West Norfolk RC takes on St Ives Regatta challenge
St Ives Regatta was the most challenging race day yet for West Norfolk Rowing Club which had its biggest participation event yet.
There were 33 seats entered in 15 races, in singles, double sculls, quads and fours.
The course was complicated by the meander of the Great Ouse river; plus reeds, lily pads and trees; and narrow racing lanes. More than 150 races were held over 16 divisions, running from 8am to 6.30pm.
WNRC junior, Abi-Lou Page, raced in a club single scull in the WJ14.1x category. She was neck-and-neck coming into the final stretch, when her feet suddenly came out of the over-sized boat shoes and she did amazingly well not to fall out of the boat, but it cost her a chance to win.
The WNRC open coxless quad of Mike Hutchinson, Ron Rusman, Matt Sawyer and Andy Thomas were surprised to see fellow WNRC member Simon Prior line up in the Hillingdon RC boat as an emergency volunteer replacement. The rapid start of Hillingdon proved too much on the short course.
Later in the morning, Page was paired with Evelyn Palmer in the WJ14 double sculls. The reeds and lilies slowed them up, and they came in three lengths behind their Peterborough opponents.
Rowing in the same division was the Open Masters C double sculls crew of Phil Holden (WNRC) and Nige Cosbie-Ross (RAF Marham) as a late substitution, who struggled to keep up with an experienced Hillingdon crew in the semi-final.
WNRC’s Theo Bailey and Doug McNeil raced against a Huntingdon crew in the open Masters E double sculls category. Again it was a mismatch of experience, but the WN pair were happy with a clean race.
In the open Masters D double sculls semi-final, two West Norfolk crews were drawn against each other, Alistair Mackie/Andy Thomas were too slick off the stake boat for Steve Venables/Stuart Porter. WNRC’s Alistair/Andy in the final lost to a combined Hillingdon/Bentham crew.
A private match was staged for women’s coxed fours, a composite WNRC/RAF/RN crew against St Ives/Huntingdon.
Vicky Alexander (WNRC), Gemma Walker (Royal Navy based at RAF Marham), Beth Vincent (RAF Marham) and Charlotte Jacobs (WNRC), coxed by Prior (WNRC), were pushed into the reeds. With a clean restart the WNRC/RAF/RN crew won the race convincingly.
An all-WNRC ladies’ four of Helen Pryer, Michelle Fincham, Beatrix Bond and Liz Palmer, with Carol Rose coxing, rowed in a tough draw against Peterborough, missing out by just a couple lengths.
Competing in a single for the first time, WN’s Theo Bailey was beaten by a Nemesis Boat Club competitor in the Master E single scull final, but pleased with a clean race.
The WNRC ladies’ coxed quad of Nix Marston, Michelle Fincham, Carol Rose and Karen Wilson, with Beatrix Bond coxing, went up for their WMasC.4x+ event final, but lost their bow-ball manoeuvring before the start. Unsurprisingly on their return from the pits they could not match the pace of the Isle of Ely crew.
A WNRC coxless quad crew of Theo Bailey, Mike Hutchinson, Doug McNeil and Phil Holden, with late crew-changes, competed in the Master D category. WNRC did well to keep within range of the Hillingdon victors.
In the day’s penultimate race, Simon Prior had his first race in a single scull in the open Masters D event final. After a solid start he seemed to make ground against his Norwich competitor, but fell foul of the lilies and reeds. Trailing in four lengths behind, Prior was happy enough to have competed.
