STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s junior athletes cleaned up at last weekend’s Henley Town and Visitors regatta with impressive performances across the board.
The club’s J15 ladies squad showcased their devastating sculling skills over an 800-metre stretch of the famous Henley Royal Regatta course.
First, the quadruple sculling crew of Scarlett Richardson, Megan Rowan, Jessica Long and Harriet Froom coxed supremely by Nancy Davis annihilated a Wallingford crew by more than three lengths to earn each crew member an engraved pewter tankard.
And later in the day, two double sculling crews of Aimee Appleton partnered by Molly Vondrak and Scarlett Richardson with Nancy Davis took on the mighty Henley Rowing Club and Wallingford Rowing Club respectively.
Both crews sculled well, demolishing Henley by five lengths and Wallingford by over three lengths to bring both Stratford crews to the final.
In what was the best race of the day, both crews sculled out of their skins and were neck and neck all the way down the course.
As they approached the finish the crowd was on its feet to witness Scarlett and Nancy win by just one foot in an extremely close race.
And Stratford Boat Club’s WJ16 ladies were entered into an open category meaning they were to scull against adult ladies in a coxless quad.
The junior crew of Amalia Richardson, Harriet Noyes, Maddie Hall and Kate Richards faced up to a crew from Walton Rowing Club in their first race.
And the ladies sculled with great energy over the 800m course to beat Walton by one and a half lengths in a time of 3 minutes and 35 seconds to qualify for the final against a composite crew from Upper Thames Rowing Club and Wycliffe Rowing Club.
In the final, the Stratford crew got off to an excellent start but gradually Upper Thames and Wycliffe pulled away to a two-length lead in the mid course which was pulled back to finish one and a half lengths ahead at the finish.
Steve Marsden, J16 Coach said: “A valiant effort against a very experienced crew.”
First to race for Stratford’s WJ 17/18 squad was Elisabeth Edwards in the Women’s Single Sculls.
Racing against two highly experienced scullers from Upper Thames RC and University College London, Edwards had a rough start but soon recovered and settled into a clean and tidy rhythm down the course.
A final sprint in the last 200m narrowed the gap between the other scullers but she ultimately ran out of time to catch them.
Helen Smith J17/18 Coach, said: “Despite this, Elisabeth looks forward to her next race in a few weeks’ time, where she hopes to better Saturday’s result.”
