Stratford Boat Club's Charles Happel celebrates first winner's medal of season at Wallingford

CHARLES Happel came away with his first winner’s medal of the head racing season as Stratford Boat Club's juniors put in some performances to be proud of at the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls event.

The J17/18 performance squad fielded a strong entry and in the first division, the club had three crews, two girls’ quads and a boys’ double.

The girls’ quad of Freya Watts, Ruby Howells, Amelie Sartain and Fleur Griffiths finished third after a good race, coming behind two crews from Lady Eleanor Holles School, some of which were fresh from their win at the Henley Royal Regatta.

The second quad of Honour Keil, Bella Chappelhow, Grace Beason and Lucy Browne finished in a creditable seventh place. Meanwhile, the boys’ double of Tomi Wilcock and Will Beattie came home third in their race, finishing behind two strong doubles from Pangbourne College and Westminster School.

In the second division, Stratford had a girls’ double and three boys’ singles. Watts and Griffiths teamed up again and came home in a respectable fifth. Beattie, Wilcock and Toby Sartain all raced hard in the J17 category. Beattie was top of the bunch and Wilcock was not too far behind in third, while Sartain was 17th out of a large field.

J17/18 coach Abi Terry said: “It was a good test for them all against strong opposition from the best schools and clubs around the country.”

Charles Happel was the first J16 to race in his single scull in the morning division. Facing local opposition from Wallingford and a strong squad from Guildford Rowing Club, he sculled with great skill to dominate the race, winning by 37 seconds.

In the afternoon division, Amalia Richardson and Kate Richardson competed against fellow squad members Harriet Noyes and Maddie Hall in the women’s junior 16 double sculls event.

After 19 minutes of top-class sculling, the Richardsons finished second, beating Noyes and Hall by just 3.6 seconds.