CHRISTCHURCH REGATTA. Saturday, 21st May, 2022.

CHRISTCHURCH REGATTA. Saturday, 21st May, 2022.

A much-depleted team from the Wightlink Sponsored Ryde Rowing Club competed at Christchurch Rowing Club on Saturday (21st June) and were the only Club represented - but came away with some success.

The two-boat racing format of this Regatta meant that crews had to fight their way through several rounds of competition.

The hi-light of the day for Ryde came from their Men’s Novice Crew – of Bradley Whiting, Paddy Kearney, Will Hall and Elliott O’Sullivan with Mai MacKay coxing racer exceptionally well to battle through two rounds before meeting a Crew from Itchen Imperial Rowing Club in the Final which they also won fairly convincingly to gain promotion to Coastal Junior Status. It was an especially good performance from their young coxswain Mai MacKay in her first races at Christchurch which is a particularly challenging course.

The Men’s Coastal Junior Four of Matt Chambers, Ben Sanderson, Joel Smith and Austin Smith coxed by Bryony Reeve suffered a mishap at the turn for the second week running while in the lead which cost them the race.

The only other entry from Ryde was a Ladies Novice Composite Crew consisting of Ryde’s Hanna Lake and Chloe Hughes with two other Ladies – one from Southsea and one from Christchurch coxed once again by Mai MacKay in a composite  crew who also lost in the heat.