Cornish Indoor Rowers Face Off in Newquay

January 22, 2014

Close to 300 indoor rowers took to Newquay last week, for the 2014 Cornish Indoor Rowing Championships.

Held over two days, the competition saw a record 222 young people take part in the CIRC for Secondary Schools on Friday 17th January, with a further 65 rowers competing in the main CIRC event on Saturday 18th.

Forming part of the 2014 School Games, Friday’s contest featured competitors from 22 different secondary schools – some of whom were experiencing their first taste of indoor rowing competition since linking up with local gig rowing clubs.

The Years 7-11 categories saw some particularly impressive and closely-fought competition, with 11 rowers scoring 100 per cent or more of the British Rowing ‘Gold Medal Target’ – including Penryn’s Maddy Burley and Wadebridge’s Hugo Culverhouse, who both scored 104 per cent.

Saturday’s event saw both senior and junior indoor rowers from across the region compete at the Newquay Sports Centre.

A number of Friday’s competitors return to row again in the junior races, including Greenbank RC’s Hettie Bawden and Tom Worden, who sealed a memorable double by winning their categories on both days and claiming hugely impressive GMT scores of 105 per cent and 106 per cent respectively on Saturday.

Following Saturday’s junior races, the senior and masters indoor rowers competed over 2000m in categories ranging right up to 70+ years old. Ollie Osborne (Q-Powers) took the open heavyweight prize with a time of six minutes and 14 seconds, and Newquay RC’s Nicola Hazell took the top spot in the women’s category in 7:24.

For the full list of winners from both events, and for more information about how you can get involved in indoor rowing in and around Cornwall, visit http://westregionrowing.blogspot.co.uk/p/indoor-rowing.html.