Newport Regatta. Saturday, 29th & Sunday, 30th July, 2018.

Newport Regatta. Saturday, 28th  & Sunday, 29th July 2018.

Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink, were due to compete at IW neighbours Newport Rowing Clubs Annual Regatta over the weekend (Saturday, 28th & Sunday, 29th July 2018) staged over a straight course, with no buoy turn, from their Clubhouse on the River Medina, with fours events held on the Saturday and small and Junior (age) events held on the Sunday.

This sheltered River location can normally be guaranteed to provide calm waters but very disappointingly, especially after such a fine summer, the weather broke and the conditions, especially on the Sunday were very challenging – with high gusting winds and heavy rain.

On the Saturday racing was possible as the fours are all coxed and capable of coping with the difficult conditions. The Ryde Club had two fours racing – the Men’s Coastal Junior Four of Tom Starkey, Tye Cameron, Ben Sanderson and Ben Toms, coxed by Dan Sanderson who were 2nd in their heat but failed to register a fastest 2nd place to claim a place in the final – although there was some dispute about the timings. The Club also had a new Men’s Novice Four racing – with two members of the crew – Jonna Lewin and Gully Roghan racing for the Club for the first time having only started rowing a few weeks before. They joined Paddy Kearney and Ben Toms – with Dan Sanderson in the coxswains seat one again – and they rowed remarkably well to register the fastest 2nd place in their heat to take a place in the final where they finished 3rd.

On the Sunday the Club was due to have a Men’s Coastal Junior Pair and a number of Junior rowers racing in Coxed Quads and single sculls – but after the heats and Finals of the Men’s and Ladies Senior Pairs events the regatta was abandoned in worsening conditions on safety grounds – with the small boats and Juniors a higher risk that the fours that raced on the Saturday.