Tees Regatta celebrations

Celebrating their 150th anniversary, Tees Rowing Club hosted a magnificent Regatta on Saturday (17th May). With superb racing and perfect weather, competitors, organisers and spectators had a wonderful day to remember.

A total of 267 crews enjoyed competing on the water and there were special races staged throughout the day on the four-lane fully buoyed 850m course. 

As part of the special anniversary celebrations, Tees included new pathfinder events in two categories. In the eights event, Lancaster University BC won the men’s race, and Yarm School BC took the women’s. The small boats event was won by Bradford ARC in their Mas C double in the men’s race while a Yarm School J14 coxed quad won the women’s.

Following initial time trials in the pathfinder event, the semi-finals and finals were seeded and provided the extraordinary site of multi-lane races of different boats, including a single sculler rowing against a four and a quad. The single sculler was Dave Hunt of Stephenson College BC, who led his heat from beginning to end in a determined show of strength, though a repeat proved too much in the final.  

Other events included the Butterwick Cup, where novice crews from two local companies put their six weeks’ training to the test, raising money for a local hospice in the process. 

There was also an invitational race involving 10 officers and soldiers of the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, supported by members of Tees Rowing Club, who competed in two eights. This was a very hard fought and close competition with barely more than a canvas separating the crews.

Two para-rowing events – an open LTA single sculls won by Martin Bowers, and women’s TA single sculls – were amongst the closest races of the day. The women’s race saw Gillian Lathan of Tees beat Sophie Brown of Sudbury Rowing Club in a closely fought race.    

In the more traditional categories there was an excellent showing by Warrington Rowing Club who travelled one of the furthest distances to win nine events. Queen Elizabeth High School BC, Hexham and Yarm School BC also performed strongly, collecting eight wins each.

However, racing aside, it was Tees Rowing Club who were the overall winners for staging such a magnificent display of rowing – doing the athletes, the sport, and, in particular, their club very proud.

Full results can be found on www.teesrowingclub.co.uk.

Andrew Lowe