Thames Valley Trial Head, 25th January, 2009.

Wightlink sponsored Ryde Rowing club attend their first event of the season on Sunday (25th January) - the Thames Valley Trial Head, held at the 2012 Olympic Rowing Regatta venue at Dorney Lake, Eton. Racing is over the full course of 2000m for the full range of age groups, statuses and boat types and is in the format of a time trial with crews and scullers starting at fifteen second intervals and divided across three divisions. With an Olympic standard course and weather conditions that remained the same throughout the day it is reasonable to make comparisons between the divisions.

The Ryde crews and scullers competed in the 2nd and 3rd divisions and while this is only a trial event where crews and individuals are being assessed by their Clubs and may not be in established crews and at the time of writing the report the results were only provisional the Ryde Club was very encouraged by the results achieved.

The best result of the day was probably Ben Ade's competing in the Men's Senior C Single Sculls, in the second, division where he finished first in a time of eight minutes dead against the fourteen other scullers spread over the three divisions. In the 3rd division he teamed up with Callum Lowe to race in a Coastal double - where they also finished first in a time of eight minutes thirty-six seconds although the opposition was limited. Callum also competed in division two - in a Coastal Single Scull, finishing 5th against Senior opposition in an event where the first three scullers home all came from Ryde - a fine win for Ian Hayden in a time of eight minutes 36 seconds, 2nd for Nick Pike in a time of eight minutes fifty-two seconds and Mike Jenner in 3rd in a time of nine minutes and one second. Russell Page, continuing a return to competitive rowing after a long gap competed in the Men's Veteran C Sculls and secured another win for the Club in a time of eight minutes fifty-six seconds.

 

The Clubs four Senior Scullers - Nick Pike, Russell Page, Mike Jenner and Ian Hayden got together to race a Veteran C Coxless Quad in the third division again finishing first in their status in a time of seven minutes one second although their opposition was limited.

 

A newly formed Men's Novice Crew of John Gedling, Florian Behrle, James Cleary and Curtis Lowe, with Dale Buckett coxing raced for the first time in a Coastal Coxed Four, not surprisingly finishing some way down the field as most of the opposition were experienced senior oarsman, but they completed the course in a very encouraging time of eight minutes fifty-one seconds.

 

Two of the Clubs young Junior crews also raced - the J13 Boys Coxed Quad of Max Reeve, Dale Buckett, Sam Corney and Harvey Kirkby with Bryony Reeve coxing finishing first in their section with a time of eleven minutes forty-three seconds. Meanwhile the Girls J15 Coxed Quad of Holly Evans, Emilie Rose, Leona Fisk and Bryony Reeve with Graham Reeve coxing finished in a time of thirteen minutes ten seconds - 5th in their section.