boat that is!).Full results can be found on the Burway website. Also see Photographs Page. Hampton Head 26th November 2005 Rob Oades reports ----- On a freezing day near Hampton Court the Junior Squad had five crews representing Staines Boat Club at this years Hampton Head Event. Over 500 crews competed in two divisions. Our fastest crew of the day was Andrew Rozer and Rob Oades sculling at J17 2x, completing the 3000m course in 11:09.1 to come 10th out of 12 in their category (114/519 overall). Next came Nick Pollen and Tom Ryan competing at J16 2x, recording a time of 11:29.4 to come 22/26 in their category (189/519 overall). The best result of the day went to Jenny Goldswain & Emma Corless who came 4th (out of 19) in their WJ15 2x race ina time of 11:58.4 (277/519). Emma Parkes and Charlotte Morrison came 19/28 at WJ16 2x in a time of 12:05.1 (312/519). James Kell competed in the Junior Novice Single Scull event, recording a time of 12:29.9 to come 7th out of 8 (399/519). Many thanks as usual to the coach's Ted, Jeremy & Bob, SWPS for letting us use space on their trailer and Sarah Sweeney for towing. Full results can be found on the Hampton School website. Kingston Small Boats Head 13th November 2005 The results from the Kingston Small Boats Head that took place today have now been published on the official website. The result for the SWPS crews are -- WJ15 4x+, 29th overall (3rd of 7), 21 mins 10.0 secs -- Rachel Martin, WJ16 1x, 107th overall (1st of 5), 22 mins 55.1 secs. Veteran's Fours Head 13th November 2005 The results from the Veteran's Head of the River Fours that took place today have now been published on the official website. The result for the Staines crew is -- Staines, MVC 4-, start 26, finish 29 (5th of 8), 21 mins 59.45 secs. Pangbourne Junior Sculls 12th November 2005 Rob
Oades sends this report ----- A glorious day saw
nine junior crews compete for Staines Boat Club at the Pangbourne Junior Sculls
held at Beale Park. Our fastest crew of the day was Rob Oades & Tom Ryan
rowing together for the first time competitively at MJ16 2x. They completed the
3300m course in 12:23.8 coming 6th out of 14 (32/132 for the complete division).
Charlotte Morrison & Emma Parkes competed at WJ16 2x recording a time of
13:45.2 (9/12 in event, 73/132 overall). James Kell came 16th out of 30 in his
MJ15 1x event (80/132) and Rachel Lafbery came 7 out of 13 in the WJ 15 1x (109/132).
We had two competitors in the MJ14 1x class. Tom Oades came 5th out of 8 in a
time of 15:16.7 (106/132) and Gareth Edwards came 7th out of 8 in a time of 15:40.7
(119/132). All very good rows. Head of the River Fours 12th November 2005 The results from the Head of the River Fours that took place today have now been published on the official website. The results for Staines crews are -- Staines I, S2 4+, start 238, finish 237 (28th of 33), 20 mins 55.98 secs ---- Staines II, W Elite 4-, start 324, finish 333 (4th of 19), 21 mins 45.48 secs ---- Staines III, WS2 4+, start 461, finish 466 (11th of 11), 23 mins 43.09 secs ---- Staines IV, WS3 4+, start 533, finish 477 (30th of 34), 24 mins 13.08 secs. Social Secretaries, Di and Anna add ----- The post Fours Head dinner took place on Saturday night after a hard days racing and supporting. About 20 guys and girls went to the Outback, who we are very pleased are continuing to support Staines Boat Club. A good time was had by all - see the Photographs Page. Commercial photographs are available from Jet Photographic, Eliot George, Sportepix, Natures Images, Big Blade and Photo Row. . Head of the Charles 22-23rd October 2005 Di Gill sends this report ----- The Head of the Charles (USA) results are now officially confirmed and the SBC HOCR 2005 Team have just returned home. Both crews braved the stiff competition and took on one of the hardest courses to steer in the world. Di Gill (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katja Norman, Suzanne Reng, Katherine Cran, Julia Reichel, Claire Lovelady, Nikki Browning and Katy Young competed in the Club Eights Event and Steve Tassell and Adam Gill in the Championship Doubles. Lucy Duncombe was unfortunately unable to row at the last minute and became chief cheerleader. Also ill was Dom Foley, whose bad back unfortunately prevented him from travelling. The Staines ladies eight came a credible 40th out of 50 crews in the Club Eights Event in a time of 19 mins 37.247 secs. The category winners and winners twice previously, University of Tennessee, finished in a time of 16 mins 49.911 secs. The Staines gruesome twosome (who as a result of American efficiency appear on the results as Upper Thames) came a credible 25th out of 27 crews in the Championship Doubles Event, racing against the likes of Mexican and US national teams, in a time of 20 mins 39.961 secs. The category winners and defending champions, Ridley Graduate BC, finished in a time of 16 mins 42.342 secs. Full results can be found here. Interesting facts we learned whilst away:- Staines Boat Club is from Germany - Adam and Di are Australian - "Party" sounds much more exciting in an English accent. See Photographs Page. Weybridge Silver Sculls 22nd October
2005 Rob
Oades (senior) writes ----- Saturday saw several scullers from Staines Boat
Club compete in the Weybridge Silver Sculls. For the women, Jenny Goldswain
and Rachel Lafbery came 4th and 5th respectively in the WJ15 event (times
17:46 and 17:48). Rachel Edwards finished 6th in WS4 in a time of 17:30.
In the WJ16 2x event Emma Parkes & Charlotte Morrison came second in
a time of 16:08. It was good to see Charlotte competing again after a lengthy
absence due to injury. Pairs Head 16th October 2005 The Pairs Head was raced today and the provisional results are available on the official website. The results show Max Somper and Fikret Ozer coming 14th of 27 in the S4 2x category, in a time of 14mins 11secs and Adam Gill and Steve Tassell coming 21st of 27, again in the S4 2x category, in a time of 14mins 51secs. Phot graphs are available from Bigblade and Eliot George. FISA World Masters Regatta 9th - 11th September 2005 The FISA World Masters Regatta took place this weekend in Strathclyde. Results for the Staines team can be found here (451kb PDF) and full results on the official website. Oxford City and Sprint Regattas 20-21st
August 2005 Carol
Goldswain reports ----- The junior girls finished their season with some
great racing at Oxford City Regatta this weekend. On Saturday over the 1000M
course they reached four finals with Rachel Edwards beating some quality
senior ladies to take the WS4 1x title. The WJ16 2x of Becky Corless and
Rachel Edwards lost in their final as did Emma Corless and Jennifer Goldswain.
