Warrington juniors win at Trentham Regatta

Trentham Boat Club, near Stoke-on-Trent, hosted a fine day of racing at their regatta on Sunday 8th June as they celebrated their 10th anniversary.

The prized Junior Victor Ludorum consisting of a trophy and £500 was hotly contested with the lead changing many times. The final victors were Warrington Rowing Club whose large junior squad fought hard to win the prize.

The future of rowing looks to be in good hands, with confident performances showing impressive technique and determination by young athletes from Nottingham & Union, Trafford, Champion of the Thames and Derwent rowing clubs. 

But as well as races for juniors, the regatta also welcomed older competitors, with over 330 crews of all ages putting their hard training to the test. Experienced athletes were joined by first-time contenders who participated in the senior primary and novice races held throughout the day. 

With a central location which is easy to access off the M6, Trentham Regatta attracted entries from 20 clubs, mainly throughout the Midlands and North West regions. These included teams from Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College and Chester, Keele and Leicester Universities who had varying success throughout the many categories entered.

Taking place in the beautiful setting of Trentham Gardens, the 750m two-laned regatta course ran the length of the lake. The usual tranquility of the gardens was disrupted by the shouts of hundreds of spectators cheering on their crews.  

As well as admiring the picturesque location, several supporters and athletes commented on the excellent organisation of the event. Slick planning meant that there was a continual stream of boats heading towards the finish line, even though, at one point, a men’s quad was very close to overhauling a women’s double, surprising both crews equally!

With the racing over, Ian Fisher, the Great Britain umpire at the Beijing Olympics, presented rowers with special bone china tankards. 

Meanwhile Naomi Ellis, Trentham’s Regatta Secretary and Ladies’ Captain, explained that she was canvassing opinion regarding the possibility of increasing the regatta to three lanes so more athletes could attend. 

Watch this space!

Results can be found on Trentham RC’s website: www.trenthamboatclub.co.uk.

Andrew Lowe