By IW Observer.co.uk
Having missed out on the last competition – the BTC Spring Head – due to problems with their trailer and covid, Ryde Rowing Club returned to competition on Saturday, competing in the Southampton Head of the River Race for Coastal Fours.
The competition is a timed head race for coxed fours, in coastal boats with crews for men and women of all ages, raced over two divisions over a course of around five miles on the River Itchen and hosted by Southampton Rowing Club.
The Ryde Club’s crews had mixed results.
In Division One, the men’s Junior Senior crew of Ben Edmondson, Joel Smith, Austin Smith and Dale Buckett, coxed by Niamh Murphy, had a narrow victory finishing 1st out of three crews, and also beating one Senior crew (Herne Bay).
Also in Division One were two Ryde Men’s Novice Fours. The Novice A, of Dan Sanderson, Paddy Kearney, Will Hall, Freddie Giemza-Pipe and Mai Mackay (Cox), came 3rd in their section. The Novice B crew, down one man as a result of illness, rowed with a member of Coalporters Rowing Club stepping in to join Ryde’s Isaac Gibson, Sebastian MacKeowen and Yogi Ashworth, with Otis Ripley coxing, and making his competitive debut for the Club and, in the circumstances, did well to beat two crews.
In Division Two, the Ladies’ Coastal Junior crew of Hannah Lake, Stella Baisley, Niamh Murphy and Julie Clarke, with Mai Mackay coxing once again, rowed well, considering they had two novices in the boat, one, Hanna Lake, making her competitive debut for the club, and it was their first time on the water in this format, but they finished well down the field.
Isle of Wight Observer