The WN 2x of Becky Corless and Emma Parkes won 2 heats to reach the final
coming out on top of some nasty clashing of blades due to poor steering from
their opposition. On Sunday over the 500m course the girls reached 2 finals
with Becky Corless and Rachel Edwards just losing out in the WJ162 x final.
In the last race of the day an exciting WJ14 2x final saw Emma Corless and
Jennifer Goldswain came through to beat Maidenhead's Nat Champs Silver medalist
by 1 foot. Lisa Incledon and Rachel Edwards won their first round in WS4
2x but lost to some tough opposition in the semi. Lisa is now leaving us
for a place at Oxford University and we wish her all the best and hope she
returns to SBC whenever she can. Rachel Lafbery and Becky Uwins this weekend
have shown a marked improvement in their racing since the beginning of this
their first season. We are looking for great things from them for next year.
Special thanks go to all the parents who made the weekend possible, Liz for
towing the trailer and to Bob for his expert knowledge and encouragement.
There will be a junior Bar-B-Q for Junior squad members and their parents
on Saturday September 10th. More details nearer the time. Peterborough Regatta 13-14th August 2005 Steve Tassell sends his 'last report ever' ----- The weather was pretty grim up in Peterborough this weekend, however, the racing was anything but. Peterborough was the last regatta this season for the girls and provided some of the best racing I've seen from the squad not just this season but in my four year tenure at the club. On Saturday we were the first race off in Women's S3 eights, The Stig (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katy Young, Suzanne Reng, Katherine Cran, Nikki Browning, Claire Lovelady, Anna Behrendt and Bonny Howes. With the first crew going through to the final and second placed the repecharge, it was important to get first spot. In what proved to be the closest race of the day, Staines hung on to first place from Barnes Bridge Ladies. Next up the eight split into two fours, Senior 2 (Sarah Tassell, Katherine Cran, Suzanne Reng and Claire Lovelady) and a Senior 4 crew of (Anna Beherendt, Katy Young, Nikki Browning and Bonny Howes). The senior 4 crew raced first and, in what turned out to be the toughest heat with the eventual winners, lost out to Peterborough City and Nottingham BC. Next the senior 2 four up against a strong field from Barnes Bridge, Twickenham and York City. The four got off to a solid start only to 'let off the gas' slightly through the middle section giving away a half length to BB and York. They put in a strong push with 150 metres left to come back to level as they crossed the line. I think if we'd had a longer bow section we may have got the verdict but as it was, York and BB went through to the final with Twickenham in fourth. Last race of the day was the final of the Senior 3 eights. Staines had posted the fastest time of the day by one second in the heat but with Nottingham and Barnes Bridge posting times only a second slower it was always going to be tight. The girls handled the pressure of favourites incredibly well charging out of the blocks like a sprinter opening up a three quarter length lead in the first 200m. We held this to the line with BB second, a great win and the happy loss of novice status for Anna Behrendt and Nikki Browning. Nikki particularly because she has only been rowing a month! On Sunday because of the qualifying win on Saturday we raced senior 2 eights and senior 3 fours. I'm not sure whether the excessive alcohol on Saturday was the secret but certainly we raced with equal ferocity, not being phased by the jump up in status. First up was the senior 4 (now senior 3) four. Racing against Milton Keynes, Reading and Tees RC. The girls picked up where they left off the day before finishing in second place and qualifying for the repecharge beating a very useful Reading crew. The racing then came thick and fast with the repecharge race, the senior 2 eights heat race and the senior 2 four heat race all within an hour window. The results respectively were a loss in the repecharge, qualification for the final in the eights beating Auriol Kensington and qualification for the final in the fours beating Sons of the Thames. In the final of the eights a very strong field of Nottingham BC (who featured Helen Bloor who some of you may remember in her successful career at Staines), Twickenham and St. Neots who had 4 GB juniors in the crew. For me this was the race of the weekend, it was a complete race from start to finish which considering the level they were racing and the relative inexperience in the crew the girls really did Staines proud just finishing a length down off the other 3 boats who were pretty much in a line. Last up was the senior 2 fours final which again was going to be a close race with all the finalists finishing within a second of each other. Off the start all the crews were level but as they moved through 150m Barnes Bridge took a slight lead. The girls were right on the red line at this stage and really moving the boat well. Pushing on to 250m and BB were extending a slight lead with York City showing slightly in second place us in third and Twickenham in fourth. We came to push with 150m left and just found a bit wanting after all the hard racing through the weekend. The result was a win for BB, York second and us third with Twickenham fourth. I have thoroughly enjoyed this seasons racing right from the first race in the winter, the win at Remenham Challenge the combined results at the eights head the numerous wins at every level local and National through the summer it really has been a momentous season! None of this could have been achieved without the girls and I thank each and every one of them for their unquestioning dedication to some quite mind numbing training and completely unreasonable requests from me. The coaches that have