Senior School news

Rowing – Junior Inter Regional Regatta

27 April 2017

On Saturday 22nd April a J15 coxed four and J16 coxed four raced in Nottingham at the prestigious Junior Inter Regional Regatta.  The crews represented the Eastern Counties having been chosen as the fastest from boat clubs across East Anglia. 

Conditions were unusually pleasant at Nottingham with little wind – excellent racing weather.  The J15 four, consisting of Huck Hempsall (M5C), Matthew Tremelling (M5C), John Elliott (M5S), Duncan Steel (M5V) and Angus Toms (M5N) raced well in heat 1 to secure a place in the A final.  The final saw the boys working off a shaky start, but with enormous strength and determination they battled their way through the field and into medal contention.  Nip and tuck through the last 250m saw the boys race to an excellent bronze medal.  A fine start to the M5 regatta season.

The J16 four of Harry Hook (U5R), Oli Udy (U5N), Gabriel Davis (U5E), James Anderson Brown (U5P) and Joe Osborne (M5V) looked impressive in both technique and stature.  They powered their way off the start in their heat, neck and neck with King’s Chester (a championship rowing school), leaving the rest of the field in their wake.  With great composure they recorded the second fastest time in the heats and secured a good lane for the A final.

Devising a new race strategy for the start of the final the boys started powerfully, but racing was much tighter, with a former foe, Kingston Rowing Club joining a three way battle with us and King’s Chester who managed to grind out a half-length lead. Kingston Rowing Club snuck their bows in front with 250m to go but with an almighty change in power the boys lifted their boat speed and stroke rate to dispatch Kingston in the last 100m winning a well fought Silver Medal.

This was a great effort by both crews, in this highly contested regatta against high quality crews from across the country and bodes very well for the season ahead.