THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS OF GREAT BRITAIN - DOUBLE GOLD FOR RYDE R. C.
 

Ryde Rowing Club competed at the National Rowing Championships of Great Britain, held at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pieerepoint, Nottingham over the weekend and came away with two gold medals and a bronze medal - which is the best ever medal haul achieved by the Wightlink sponsored Club at this national event.

Competing in the Men's Coastal Single Sculls Matt Allsopp moved into an early lead - 3 seconds at the 500m mark - a lead which he never lost and extended to nearly 10 seconds  at the end finishing in a time of 9 minutes 20 seconds, comfortably ahead of the two Itchen Imperial scullers who finished in second and third and claiming the first of Ryde's two gold medals - and an all important Hants & Dorset Championship point in his chase to overhaul Nick Pike for the Hants & Dorset Senior Sculls Championship.
 

It was just as well that he had a fairly comfortable row as less than an hour and a half later he teamed up with Ian Hayden, Ben Ade, Mike Jenner and Cox. Bryony Reeve to race in the Mens Coastal Coxed Fours against a strong field that included the reigning Hants & Dorset Champions from BTC and Herne Bay who had recently beaten them at Southsea Regatta. Also in the field was the recently formed Ryde Senior B crew of Matt Evans, Stu Johnson, Adam Drockett and Sam Cocker with Cox Penny Glazzard competing in their first race of the season in this format and clearly the underdogs in the race. After the first 500 meters the Ryde A Crew were back in third place behind BTC and Herne Bay with the Ryde B Crew just behind them. But by the half way stage - 1000 meters - the A Crew had rowed through Herne Bay to move into second place but the B crew were loosing ground. But over the third 500m both Ryde Crews surged forward - Ryde A - going past BTC to take the lead and the B Crew overhauling Herne Bay to move into the 3rd position and they held these positions through the final 500m to take the Gold and Bronze medals - the A Crew finishing in a time of 8 minutes 18 seconds and the B Crew in 8 minutes 29 seconds to complete an exceptional performance by the Club.

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