helped along the way, Dom Foley on the bank and in the boat, Gideon Shalom for getting the lightweight girls into shape this summer and Jo Hawkes for her support over the early part of the season and to the many of you who have helped along the way. The support provided on the riverbank by so many of you but especially Tom Blackman and Dom South, how you two kept yourselves from going insane with boredom whilst waiting for the girls to race I can only guess...and lastly to Graham Carey for his religious dedication to maintaining the club website and providing an excellent way of keeping everyone in touch. I apologise profusely for my long mails and large photos but it's the best darn boat club website ever! See photograph. Full results will be available in due course from the Peterborough RC website. Stourport Regatta 13-14th August 2005 Liz Bernard sends a text message to says that the girls from Sir William Perkins's School have had lots of wins at Stourport Regatta over the weekend and have also won the Junior Victor Ludorum. Full results will be available in due course from the Stourport Boat Club website. Maidenhead Regatta 6th August
2005 Ian
Grant sends this report -----
A handful of crews of men's crews headed up river to Maidenhead Regatta on
saturday to provide some of the closest rracing of the day. First up were
the Novice four of Damian M, Rob T, Adrian T, Paul F and coxed by Ali L who
were racing in the S4 4+. After a great start, the crew held on to the lead
with a great row to beat Curlew 'A' by 1 1/2 lengths. In the S-final, they
again got off to a great start to take the lead, but Sons of the Thames just
managed to squeeze past in the second half of the race to win by just 1/2
length. Burway Vet and Junior Regatta 24th July
2005 A
text message just in from Liz Bernard at Burway Vet and Junior Regatta saying
the SWPS girls won WJ14 2x, WJ14 4x, WJ15 1x, WJ15 2x and Liz herself won
W VetC 4+ with her crew from Molesey. Staines Regatta 23rd July 2005 Steve
Tassell sends this report ----- Another weekend of great
racing from the Women with close racing all the way through. First
up was the S4 4+ of Di Gill (cox), Suzanne McKenna, Cath Burke, Sue Meacock
Fletcher and Kate Rumbold. Half the crew are in their first season
and are racing at Senior 4 because they won their novice pot at Twickenham
earlier in the season. This crew drew the eventual winners in the first
round, Putney Town. Off the start both crews were level and in fact
the Staines crew had the better base speed if only for a few boat stoppers
along the course we could have been looking at a different result other
than the third length loss. None the less a solid result and a good
platform to work from going forward. Next up was the Senior 3 eight
of The Stig (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katja Norman, Suzanne Reng, Katherine
Cran, Nikki Browning, Claire Lovelady, Anna Behrendt and Bonny Howes. Again
we drew the eventual winners in the first round, Putney Town, Staines took
a slight lead off the start, however, Putney held their nerve as we lost
ours and all credit to them they rowed longer and more effectively through
the water to win by a third of a length. There was some consolation
that we had given them the closest, fastest round of the day, a habit we
seem to be developing. Next up was the Senior 2 coxed four of The
Stig (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katherine Cran, Suzanne Reng, Claire Lovelady. In
the first round we drew Evesham, off the start we drew a quarter length lead
and further increased this over the next 200m, eventually winning by 2 lengths
in a time of 1:55. The other half of the draw saw our previous weeks
opponents from Molesey regatta -Vesta- whom beat us by 1/2 a length then. Incidentally
I've since learnt all four crew members raced at Men's Henley this year so
certainly a crew of pedigree. In their heat Vesta managed 1:56 and
a similar verdict so we knew the final was going to be another close run
thing. In the final, as at Molesey, Staines got the better start taking
a three quarter length out of Vesta canceling out the stagger. Unlike
Molesey regatta though we kept a much more consistent base speed keeping
our noses in front all the way to the finish in a time of 1:53. This
was a great win for the girls given the quality of opposition a great reward
for all their hard work in training. Last up was the Senior 4 eight
of The Stig (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katja Norman, Anna Behrendt,
Katherine Cran, Lucy Duncombe, Claire Lovelady, Nikki Browning and Bonny
Howes. A straight final against Putney Town and this time a much better
start with the girls quickly finding their rhythm. Staines never looked
in trouble eventually winning by a length and a half. All in all some
great racing which on this occasion resulted in some trophyware. Well
done to all the girls racing. Molesey Junior Regatta 17th July 2005 Liz Bernard send this report for Sir William Perkins's School ----- Sir William Perkins’s School competitors and families enjoyed a great day of racing and a barbeque in the blazing heat. We entered 9 crews and of these, 5 gained a place in the finals. Our new J12’s who started rowing at Easter this year, won the WJ12 2x and 4x+ events. The winning double out of a field of 8, were Vicky Deyong-Burgess and Charlie Martin-Taylor who both sculled well, and steered expertly by Charlie. The winning 4x+ were Ailish Kelly, Emily Lombardo, Kirsten Hilliard, Helen O’Hara and coxed by Victoria Ballerino. Bethan Roberts, her first race in a single, gained a place in the final of the WJ14 1x in ‘Tickled Pink’. Rachel Martin also gained a well-earned place in the final of the WJ15 1x, after winning, with Vikki Wardle the WJ15 2x event. Well done to all scullers. We all ended the day hot, tired and happy! Full results will be available in due course from the Molesey Regatta website.
