POOLE REGATTA. Saturday, 2nd September 2023.

Crews & Scullers from Ryde Rowing Club competed in the last Hants & Dorset Amateur Rowing Association Regatta of the season at Hamworthy Park, Poole, on Saturday (2nd September 2023).

The Wightlink sponsored Club had five fours, two double Sculls, three coxless pairs and six single scullers competing.

The hi-light for the Ryde Club was a winning performance from their Men’s Coastal Junior Four of Charlie Watts, Ben Sanderson, Will Hall and Paddy Kearney with Mai Mackay coxing who finished 2nd in their heat and went on to win the final convincingly. They were joined in the Final by the Clubs B Crew of Matt Chamberlain, Lars Groothuis, Dan Sanderson, and Alfie Scott with Lottie Roland coxing who finished 3rd in their heat to qualify for the final where the finished in 6th place.

The Club also had a Junior-Senior Crew competing of Matt Chamberlain, Paddy Kearney, Will Hall, Ben Sanderson with Mai Mackay coxing once again – who, racing at a higher status, did well to finish in 2nd place in their final.

The Men’s Novice Four of Lukas Georgiou, Yogi Ashworth, Joe Bird, Matthew Groothuis, with Lottie Roland Coxing finished 4th in their heat – just failing to make the final – and this crew raced again, with two changes – Charlie Watts for Lukas Georgiou and Lars Groothuis for Matthew Groothuis – in the Boys J16 Quad who raced well to finish 3rd in their final.

In the men’s Coastal Junior Pairs, the Clubs A Crew of Will Hall and Paddy Kearney finished 3rd in their final – the B Crew of Dan Sanderson and Matthew Groothuis finishing 4th and the Coastal Junior Ladies Pair of Chloe Hughes and Stella Baisley finished a disappointing 5th in their final – although they do have a share in the Hants & Dorset ARA Championship where a row-off will be required.

There were impressive performances for the Boys and Girls J14 Doubles, racing for the first time for the Club at a Hants & Dorset ARA Regatta – the Boys double of Charlie Watts and Joe Bird finishing 2nd - a performance matched by the Girls double of Lottie Roland and Mia Mackay.  

Ben Sanderson finished 4th in the Final of the Men’s Coastal Junior Sculls. Ryde’s Men’s Novice Scullers raced well – Will Hall finishing 2nd in his heat and Paddy Kearney 3rd in his heat both making the final where Will finished in 5th with Paddy just behind in 6th. Alfie Scott – competing for the first time in a Coastal Scull - finished 6th in his heat. Another Ryde Oarsman making his competitive debut in a sculling race was Lars Groothuis in the Boys J16 single sculls where he finished 6th in the final. Finally – Stella Baisley – competing in the Ladies Novice Sculling event finished 3rd in her heat qualifying for the final where she finished in 5th place.

Steve Bull.

Ryde Rowing Club.