Tough test for rowing juniors

STRATFORD Boat Club’s junior squad faced a challenging 4,500m course between Slimbridge and Frampton in Gloucestershire at the Wycliffe Big Head where the weather was variable and the wind was strong, reports Chris Best.

The junior 16 girls were among the 86 crews competing in the morning division. Lily Warren, Alexandra Francis, Poppy Baines and Martha Baines – who joined the crew for the first time and raced up an age group – produced a strong performance to finish second in their category, narrowly missing out on first spot.

The junior 16 boys – Seth Vondrak, Xavier Sissins-Rofey, Theo Richter, Ollie Rowlands and their cox Meg Nuttall, competed in the coxed four event and finished third starting the race last and bringing the division to a close.

Wycliffe Big Head was the first event in an eight this season for the junior 17/18 girls comprising Eloise Cooper, Lucy Sartain, Scarlett Richardson, Jess Long, Aimee Appleton, V Vondrak, Uch Nwachukwu, Kate Richardson and coxswain Imogen Hill. They kept a strong effective rhythm throughout and put in a powerful final 500m to finish eighth out of ten crews, just two seconds behind Shrewsbury A and beating their B crew by 15 seconds.

Junior 17/18 coach Sam Hill said: “This was a very encouraging performance against some of the top clubs and rowing schools in the country and bodes well for their next big race on the Thames in March.”