ARA National Championships 15-17th
July 2005 Duncan
Speight sends this report from the National Championships today ----- The
Staines women’s coxless four of Alison Rolt, Sarah Fudge, Jenny Page
and Jodi Davis have finished off a successful season with a win at National
Championships. This win added to wins at Henley Regatta and Docklands sees
them as one of the most successful crews Staines has produced for a number
of years. The final was always going to be an interesting affair as none
of the crews in the semi finals was willing to show their true colours and
all raced to tactics. The start of the final saw Staines fly out of the blocks
to stamp their authority over the rest of the field, by the 250m mark they
had taken a length out of the nearest crew, and by 500m they were two lengths
clear of the field. It was at this point that the Staines Supporters could
hear Gideon’s dulcet tones reverberating in the finish area! Going
through the 1000m mark the girls were looking on fantastic form, sharp, together
and looking strong, though we were to find out later that at 750m to go the
girls from the 2003 crew had a flash back to their race in Strathclyde as
the Mortlake Anglian & Alpha started pushing hard. The girls responded
with the maturity that one would expect from a crew of this calibre, holding
off their advances. At 500m, with legs like concrete the girls pushed and
pushed again making sure that they maintained their dominance over the
field. The final verdict was a win over Mortlake by 5 seconds, though it
was clear to see that the girls had given everything to get this result
as it took a good few seconds for the crew to realise that they had won
and had earned the title of National and Club Champions of Great Britain. Molesey Amateur Regatta 16th July
2005 Steve
Tassell sends this women's squad report from Molesey Regatta ----- Molesey
was a milestone in the season as our senior crews, despite not winning, hit
top form. First
up the Women's Senior 3 coxed four of Susan Spandex (cox), Sarah Tassell,
Katja Norman, Suzanne Reng, Claire Lovelady. They drew Barnes Bridge
Ladies in the first round, a hard fought race all the way down saw staines
losing by a canvas in the closest race of the event and losing to the eventual
winners. This
was a great effort for what was the first outing for this crew as they've
been hit by injuries. Next up was
the Senior 4 eight of Kristan Sanft (cox), Anna Behrendt, Katja Norman,
Lucy Duncombe, Claire Lovelady, Suzanne McKenner, Cath Burke, Nikki Browning,
Kate Rumbold. They
had drawn Cambrdige University Women's Boat Club in the first round and
again gave a spirited row to finish a length and third down at the finish. For
one member of the crew, Nikki, this was her first race and only after 2
weeks of rowing! Next
up the Women's Senior 2 coxless fours, Katy Young, Anna Behrendt, Katy
Breslin and Lucy Duncombe. This was a straight final against Molesey. This
crew were lightweight and should have been up at the Nationals this weekend,
however, due to a clash with a wedding had to make a crew change and decided
to race at Molesey instead. Unfortunately
as is often the case steering was a big factor in the outcome of the race
with both crews being warned off the start and Staines struggling to stay
on their station all the way down gifting Molesey a comfortable win in
the end. Last
up was the Senior 2 coxed four of Sarah Tassell, Katherine Cran, Suzanne
Reng and Claire Lovelady. We'd
drawn Vesta who beat a Walbrook crew comfortably in the previous round. We
knew we had our work cut out as this four had raced in Senior 2 eights
beating Cambridge Boat club convincingly. We also know that this
crew contained a Henley medal winner in Senior eights from two years ago,
and they'd raced as part of an eight at Men's Henley in the Remenham Cup
this year! This
again was a very close race. At
the start Staines pulled out a half length lead. Vesta pushed back
though with their smoother technique even though we had more power. The
verdict in the end was half a length to Vesta. A very good result
and finally I am seeing the girls produce the sort of racing form they
have been promising in training. Bedford Quarts Sprint Regatta 10th July
2005 Ian
Grant sends this report from Bedford Quarts Sprint Regatta ----- Staines
had 7 different crews entered for the regatta and produced some good racing
during the day. The three S34+ were first to race. Staines A, a scratch crew
of Ian G, Joe W, Terry M, Dan W and coxed by Lucy N, had a row over in the
first round but unfortunately in the Q-finals, lost to a very well drilled
Bedford School crew after a good first half, by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:59. The
Staines C crew of Gary LJ, Robb W, Tom B, Dave D and coxed by Liz L were
also unlucky as they went out to Milton Keynes by 1 3/4 lengths. Liz lake adds ----- What a weekend for us girls! After a Henley Veteran Regatta 8-9th July 2005 Jo Wilby sends this report ----- "Staines Women Past & Present" win at Henley Veterans Regatta on Saturday 9th July in a composite WVB8. The crew consisted of 5 SBC past and present members; Jenny Page (SBC), Gurli Medcalf (BA), Jo Wilby, Trisha Corless and MaryAnn Millar of UTRC. In the first round we had a comfortable win over Broxbourne, then went on to face Tideway Scullers in an exciting final. Our composite crew of UTRC, SBC, BA & TSS, took a early lead at 250 meters, pulled away to three quarters at 500 meters, TSS put in a challenging response at 750 meters and closed our lead to half a length to which we responded and held the half a length lead to the finish. Great result for a scratch crew. See pic. Kingston Amateur Regatta 9th July
2005 Rob
Oades reports ----- The Junior squad had 3 crews entered for the Kingston Amateur Regatta
on Saturday. The competition was very strong in the Junior 15 category for both men's
and women's events. However at least we were rowing for a change after the recent disappointments
of over subscribed events losing us several racing opportunities. Egham Regatta 26th June 2005 Rob Oades reports ----- For the third regatta in a row this year, the Junior squads entry at Egham was severely restricted due to over subscription. The squad felt particularly hard done by as Egham is a regatta we have always fully supported, a feeling made worse on the day by seeing multiple school and club entries in several events were Staines crews had been rejected. However the squad got on with the job, but unfortunately we had only one finalist out of several entries. Emma Corless made the WJ14 1x final and was leading by 3 lengths until Emma's steering let her down. She eventually lost by a canvas. All other crews were beaten in either the first or second rounds, despite good solid performances. Overall not one of our better regattas. Many thanks as usual to all parents for their support - especially those who turned up despite not having their children competing - we have a great spirit in the squad. Full results will be available in due course from the regatta website. Richmond Regatta 25th June 2005 Ian McHugh reports ----- The Men's Vet 'C' eight was the only Staines entry to Richmond Regatta today. The course was 1,250 metres against the stream. Staines got a bye to the final and raced a very youthful looking Twickenham Vet 'C' crew -who had beaten Walbrook by a length in the first round. After a clean start Staines built a half a length lead over the first minute before the race was stopped, owing to a mens coxless four on the course. Following a restart, Staines once again took a lead of about 1/4 length off the start and held Twickenham at bay until the third minute. In the third and forth minutes, Staines had to dig deeper to hold the lead around the outside of the bend against a strong stream. Unfortunately, they were unable to dig deep enough, and Twickenham pushed through to finish with Staines a very respectable one length down. Full results should be available shortly on the regatta website. Thames Valley Park Regatta 19th June
2005 Rob
Oades reports ----- The junior squad were competing at the Thames
Valley Park Regatta, Reading this week-end. Unfortunately they were again the victim's of an
over-subscribed event with ten of our crews not making the draw. The girls were particularly
hard hit with eight failed entries. It just shows how popular rowing is at the moment. Henley Women's Regatta 17-19th June 2005 Steve Tassell reports ----- Women's Henley 2005 will quite simply be remembered as one of the best on record for Staines Women's Squad. This year we had 3 entries to the regatta a lightweight scull, a lightweight coxless four and an intermediate eight. All had proven through trials and the seasons racing that they deserved to be picked for this pinnacle in the Women's rowing calendar. First up the Intermediate eight of Dom Foley (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katy Young, Suzanne Reng, Katherine Cran, Katy Breslin, Claire Lovelady, Anna Behrendt and Bonny Howes. They had drawn Osiris (Oxford University) in the first round on Friday morning. Staines got off to a great start immediately building a canvas lead in the first 15 strokes building to a quarter length lead by the end of the island. Staines reduced their rating down to 35 and further increased their lead out to 1 length. Over the remainder of the course Staines continued to sit on Osiris to finally take a half length verdict at the finish. In the second round they drew Southampton University whom they had been racing all season so knew they had good form. With this in mind Staines took the race to Southampton over the first half having to hold a sprightly 39 to stay with them. This could not be held and as the crew lengthend out so Southampton started to pull away and in the end achieved a good win over Staines. Another solid row equaling last years second round result. Next up was Lucy Duncombe in lighweight single sculls. Lucy first stepped back into a sculling boat for Met regatta having proven to be competitive in seat trials. Lucy's first round opponent was Lane from Derby. Off the start Lucy took the race to Lane rating some 37 strokes per minute to her 34. At the end of the island Lane had a quarter length lead over Lucy and as Lucy started to lengthen out Lane pulled out to clear water. Lane maintained this lead finishing clear at the finish. This was a great result for Lucy given how little time she's spent in a scull this year. Last up was the lightweight coxless four of Jodi Davis, Jenny Page, Sarah Fudge and Alison Rolt. Their first round draw was against Thames whom they had beaten at Met Regatta. Despite one or two slight steering detours off the start the girls settled into a comfortable rhythm and started to pull out a lead over Thames. By the time they passed us at Remenham Farm they were well up on Thames by 3 lengths the verdict in the end was 4 lengths in a time of 5:47, 5 seconds quicker than the other heat won by Nottingham University. This was a great start as some of you may remember two years in a row Staines have been disqualified for steering before reaching the end of the island so it was understandably nervy but a very important result to get under the belt. Next up on the Sunday was the unkown quantity of Marlow. On the same station as the day before Staines again got off to a confident start over rating but out powering Marlow. Again by Remenham Farm the girls had pulled out a 4 length lead and were sitting comfortably on Marlow. Again they were impressively some 15 seconds quicker than the other semi final again won by Nottingham. This set up what was to be a great final, not even the strongest of wills could take the nerves we all felt whatching them paddle up to the start. In stark contrast the girls looked outwardly calm and ready for the race of their lives. Lined up for the final this time on the Bucks station Staines took a more cautious start than Nottingham with the latter leading by a canvas at the island. Both crews were then warned for steering with a resulting clash of blades causing the Staines crew to stop and straighten before restarting. In the meantime Nottingham had eaked out a 2 length lead over Staines. This move in hindsight proved to be decisive in the outcome of the race, had Staines not stopped they would most likely have been disqualified for steering. The Staines crew restarted with the bit between their teeth. They immediately ate into the 2 length lead and with confidence set about rowing through Nottingham. With 500m to go Staines drew level and started to move past. The last 200m had a crowd of Staines support on the bank rushing toward the line trying to keep up with the cheers. In the end a convincing 1 and half length verdict to Staines! The drama wasn't over however, as Nottingham immediately appealed to the race umpire who listened to their plea. For a few agonising moments he seem to deliberate over their case and then promptly let the result stand. Sighting the fact he'd let Nottingham play out the advantage of Staines steering into them and Nottingham gaining a 2 length lead. It's been too long since a senior crew -men's or women's- has been celebrated for winning such a prestigous event from a club with a proud rowing history and it personally gives me great pleasure to see these girls win knowing the highs and lows they've had coming so close on previous occasions. A special and important thanks must go to their coach Gideon Shalom who stepped in 2 months ago to take them on as a crew. Well done to the lightwieght four and to all the girls who raced at Henley this year making it one of the best club results ever. Full results can be found on the Henley Women's Regatta website. Also see Photographs Page. Marlow Regatta 18th June 2005 Ian Grant reports ----- Marlow Regatta took place at Dorney Lake on Saturday in 33 degree sunny weather with a steadily increasing head wind. Unfortunately the men's squad were suffering from several injuries and illnesses which meant some scratched or subbed entries. The S2 coxed and coxless four of Nick H, Terry M, Adam with Luc W and Gary L swapping in for each race. For both races the crew got off to a solid start, but with tough opposition they finished in fourth place in 7:48.26 and 8:19.26 respectively. The S3 4+ of Ian G, Joe W, Rob S, Dean C