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BTC Regatta, Saturday, 23rd August, 2008.
Wightlink sponsored Ryde Rowing Club travelled to the last Hants & Dorset
ARA Championship Regatta of the season, hosted by the BTC Rowing Club at western
shore, Southampton, knowing that a win in the Men's Senior Coxless Pairs would
bring them the Associations Championship in this event for the first time in the
Clubs one hundred and thirty year history. The Club had battled all season with
the reigning champions from Lymington and needed one more point to draw level
with them which would force a row-off for the Championship. But the Club were
also aware that Lymington would be unable to contest the row-off so giving the
Championship to the Ryde Club. In order to ensure the the best possible chance
of winning the Club decided to focus on this event rather than the fours and
single sculls and committed their two best crews to the contest - the A Crew of
Matt Allsopp and Ian Hayden and B Crew of Ben Ade and Mike Jenner both got off
to a good start and dominated the race with the B Crew winning, finishing two
lengths ahead of the A Crew, who were second and both were well ahead of the
rest of the field.
With the emphasis placed on the Senior Pairs event the four of Ben Ade, Adam
Dracott, Matt Allsopp and Ian Hayden with Bryony Reeve coxing has a slightly
disappointing row finishing third in the final behind BTC and Itchen - however
their three wins during the season were enough to insure that the Association
selected this crew to represent them at the South Coast Championships in
Plymouth on September 13th along with their Men's Coast Junior Crew who were not
racing this weekend. However Calllum Lowe and James Batchelor competed in the
Junior Pair finishing in second place while racing for the first time in this
combination.
Mike Jenner was the Club only representative in the Men's Senior Sculls
finishing in 3rd place.
The Clubs Junior Senior Crew of L. Matthews, G. Davies, A gain and R. Thomas
with Elena Gaskin coxing were having a reasonable row and were in contention
before their rudder line broke at the turn and as a result they dropped back to
3rd place - still their best result of the season.
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