Ryde Rowing Club did not compete at the South Coast Championships on a regular basis until the mid 1970's but in spite of this they have an impressive record at the event in the Championship and non-championship races, especially when you consider that they are one of the smaller Hants & Dorset Clubs and have the added complication of being based on the Isle of Wight, with the additional travel and expense that this involves.

The Club had its first Hants & Dorset representative crew selected in 1978, a Men's Junior Four and in the same year won its first Open event - the open Ladies. They have since gone on to represent their Association on twenty-two occasions and in all Championship events, winning ten of them. Ryde Crews have won the Open and invitation events on a further sixteen occasions and have won the Open events aggregate trophy three times. The only open events the Club has not won are the Novice Ladies and the Veterans - the only Championship event - the Junior Ladies.

The Club won its first Championship events - the Men's Junior Senior Fours and the Ladies Senior Championship - in 1979. This was the first time the Ladies event had full Championship status, which was unfortunate as almost the same crew were Open Ladies Champions the previous year. The Club also won the Men's Junior Open Championship that year and won the Open Novice Championship the next year.

The Clubs most successful period at the Championships began in 1984 with a Junior Senior representative crew that finished 2nd. The following year the Club had another representative crew - this time at Men's Senior Fours - in the same season as the Club won its first Hants & Dorset Senior Fours points and the Association Championship. The crew went on to win one of the closest ever Championship races in an epic struggle with host Club Hearne Bay a race which is rightly remembered as a classic as the following report by the late Arthur Chatfield, Hants & Dorset Association Secretary at the time relates - "On a bleak and Cold Herne Bay coastline the supporting events gave little to enthuse about and the Regatta needed a lift. The Senior Championship event provided the answer with a memorable race and a superlative performance from two crews, Ryde and Herne Bay that will live long in the memory. By halfway on this superb 2000 meters straight course, Herne By racing with all the flair of a host club giving a party, had established a three-length lead and appeared indestructible. Christchurch and Ryde in that order were the nearest challengers. Within 500 meters of the finish Ryde on the outside gave notice of intent by raising the strike to an incredible forty. Herne Bay responded both crews leaving Christchurch for dead. At 200 meters Ryde had reduced the lead to a length and were throbbing on all four cylinders, power was but part of their ploy, perfect timing and swing gave them the impression of being mechanized, hands steady as rocks, eyes drilled on the neck in front, it was perfection, they were gaining every stroke on a Herne Bay crew giving a repeat performance of perfection. Within 50 meters they were level, Herne Bay in desperation raised their strike yet again and inched to the front as a rogue wave raised the bows of both boats horrifying the watching supporters, but neither crew faltered. Courage was now the name of the game and Ryde were not found wanting as they threw their bodies forward with a last ditch effort that gave them the verdict of three feet at the line. The immediate silence on the crowded beach was indicative of having seen an epic."

The Club also had two open event wins that day - the Men's Junior Fours, where another Club crew finished 2nd and the Men's Novice Fours, won after a re-row and in borrowed boat. The Club was criticized after the event for the Championship winning Crews dress at the Prize giving, perhaps with some justification, and were alleged to have used the Bideford Bowl as a rugby ball during the evenings celebrations which is strange as the Cup was locked away in the Captains Hotel room, much to the disgust of the crew, all that evening!

In 1986 the crew repeated their performance, with just a change of coxswain, and far more convincingly. This was arguably the crew’s best performance as the race was in the less familiar riverboats, although the Club had purchased its own riverboat by this time. The Club had a second representative crew at these Championships - in the Ladies Senior event - who also won convincingly and the Club rounded up a very successful Regatta with a win in the Men's Junior Open Championship event.

The 1987 Regatta, staged on the Isle of Wight and hosted by Ryde and Shanklin Rowing Clubs saw the Club with three representative crews - in the Men's Senior Fours, the Men's Junior Senior Fours and the Ladies Senior Fours and the Club went very close to winning all three. The Senior Crew, unchanged from 1986, in a season that had seen them clinch a 3rd consecutive Hants & Dorset Senior Championship and qualify for Henley, won the Men's Senior Championship race, on home waters at Ryde, after a controversial dead heat and a re-row, from their great rivals BTC. The Senior Ladies crew won their Championship race more convincingly and the Junior Seniors finished 2nd less than half a length behind the winners.

In 1989 the Club had two representative crews - but no successes, the Senior Men finishing 2nd in yet another close final - less than half a length and closing at the finish, while the Junior Men finished 3rd in their Championship event. There was some consolation for the Club - a win in the Men's Open Novice fours event.

A Junior Senior crew represented the Association in 1990 finishing 5th while the Club won the Men's Open Junior Fours event and in 1991 the Club avenged its disappointing result in the Junior Senior Championship race in 1990 winning this event for the second time. The Club represented the Association again in the Junior Senior Championships in 1992 finishing in 6th place.

