Newport Regatta. Saturday, 30th July and Sunday, 31st July, 2022.

Ryde Rowing Club had a strong team representing them at Newport Regatta on the River Medina on Saturday (30th July)  – the “fours” only event over 1800m - and on Sunday, (31st July) which was for the small boats events and Junior Quads over 1000m.

The Wightlink sponsored Club had three coxed fours racing on the Saturday – which should have been four – but one crew was lost to Covid.

As a result the Clubs Coastal Junior Four was a combination of their Junior A and B Crew consisting of Joel and Austin Smith from the “A” Crew and Paddy Kearney and Will Hall from the “B” crew and coxed by Mai MacKay who rowed really well to make their final where they finished in 2nd place.

The Club also had two Men’s Novice Fours competing on the Saturday – the A Crew of Isaac Gibson, Lars Groothuis, Dan Sanderson and Yogi Ashworth Coxed by Allan Evans won their heat and performed well in the final where they finished in 2nd place. The “B” crew of Matthew Jeacock, Edward Williams, Charlie Watts coxed by Graham Reeve just missed out on the final finishing 2nd in their heat.

On the Sunday Ryde had two crews in the J16 Coxed Quads – the A Crew of Bradley Whiting, Elliott O’Sullivan, Isaac Gibson and Dan Sanderson coxed by Mia MacKay and the “B” Crew of Charlie Watts – making his competitive debut for the Club, Lars Groothuis, Yogi Ashworth and Edward Williams coxed by Graham Reeve both finished second in their heats failing to make the final.

Three from the “A” Crew also competed in the J16 Boys Single Sculls event – Bradley Whiting, Dan Sanderson and Elliott O’Sullivan – unfortunately all finished 2nd in their heats – failing to make the final.

A similar misfortune also befell three of Ryde’s Novice Men’s Scullers Paddy Kearney, Will Hunt and Austin Smith – although he had an issue with his boat and would almost certainly qualified for the but for this. However Ben Sanderson comfortably won his heat to reach the final where he was very narrowly beaten into 2nd place.

Joel Smith competed in the Men’s Senior Sculls where he finished 3rd in his heat and he then joined forces with his brother Austin to compete in the Men’s Coastal Junior Pairs making up the “B” Crew with Paddy Kearney and Will Hall competing as the “A” crew with both crews finishing 2nd in their respective heats.