Across the Line: Razor-sharp margins at St Neots while Walbrook RC storm Staines
Find out what’s been going on across the UK, including the action from St Neots Regatta and Staines Regatta
On the bank at St Neots Regatta (c) Sammi Sparke
We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a superb weekend of racing from across the UK.
Sun, smiles, and St Neots Regatta
A regular highlight for many competitors, the two-day event saw racing over 1000m on Saturday and 500m sprints on Sunday. With nearly 20 hours of racing across the two days featuring more than 330 races, there was plenty to get stuck into to.
Across Saturday’s racing there were plenty of highlights. The day kicked off with the heats of the Open Single Scull with a strong entry, including three scullers, Gillway, Venzke, and Burway, from Putney Town RC. While only one of them, Venzke, would progress to the semi-final, it would turn into a cracking morning for the Chiswick-based club. After beating the University of York BC sculler in his semi-final, Venzke would go on to win the after beating Star Club by two thirds of a length in the final. Throughout the day, it was the women who provided some of the most exciting racing on the River Great Ouse. One of the races with international entries was Band 1 Open Coxed Fours. Sparks Rowing, USA had two crews entered but unfortunately for the visitors, they both lost in the semi-finals. The second of the crews put up a heroic fight, losing out to Peterborough City RC by only a foot. Peterborough would go on to fall to the winners, a composite from Norwich RC and Henley RC.
The women would deliver some of the best racing throughout the day. Nine crews contested the Women’s Quadruple Sculls and one of the races of the regatta came in the opening heats. Putney Town RC fans were treated to another memorable moment as their crew beat Broxbourne RC by just a bow ball. This success would carry them through to the finals where they would fall to winners, Derby RC who looked smooth through every race. Speaking of Derby RC, they got another one up on Putney Town RC, this time by a canvas in the Women’s Band 1 Coxed Fours, an event Peterborough City would win, triumphing over the red and green hoops of Derby by three quarters of a length. The battles between Derby and Putney Town continued in the small boats as well. Both clubs had scullers in the final of Women’s Band 2 Single Sculls and Binnion of Putney Town reached the medal race after winning her semi-final by a canvas. Once again it was Derby RC who came out on top in the final. The close racing continued in the Women’s J16 Double Sculls which saw a close encounter between Peterborough City RC and the hosts, St Neots but it was the visitors who came out on top by a canvas.
Elsewhere, in the afternoon, the teenagers were in action in the Open J16 Double Sculls. There was controversy in the opening heat as Peterborough City BC were disqualified in their heat against the hosts and in one of the other preliminary encounters, Huntingdon RC scrapped through to semi-finals after beating Maidstone Invicta RC by only two feet. It was no surprise to see Newark RC come out on top in the final after cruising through their previous race, beating St Neots RC and a St Neots/Star Club Great Ouse composite comfortably.
For those who stayed until the end of racing, the reward was a humdinger of a final in the Open Coxless Fours. After winning easily winning their respective semi-finals, Star Club and the NorwichRC/Henley RC composite met in the final. The result was a complete flip of the previous racing and came right down to the wire as the composite crew managed to sneak a victory by just a bow ball.
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During Sunday’s shorter, sharper racing the intensity ramped up a notch. In the biggest boats, the eights, London Otters RC won the Open Band 2 final with victory over Milton Keynes RC by three quarters of a length. In the Mixed Eight event, eight crews, including an entry from the hosts took to the water. St Neots overcame Ancholme RC and Derby RC to reach the final, where they beat Peterborough City RC by a canvas to claim victory on home water. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Peterborough though. They won the Women’s event as well as the Open Band 1 final over Maidstone Invita RC which was a brilliant crescendo for the weekend’s racing.
View all the results here.
Walbrook RC win Staines Regatta Victor Ludorum
27 clubs from across the Thames Valley and South West London travelled to Staines for the annual regatta. Running 500m downstream, the event that dates back to 1851 had another brilliant year.
It was a jubilant regatta for Walbrook RC who were crowned winners of the Victor Ludorum for the most successful club across the 177 races. Walbrook RC at their name to the history books along with previous winners Eton Excelsior RC, Guildford RC, and 2023 winners Mundener Ruderverein von 1912 e. V. Germany. Along with a trailer full of medals, the club took home £750. This is due to the support of British Airways RC in memory of Brian Drew who passed away in 2022.
By 10:00, it became clear that Walbrook RC were going to have a cracking regatta. They were six wins from six, including winning the final of Open Band 2 Double Sculls and the Women’s Band 1 J15 Double Sculls, an all Walbrook RC affair. Later that morning, the club added the tankards for the Open J13 Single Scull, and the Open Masters B/C Double Sculls to their collection.
The gold rush picked up again just after 14:00. Walbrook, RC, the first non-tidal club on the Thames after Teddington Lock, were back in action picking up the Open J14 Single Scull title before their Women’s J14 Coxed Quad, which were recently crowned British Champions were back in action adding more silverware to an already impressive trophy cabinet. 15 minutes later and the J18s got in on the action, beating Reading RC by two and half lengths to win the Women’s Junior Doubles which was followed up three minutes later by the Masters squad winning the Open B/D Quads.
Rewind a couple of weeks and scenes of Walbrook celebrations on the medal pontoon in Nottingham were one of the final ones to be made at the British Rowing Club Championships. Fast forward that tape and it was much the same at Staines Regatta. The club win win three more races, including the Women’s J14 Double Sculls, Open band 2 J15 Single Sculls, and the final race of the day, the band 1 Women’s Single Scull, beating the host club in the process.
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View the full results here.
Check out last week’s results
It’s coming home: England makes history by winning all four trophies for a fourth year HIR
Credit: AllMarkOne
“I’m really proud of what the English Rowers have achieved in this year’s Home International Rowing Regatta, hosted by Wales!” said James Andrews, England Pathway Manager for British Rowing. “The day was not easily won, and it’s great to see other nations pushing us across all the trophies. I’m very thankful to the management team, coaches and clubs who helped ensure the athletes were able to give it their all on the water for England.”
Social Spotlight: Gold after gold, after gold, after gold, after gold, after gold.
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That’s all from Across The Line this week!
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