The Club had no representative crews or open wins in 1993 and 1994 but came back strongly in 1995 with a representative crew in both the Men's and Ladies Junior Championship event - the Ladies finishing 4th and the men winning their event. Simon Jones a member of the winning Junior Men's crew has gone to achieve wins at Henley and represent his country at under 23 and in the National Lightweight Squad.

The Club had no representative crews in 1996 but managed to dominate the open events with wins in the Men's Junior Senior, Men Junior and Ladies Junior races - which also gave them the aggregate shield.

The Club emerged strongly from another two unsuccessful years in 1997 and 1998 to take the Men's Junior Senior Championship event in 1999 and represented the Association again at this status in 2000 finishing 5th. They also represented the Association at Men's Junior - winning this event in a boat borrowed from Bournemouth University, at the last minute, after their boat had been stuck at the start with an open Senior crew as the open events were held back by the appalling weather. Throughout the Junior Championship race the commentator had called Ryde as last - and it was only in the last few hundred yards that the Ryde Club realized the crew in last place was stern coxed and the Ryde Juniors were in a bow-coxed boat and actually winning!

2001 saw the Club with two representative crews - at Junior Senior men once again, this time finishing 3rd and at Junior Men finishing 2nd. The Clubs win in the Open Men's Novice fours was some consolation.

In 2002 the Club had another representative crew in the Men's Junior Fours but they crew failed to finish, after being swamped by a rescue boat, in an event that had to be switched to Dartmouth from Torbay. Once again the Club performed exceptionally well in the open events winning the Men's Open Senior Fours, after a re-row; the Men's Open Junior Senior Fours and the Ladies Junior Open - to claim the aggregate shield for the third time.

There have been many incidents involving the Ryde Club off the water at the Championships one of the most memorable was at Bexhill in 1997 when very early on the Sunday morning after the Regatta a member of the Ryde Club, Steph Hickman, was taking an early morning stroll to clear her head when she noticed a large wooden box in the middle of a Public Car Park. Memories of Ryde's three Senior Championships wins were still clear in her mind and she thought she recognized the box - but was very surprised when she opened it to find the Bidiford Bowl inside. It had apparently sat alone in the Car Park all night! It was fortunate indeed that a rower, who recognized the box, was the first to find it!

The Ryde Club in partnership with the Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club has also hosted the South Coast Championship Regatta on the Isle of Wight on three occasions - in 1975, 1979 and 1987. The first occasion, in 1975 followed the successful introduction of a Hants & Dorset Championship Regatta on the Island, in 1972, jointly hosted by Ryde and Shanklin Rowing Clubs and held at Yaverland near Sandown.

The primary site for the 1975 event was at Shanklin, with an alternative course at Ryde, west of the pier, But like so many before and since the weather on the chosen day made the conditions unrowable at both venues. However the next day, the Sunday, dawned bright and clear with a calm sea - but the South Coast Council had already made the strange decision to switch the Championship events only back to the mainland and they were eventually rowed in Southampton Water off Mayflower Park, much to the dismay and disgust of the local organizing committee.

However this only served to make these two Island Clubs more determined to stage a successful Championship Regatta and they won the right to stage the event again on behalf of the Hants & Dorset ARA the next time they were due to host the event in 1979. On this occasion the combined committee again selected Shanklin as the primary course and had two alternatives available - at Ryde, for the full programme and for Championship events only, a 1750m six lane course on the River Media, which, in theory practically guaranteed that the event would take place in all but the most severe of conditions. However the day dawned fine and clear and neither alternative course was required and the Regatta went ahead very successfully at Shanklin with the two Island Clubs receiving many plaudits for a well-organized Regatta.

Ryde and Shanklin Rowing Clubs were asked to host the Championships again on the Island in 1987 and once again the primary course was at Shanklin with an alternative course at Ryde, but this time east of the Pier near the Ryde Rowing Club's Appley Park headquarters. A third course, for Championship races only, was again available on the River Medina. This Championship is probably regarded as one of the most controversial, as although conditions and the forecast on the morning of the Regatta were far from ideal they were considered rowable - however the quickly deteriorated and after just a few heats in the invitation events the Regatta was stopped. By this time it was to late to switch to the River Medina Course and the very brave decision was taken to transfer the Championship races only to the Ryde course. A mad scramble followed as all Clubs with Championship crews rushed to load boats and move to Ryde where the final arrangements required were hurriedly put in place. While many Championship Regattas have been forced to switch to alternative venues this is the only one where the move has taken place after the Regatta has started! All the Championship Races were completed at Ryde on the Saturday although the depth of water over the infamous Ryde sands gave major cause for concern in the later stages of the racing. The Open and Invitation races were all completed at Shanklin on the Sunday in much calmer conditions. The hurried erection of the finish line at Ryde when the Regatta was switched from Shanklin led to one of the Championships most controversial incidents. Unfortunately the barriers that had been planned to keep the finishing judges view of the finish line clear were not in place and at the finish of the very closely contested Men's Senior Championship race a lady walked in front of the judges with an umbrella up obscuring the view of the judges as the Ryde and BTC crews, who were racing neck and neck, crossed the line. The judges had no choice but to order a re-row which the home Club, Ryde, duly won - but BTC will always argue that they won the first race!