and cox, Lucy N, made the most of the best racing weather to lead for the first 1500m but didn't hold the lead finally finishing 2nd by 2secs with a very 'pretty' row, in 7:17.92. In the Repechage, and with something to prove, the crew attacked from the start to get out in front and gained clear water over the other crews before 1000m. The crew finished 1st in 7:35.91 to finally get a place in the final. Unfortunately the crew seemed to suffer the same fate as Tim Henman at Wimbledon and never really found their good form against the all university opposition to finish 4th, in 8:00.69. Thanks go to everyone who came to support in the baking sun. Full results can be found on the Marlow Regatta website. Bedford Star Regatta 12th June 2005 David Dimes reports ----- The Men's "Sprint Squad" finally managed to kick-off their season at Bedford on Sunday with a mixed display of oarsmanship and a fair degree of "Pikeyness". Borrowing a boat / blade and Cox from Weybridge, the crew of Gary Lovejoy, Dom South, Tom Blackman and Dave Dimes proved too strong against St Neots to take the S4 4+ final and pick up their first pots of the season. Initially not having any opposition to race at S3, Weybridge then kindly offered to pull together a crew to race against. With further borrowing of boats / blades from Star Club and a Weybridge Junior to Cox, the Staines crew failed to live up to their earlier performance and were beaten by 2 seconds. Full results can be found on the Star website. Weybridge Ladies Regatta 5th June 2005 Peter Smith reports on the Staines BC junior entries in Weybridge Ladies Regatta ----- The Junior Ladies all raced well against a very strong field of Clubs and Schools, our only win came in the WJ16 1X from Rachel Edwards. All of our girls raced well, reaching many finals, Jennifer Goldswain racing six times in four hours over the 1000M course only to lose the final. Liz Bernard sends this report ----- SWPS had 7 crews competing at Weybridge Ladies Regatta on Sunday 5th June. It was the first regatta for the J13’s who performed really well in the WJ13 4x+, where they won two heats and gained a place in the semi-finals. The quad consisted of Grace Ward, Vicky Avery, Bertie Fagent, Francesca Pavliv and coxed by Alice Cox. There was some good sculling from the J14’s and J15’s, especially from Charlotte Jackson and Emily Baker who sculled with great determination to win the WJ14 2x event. We had no other wins, but we had some really close heats. Congratulations to all who competed.See Photographs Page. Full results will be available in due course from the official website. Metropolitan Regatta 4-5th June 2005 Steve Tassell emails this report from the Metropolitan Regatta ----- A majority of the women's squad were at Met regatta this weekend. We had representation in Senior 3 eights, Senior 1 coxless fours and Senior 3/lwt sculls. First off was Lucy Duncombe in Senior 3 sculls. Lucy was rowing in a borrowed boat some 20kgs too big for her so it was more about getting out and racing 2000m for the first time this season rather than making any moves on the front runners. With the tricky tail wind this made for a tough first test but one Lucy came through with only a few battle scars! Next up was the Women's eight of Dom Foley (cox), Sarah Tassell, Katy Young, Suzanne Reng, Katherine Cran, Katy Breslin, Claire Lovelady, Anna Behrendt and Bonny Howes. Staines got off to a solid start lying second to the 250m marker. Progress to 500m saw the eventual winners York City pull out 7 second lead with us, University of York and Osiris 'B' vying for the other two qualification spots. It was at this point we were discovering the difference between training and racing and started to slip back over the middle 1000m to fourth which was ultimately where we finished just outside qualifying. Sunday saw Lucy racing lightweight in a very strong field, with better conditions she managed to qualify for the repecharge. In the repecharge again she struggled with her oversized boat but put in a solid performance none the less. Next a chance for the women's eight to improve on Saturday's performance. They got of to a decent start drawn next to the previous days winner and the relative unknown Sons of the Thames. First split was 1:46 matching the day before but then a loss of concentration as we got into our own private battle with Sons of the Thames which we won but finishing fourth and again just missing out on a qualifying spot. Last up was the coxless four with a line up of Jodi Davis, Jen Page, Sarah Fudge and Alison Rolt. There's a distinct lack of women's coxless fours around at the moment resulting in this being a straight final race between 3 crews us, Durham University and Thames. The four got off to a good (straight!) start and immediately started to open up a lead on Thames. Settling down into their race rhythm targeting a quick Durham crew who were opening up a lead on the rest of the field. As the race progressed the positions stayed the same with Durham, Staines and then Thames and clear water between each crew. Thanks again for the loyal and growing fan club on the banks! Ian Grant gives us the men's squad report
----- The men’s squad descended to Dorney Lake for the Metropolitan Regatta
weekend, with some tough windy conditions on both days. The Lwt4- of Robin D, Mark
S, Duncan S and Mark AW, first took to the water for the S1 4- against some big
opposition but missed out on a top 3 position for a place in the semi-finals finishing
4th, in 6:43.53. For their S2 4- race it was a race of the Remenham clubs against
London ,Thames and Twickenham. After a good first 1000m taking second place London
began to move through and they finished 3rd, in 6:43.32, just missing a place in
the final. The 4+ of Ian G, Joe W, Rob S, Dean C, decided to only enter the S2
4+ event after having injury problems during the week, and after a good first 1000m
holding third place for nearly all the race got blown onto the buoys and lost their
form and eventually missed out on a place in the semi finals by just ½ a
length to finish 4th, in 6:59.71. Last up was the S2 2x of Max S and Fikret O ,
with some tough opposition and choppy water they pushed all the way to finish 4th,
