Southampton Small & River Boats Head of the River Race – Sunday, 13^th March, 2005

Crews from Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink I.W. Ferries, competed in the Southampton Small & River Boats Head of the River Race on Sunday, 13^th March, 2005.

Two Junior Coxed Fours, one Senior Men’s Double and a number of single scullers competed – several of them doubling up to compete in both divisions in different disciplines.

The Clubs two Junior Coxed Fours – a J15 Girls crew of Kim Salter, Rachael Brimstone, Sarah Lamb and Sophie Draper, with Clair Salter coxing and the Boys J15 Crew of Tom Cleary, James Eklund, Tom Clark and Jamie Lawson with Catherine Hume coxing both had to compete against older opposition – at J16 - and did well to each finish in 3^rd place in their sections the Girls completing the course in a time of 22 minutes and 52 seconds – and the boys in a time of 20 minutes and 52 seconds. The Girls went on to compete in the Ladies Coastal Fours event in the second division where they found the pace of the older more experienced crews difficult to cope with finishing some way down the field.

In the Men’s Open Double Sculls – Mike Jenner and Ben Ade – racing together for the first time – did exceptionally well to win their section completing the course in 18 minutes 13 seconds – especially as they had just competed in single sculls in the first division where Jenner gained a creditable 4^th place in a time of 19 minutes 29 seconds. In the same race Matt Allsopp – in his first Senior Sculling Race - did well to finish in 5^th place – in 20 minutes 04 seconds – and Nick Pike did very well – competing in a Coastal Scull against the others in the lighter and finer River Sculls to finish in 3^rd place with a time of 18 minutes 58 seconds.

Nick Pike went on to compete again in the Men’s Open Coastal Sculls – where, in matched boats – he comfortably beat the opposition to win the section in a time of 18 minutes 37 seconds.

The Clubs J16 Men’s Sculler – Ben Churchill – had intended to scull in the race as part of his preparation for the J16 Singles event at the Junior Inter-Regional Competition in April for which he had been provisionally selected. However he faced a late challenge for the place from a sculler from Itchen Imperial who had missed the original trials and so a row-off was held before the head race to settle the issue – with Ben winning comfortably, after a dead-heat, to confirm his selection.

The Club will next compete at the Head of the Stour on Sunday 10^th April – a week before eight of the Clubs Junior Squad will represent the Wessex Region at the National Junior Inter Regional Regatta at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham