STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club celebrated success in a number of events at the Evesham Regatta in a busy weekend for the club.
The club’s junior and masters scullers took to the water in a variety of races on the River Avon.
Sophie Franklin represented the club’s J17 squad in the single sculls but could not hold onto the lead against a more experienced sculler from Worcester.
The double scull of Isla Dunn and Becca Smith also took to the water at Evesham and dominated their semi-final against Pengwern but met their match in the final against an AB Severn crew.
Stratford’s J15 squad enjoyed plenty of success as the OpJ15 x 2 of Nathan Lebordais and Reuben Stanford took a convincing win against Magdalen College in their semi-final.
However, the crew finished second overall after pushing AB Severn all the way in the final.
Lebordais and Stanford raced again alongside Raya Hothi (cox), Connor Birrell and Tristan Hammick in the OpJ15x 4 event.
The crew defeated Magdalen and then Monmouth in the heats to earn a place in the final against AB Severn.
And Stratford finished second again behind AB Severn over the 1,000m course.
However, Abi Dunn brought home silverware in the WJ15 single sculls after claiming a convincing win against a home sculler from Evesham in the semi-finals.
Dunn then beat a J14 rower from Stratford in a close race in the final as she claimed victory by half a length.
Stratford’s WJ15 x 4 of Martina Bruce (cox), Lily Parsons, Meredith Paul, Bethany Hammond and Scarlett Wheeler beat a Monmouth crew by two-and-a-half lengths in their semi-final.
The crew faced another Monmouth crew in the final and won by a canvas in a thrilling finish to the race.
Stratford’s J14 boys’ quad of Archie Eaton, Chris Durance, Arthur Burt, Ethan Siwakowski and Eli Ford as coxswain reached the final of their event.
The quad outclassed Magdalen College School in the first round and secured a spot in the final following victory against Cheltenham College.
However, the crew had to settle for second place overall as an Evesham/AB Severn composite crew edged them out in a close final.
Stratford’s J14 single sculler Amelia Cruickshank volunteered to row for an Evesham quad before later joining clubmate Islay Milles in the WJ14 single sculls.
The two Stratford scullers both reached the final as a close race ensued before Milles powered to a narrow victory in the closing stages.
Stratford’s women’s masters 2x of Ellie Davis and Gina Fusco held off a Stourport crew to take the race win by a canvas.
In the eights division, Stratford’s women’s masters D VIII maximised their six-second head start against a younger composite crew from Gloucester/Evesham to claim a convincing win.
The crew of Jen Cary (cox), Davis (stroke), Jane Cryer, Abby Symons, Rebecca England, Lucy Scarlett, Caroline Collins and Charlotte Jones (bow) tasted victory.
England and Scarlett then raced in the senior women’s 2x event but suffered defeat against more youthful opposition.
Stratford’s women’s masters low CRI coxed quad of Sarah Walker, Urania Carreiro, Emily Burton and Charlotte Juxon with Sarah Bedwell (cox) beat a home crew from Evesham in their semi-final.
And the crew pushed past their opponents in the final at the halfway stage to take the overall win.
England then raced with Thomas Doherty in the mixed 2x event against local rivals Warwick who had a head start owing to the masters’ handicap system.
However, the Stratford crew made a fast start and chased down their opponents to win by a length and a half.
