40-plus crews compete in Medina Time Trials.

Isle of Wight Rowing Forum Time Trials Series.

The second of the winter IW Rowing Forum tile trials was staged in the relatively calm waters of the River Medina on Saturday (18th December) – made all the more competitive with it expanded to include Southsea Rowing Club.

Newport, Ryde and Shanklin-Sandown provided most of the 40 plus crews to take part – held over two divisions and inclusive of the 11 -78 year old age range and across all types of boat.

The fastest time of the day was recorded by Joel and Austin Smith of Ryde in the double scull event in just under 7 minutes 50 secs.

In a welcome return of Shanklin’s Daisy Faithfull, she claimed the quickest female time of the day in the single sculls.

Traditionally the fastest boat of them all, the quadruple scull. Saw Ryde’s novice men narrowly beat the Shanklin mixed squad ahead of four other crews.

Chris Mullen, of Newport once again contested the Masters event and improved his performance by more than 20 seconds on his previous race.

The next and final event of the series is on February 5.

South Coast Rowing Championships. Herne Bay, Kent.

Ryde Rowing Club had four crews competing at Coast Rowing Championships in Herne Bay on Saturday (3rd September) in the final Coastal Regatta of the 2016 season.

The Regatta, a coxed fours only event staged over a straight 1800m course is the culmination of the Coastal season where the representative crews from the three South Coast Rowing Associations - the Coast ARA, the West of England ARA and the Hants & Dorset ARA - where the IW Clubs compete - meet to decide who are the South Coast Champions at various statuses. Each Association can have two representatives in the Championship events - and a third if one of the Associations fails to fill its quota - and it is regarded as a great honour to be selected to represent your Association where the concept of "better to be last in a Championship race and than first in the open" applies.

The Wightlink sponsored Club had two crews invited to represent their Association - the Men's Coastal Junior Four of Dom Douglas, Jacob Redstone, Ben Toms, Joe Groves and Cox Austin Smith and a Ladies Coastal Junior Four of Kristy Newnham, Lisa Murphy, Ayesha Russell and Catherine Murphy with Mick Jenner coxing. This takes the total number of times the Club has represnted the Association at the Championships to thirty-six.

Unfortunatley on this occasion neither of Ryde's representative crews were able to add to the Club previous sixteen championship wins with the Ladies finishing in 3rd place and the Men in 6th.

The Ryde Club also had two crews racing in the "open" supporting events - a second Ladies Junior Coastal Four of Abi Locke, Emiley Pike, Julie Cole, Kate Whitehurst with Karen Crook coxing who, after comfortably winning their heat, finished 2nd in the final - and a Men's Junior Senior Four of Allan Evans, Joel Smith, Dale Buckett and James Smith - with Karen coxing once a gain who finished 5th in the final. The Junior Senior crew was notable for having veteran oarsmam Allan in the boat - who's age equelled the ages of the other three oarsman in the crew combined!

There was some success for the Ryde Club with Rowing Captain and Coach Micky Jenner competing in a composite crew with BTC Southampton who won the Master 40 Fours event.

RRyde's three Hants & Dorset ARA Race Officials were also all involved in the event with Steve Bull fulfilling the Role of Association reprentative on the Baot Insppection team and Sharon Ayles selected to be the Associoations Champiponshp Umpire and John Adams the Championship Judge.