All crews representing the Hants & Dorset ARA plus Winning Crews in Open and Invitation events.

1978. Men's Junior Championship. 4th place.

Malcolm Vaughan, Mike Newnham, Nick Pike, Mark Singleton. Cox - Not known.

1978. Ladies Open. 1st place.

Annette Trickett, Tanzie Hersey, Sue Latham, Pip Hersey. Cox - M. Jenner.

Malcolm Vaughan, Mark Singleton, Nick Pike, Mike Newnham. Cox - Not known.

Candice Lloyd, Tanzie Hersey, Sue Lathem, Pip Hersey. Cox - Not known.

1979. Men's Junior Open. 1st place.

Richard Gawn, Paul Hawker, Allan Evans, Russell Page. Cox - Not known.

1980. Men's Novice Open. 1st place.

Graham Reeve, Mike Jacobs, Gordon Fox, Ian Butler. Cox - Not known.

Graham Smythe, John Pike, Richard Gawn, Russell Page. Cox - Not known.

Russell Page, Mark Singleton, Nick Pike, John Pike. Cox - Nicky Catton

1985. Men's Junior Open. 1st place.

Steve Wort, Tony Bradford, Quinton Lloyd, Mike Jenner. Cox - Not known.

1985. Men's Novice Open. 1st place.

Simon Wall, Steve Titmus, Malcolm Woon, Steve Dear. Cox - Tony Hayles

Russell Page, John Pike, Nick Pike, Mark Singleton. Cox - Lee Rayment.

Olivia Wheeler, Tanzie Page, Louise Bridle, Pip Hersey. Cox - Not known.

1986. Men's Junior Open. 1st place.

Steve Wort, Paul Hawker, Mike Merritt, Tony Hayles. Cox - Not known.

Russell Page, John Pike, Nick Pike, Mark Singleton. Cox - Lee Rayment.

Malcolm Woon, Mike Jenner, Neil Lacey, Steve Titmus. Cox - Not known.

Wendy Richardson, Alison White, Louise Bridle, Tanzie Page. Cox - Not known.

Steve Titmus, John Pike, Nick Pike, Neil Lacey. Cox - Not known.

Tim Ash, Simon Saunders, Brian Ingle, Steve Wort. Cox - Tracey Wort.

1989. Men's Novice Open. 1st place.

Lee Lacey, Graham Oakley, Ian Godfrey, Matt Beaton. Cox - Not known.

Tim Ash, Simon Saunders, Brian Ingle, Steve Wort. Cox - Tracey Wort.

1990. Men's Junior Open. 1st place.

Matt Leal, Miles Tetlow, Steve Dear, Tony Hayles. Cox - Rebecca Spinks.

1991. Men's Junior-Senior Open. 1st place.

Matt Leal, Miles Tetlow, Jim Murphy, Steve Dear. Cox - Megan Davies.

Steve Cook, Mike Merritt, Tony Hayles, Jason Grundy. Cox - Nicola Terry.

Steve Jones, Jason Salkeld, Chris Van-Wyk, Tim Young. Cox - Steve Salter.

Gemma Kirkwood, Sam Lamb, Sonja Steer, Lena Steer. Cox - Steve Salter.

Dominic Pivonka, Jason Salkeld, Tim Young, Simon Jones. Cox - Steve Salter.

1996. Men's Junior Open. 1st place.

Pete Nevill, Lee Morey, Perry Fisher, Simon Williams. Cox - Matt Bull.

1996. Ladies Junior Open. 1st place.

Louise Hewison, Emma Lloyd-Jennings, Imogen Hoyle, Lisa Morgan. Cox - Steve Salter.

Dominic Pivonka, Lee Morey, Chris Van Wyk, Mark Young. Cox - Dave Hanson.

Pete Nevill, Chris Jenkins, Richard Adams, Ian Hayden. Cox - Ashley Maitland.

Matt Coggins, Stephen Salter, Ben Ade, Matt Allsopp. Cox - Claire Salter.

Ben Ade, Stephen Salter, Richard Johnson, Matt Allsopp. Cox - Penny Abdulkarimzdesch.

Chris Walker, Matt Bull, Lee Bennett, Mike Palin. Cox - Sam Billington.

2001. Men's Novice Open. 1st place.

Oliver Bottrell, Nick Christopher, Stuart Johnston, Steve Hunns. Cox - Claire Salter.

Oliver Bottrell, Nick Christopher, Stuart Johnston, Steve Hunns. Cox - Kim Salter.

2002. Men's Senior Open. 1st place.

Ben Ade, Ian Hayden, Nick Pike, Matt Allsopp. Cox - Claire Salter.

2002. Men's Junior-Senior Open. 1st place.

Chris Walker, Matt Bull, Lee Bennett, Mike Palin. Cox - Ashley Maitland.

2002. Ladies Junior Open. 1st place.

Jodie Cocker, Hannah Firth, Rebecca York, Claire Salter. Cox - Kim Salter.

Steve Bull.

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