in 7:39.42. Walton Regatta 4th June 2005 Full results are now available for yesterday's Walton Regatta and show 3 good wins for Staines crews. Liz Lake emails this report ----- Us girls (Leanne Johns, Michelle O'Riordan, Ali and Liz Lake) turned up to Walton facing the unknown. Racing WS4+ we thought we had a reasonable chance of being competitive but were very unsure. We got off to a great start taking half a length off the Quintin crew in the first 20 strokes. By the half way mark we had pulled up an extra length and were sitting on the crew comfortably. With no pressure on us to 'pull hard' or to 'push for the finish' we were able to concentrate on our 'new technique focus' (thanks to Jodi) and this only gave our boat extra run. By the end of a very well coxed race by our very own Junior Charlotte Morrison we won the Semi by 2 lengths. Onto the final against another Staines Crew. We were very nervous as we knew we would be racing the girls we had trained and raced with for all the winter season. At the start we all giggled and had some fun with each other and even discussed that the race could only be won by the crew that rated 4 over the finish line, or the potential of backing it down the course. I think it was at this point that someone suggested that we may get a better time if we did! Offended it was then that we sat up and started taking it seriously. The crews were both started quickly and neither crew were ready which made for both crews not to get a particularly good start, both crews fought to get back in control and by the end of the course our crew had won the final. The one thing that we had all commented on during the day was the amount of support we recieved from other members of the club that were present at the regatta, not just cheering for us on the bank but help throughout the day. Thank you to everyone that made it a fantastic day and to Ian, Steve and Jodi for the coaching you have given us over the last few weeks. Rob Oades adds this note regarding Walton Regatta ----- After the disappointment of Twickenham Regatta, were most of the Junior events were cancelled, the Junior boys were out in full force at Walton. Some hard racing followed with many near misses. One good victory was recorded in the MJ12 1x by Andrew Frost. This brings the total wins of the Junior Squad this regatta season so far to 17. See the official results here. Also Roy Frost sends a link to his photographs on the Kodak Easy Share Gallery and Liz Brett submits her photos on the Beanpix website. See Photographs Page. Twickenham Regatta 21st May 2005 Steve Tassell sends this report from Twickenham Regatta ----- For the women's squad Twickenham represented a last chance for those wanting to be considered for Henley crews to show their form. And on the face of it it looks like the girls moved things on from Bedford the previous weekend. In all three events we saw much more determined rows. First up the Senior 3 four, consisting of Katy Young (nee Burke), Suzanne Reng, Cath Burke and Sarah Tassell. We got off to a great start taking half a length off the Broxbourne crew taking the race to them as we knew we had the outside of the bend. Unfortunately though the crew never really settled in to their race rhythm and although they were level going into the infamous Middlesex bend the result inevitably went to Broxbourne. Next up was the Senior 3 eight. This time on the Middlesex station racing Twickenham, we got off to a poor start and from there on were chasing after Twickenham in what was a very nervy race. Both these races were coxed by Charlotte Jackson from Sir William Perkins, the first time she has ever coxed adults in a sweep oar race! My hat off to her she did a superb job and really did show control and leadership over her crews despite being some 15 years (at least!) their younger. Last up was the novice eight, containing, Di Gill (cox), Katja Norman, Lucy Duncombe, Claire Lovelady, Suzanne McKenna, Bonny Howes, Sue Meacock-Fletcher, Rosie Andrews and Jackie Hawkins. First up Barnes Bridge Ladies. We had a solid start to immediately cancel out their half length stagger off the start and straight away settled down into a confident and long 34. Staines pulled out a quarter length lead whilst BB worked on a big push to go level again. Impressively the ladies kept their heads and pushed on again out to a canvas and then a half length at which point the bend kicked in handing us a length and half verdict. A quick turnaround to go race the final against Twickenham who knocked the favoured Thames novice crew (half of which had come 80th in the WEHORR and winning the novice pennant). Staines again got off to a great start relaxing into a strong rhythm again, with nothing to lose the crew seemed to grow an extra foot rowing longer and longer. If the round before had been confident this was verging on supreme arrogance as the confidence flowed! The boat kept surging further forward each stroke and in the end Twickenham couldn't keep up with the pace, the verdict in the end 2 and half lengths. The win itself was impressive but even more so as for Suzanne and Sue it was their second regatta and for Rosie her first! I'm especially pleased for the other girls in the boat who thoroughly deserved their novice pot on many previous occasions but this time came out on top. Nick
Hadwen emails this report
on behalf of the men's squad ----- The mens squad turned up to Twickenham on mass with
a S38+, S44+,S24+, two S4 2X and a NV4+.
First off was the NV4+ early in the morning, the first race for most of the crew. The guys
put in a spirited performance in their first race but lost out to Eastbourne college's first
crew who went on to win the event. All in all a great row with lots to come in the future-
and in the Sims boat Graham Carey. Afterwards they were heard to say 'What's all
the fuss with sitting this boat!' Well done Damian, Adam, Paul and Adrian see you
at the next one. London Docklands Regatta and Bedford Amateur Regatta 14th May 2005 Steve Tassell reports ----- The Women squad were at two regattas this weekend with mixed fortunes. Firstly at Docklands Regatta the coxless four won it's mixed status straight final against AK in convincing form. This was the first outing for the four and bodes well for future regattas. Next up we had several crews entered at Bedford regatta. Firstly the Novice eight where half the crew were first season novices in their first race. The crew of Jackie Hawkins, Lucy Duncombe, Bonny Howes, Anna Behrendt, Nikki Mellor, Sue Meacock-Fletcher, Kate Rumbold and Suzanne McKenner (oh and me coxing!) The crew fought well to cancel out the stagger off the start and pushed the opposition hard all the way to the line only to lose by 1/4 of a length. Next up was the Senior 4 eight. With a majority of the crew the same as the one that raced S4 so well in WEHORR (Katy Breslin, Lucy Duncombe, Catherine Lake, Jen Edmunds, Bonny Howes, Ali Lake, Jackie Hawkins, Anna Behrendt) we were expecting great things, however, a case of first race nerves and pressure of expectation saw the crew knocked out in the first round. In the fours we faired better in both cases losing to the event winners. In S3 coxed fours a last minute substitution for Di Gill (Katherine Cran, Suzanne Reng, Cath Burke and Sarah Tassell) lost to Thames and in the Senior 2 coxed fours, again a substitution for Di Gill (Katherine Cran, Suzanne Reng, Katy Breslin and Sarah Tassell) faired well against Sons of the Thames, giving them their closest race of the day but still losing by 1 1/2. On the face of it we learnt a lot from the weekend and it's now a question of giving others a chance to race at Twickenham before final selection of crews is made for Henley and the summer regattas. Final thanks to our loyal fan club Dom South and Tom Blackman who were leading the Staines cheers from the riverbank! Full results can be found on the Bedford Amateur Regatta website and the Mikrotime website (for Docklands). Ball Championships 8th May 2005 Rob
Oades reports ----- It was the turn of the
younger juniors today to shine at the Ball Championships held today at Dorney
lake over 1000m. Garath Edwards (MJ13 1x) and James Kell (MJ14 1x) both lost
their semi-finals as did Emma Corless, Rachel Lafbery (WJ14 1x) and Becky
Uwins (WJ13 1x). However there were good wins for Jenny Goldswain (WJ14 1x)
and Megan Williamson (WJ13 1x). Unfortunately they failed to medal in the
finals against strong opposition. Evesham Annual & Sprint Regattas 30th
April & 1st May 2005 Many
thanks to Rob Oades who deserves a medal for submitting this mammoth report from the Evesham
Regatta weekend ----- As the early morning mist cleared around Evesham Rowing Club, little
did they know what they were in for as the Staines Boat Clubs Junior Squad, along with
the Veteran's, were unleashed from winter training to compete at this Saturday's
Evesham Regatta & the
following day's Evesham Sprint Regatta. The Junior squad had several regatta debutants
on show - Garath Edwards (MJ13), Tom Ryan (MJ15) Andrew Rosser (MJ 16)
for the boys and Rachel Lafbery (WJ14), Megan Williamson (WJ13) and Rebecca
Uwins (WJ 13) along with the stalwarts from the 2004 season. Wallingford Regatta 1st May 2005 Ian Grant sends this report from the men's squad racing at Wallingford Regatta ---- The men's squad took to Dorney Lake on Sunday in fine weather for Wallingford Regatta with two S3 4+'s and a S3 8+. The fours were on the lake for an early start, but with the best conditions. The B crew were first up and gained a good start to take to the front of the pack, but by the halfway point some of the crews began to move through and finished in 5th, 8secs behind the London crew. The A crew also got off to a reasonable start taking to the front of the pack but again crews began to move up and we just missed out on a place in the final by a bow ball finishing 4th, 8 secs behind another London crew. In the afternoon, after enjoying the sun and the sights, the S3 8+ took to the water and with a bit of a cross wind got off to a solid start and held second place for most of the course. Bad luck again came up, as Molesey put a push in 4 lanes across and the 8 was just missed out on a place in the final by a bow ball to finish 4th, 6 secs behind the lead boat. Some positive racing with things to work on and thanks go to Bob Slade for his coaching and those who came along to support in the afternoon. See full results on the regatta website. If you have a broadband connection then why not try ROWTV who have videos online of many of the races. Bedford Small Boats Head 10th April 2005 Bedford Fours & Small Boats Head took place today with 3 Staines Crews competing. The results are as follows ----- VC4+ 7 mins 26 secs (2nd of 3), VD4+ 7 mins 28 secs (2nd of 2), VC4- 7 mins 23 secs (3rd of 3). Full results can be found on the Bedford RC website. Weybridge Junior New Starters Regatta 28th March 2005 Peter Smith emails ----- Weybridge Junior Regatta was held on Easter Monday. It was an invitation event for new starters and Weybridge, Burway, Walbrook as well as Staines put in entries. Staines had three wins, namely J15 1X Tom Ryan, J10 1X Johnny Pettit and WJ13 1X Meg Williamson. Meg was on the water all day with a total of eight races and a well deserved medal was presented by the president of Weybridge Rowing Club. Also what a shock, remember Ian Stagg. He is back from Canada for three weeks as his father is seriously ill. For those that remember, Bill Stagg coached our famous junior squad of the mid eighties. See Photographs Page. Vesta Veteran Head of the River Race 20th March 2005 The Vesta Veterans Head of the River took place today over 4¼ miles on the ebb tide from the Mortlake to Putney in which Staines entered 2 crews. The results are Staines (Tollett) Vet C start 51st finish 48th (13th of 28) 21 mins 29.96 secs and and Staines (Carey) Vet C start 55th finish 40th (10th of 28) 21 mins 21.47 secs. Thanks go to our hosts, Putney Town RC, who kindly allowed us to boat from their club and also provided an excellent cooked breakfast for us all. Full results are available on the official website. Head of the River Race 19th March 2005 The Head of the River Race took place today from Mortlake to Putney. There were 2 Staines senior men's crews racing. The results are Staines 1 (S3) Start 184 Finish 214 (44th of 90) 20 mins 26.94 secs and Staines 2 (S3) Start 261 Finish 280 (64th of 90) 20 mins 56.32 secs. Full results are available on the official website. Kingston
Head 12th
March 2005 Kingston
Head took place
today with
3 Staines crews
and 1 SWPS
crew competing.
Ian Grant sends
this report
on behalf of
the men's squad
-----
Some
positive results
from the S3
crews racing
at Kingston.
Staines A,
starting off
amongst some
S2 crews, suffered
a slight false
start after
an incident
with a crew
further up
caused
them to stop
before the
start. Once
started again,
there were
some very big
efforts
from the entire
crew over the
whole course
and managing
to hold off
a strong S2
crew until
the bridge to
finish 3rd/9
in behind London
and IC in 17:53:4
and 19th overall.
Staines B put
in another
big effort,
despite not
having as much
time together
on the water,
to finish 8th/9
in 18:43:5.
Another 'part
time' Men's
squad member,
John F, was
spotted in
the Army S1
crew and finished
4th overall. Weybridge Veterans and Juniors Head 6th March 2005 3 Staines crews competed today at Weybridge. Results are as follows. Womens Head of the River Race 5th March 2005 The Women's Eights Head of the River Race took place today with 2 Staines crews competing. The results are 92nd Staines A S2 (31st of 35) 22 mins 35.46 secs and 131st Staines B S4 (8th of 47) 23 mins 9.91 secs. Steve Tassell reports ----- Staines Women did themselves and the club proud yesterday at the WEHORR producing the best results we've had in recent memory. The 1st VIII had to deal with a last minute change as Jen Page was taken ill hours before the race. Fortunately Katie Burke came to the rescue and after a crew re-jig they were able to take to the water. Despite this a solid performance was given breaking back into the top 100 crews finishing 92nd overall. The 2nd VIII produced an excellent row from start to finish and was certainly helped further by the expert steering from Ian Hauxwell. Coming home as the second club crew and 8th in division and 131st overall was a superb result. Both crews advanced from their start number again giving a great launch pad next year to cement our return into top level women's eights rowing. Well done to both crews and a special thanks to those who came up to support and help us celebrate afterward! Spare a thought though for those not so lucky at St.Cuthbert's College in Durham: Full results can be found on the WHEORR website. Reading University Head 26th February 2005 Reading University Head of the River took place today with 2 Staines competing. The results are as follows -- Staines A S3 Finish 52nd (9th of 19) 15 mins 19.40 secs and Staines B S3 Finish 72nd (12th of 19) 15 mins 40.00 secs. Robin Dunlop adds ----- After a small blip in motivation the mens squad are back on track for their run up to the main HoRR. An excellent day of racing at Reading Uni Head with the likes of Imperial College, Isis, Leander and the b |