DARC enjoys a successful 190th Durham Regatta

Posted on by

The 190th Durham Regatta took place on June 10th and 11th 2023 and was well supported by Durham ARC with 28 entries on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. A successful weekend saw DARC emerging second only to Durham School in terms of victories with 9 event wins on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

On Saturday the Open J13 4x+ went out in the first race of the day against the eventual winners Cambois who also won the J13 girls 4x+ event.

DARC had two entries in the WJ14 2x. Amelie Jones and Izzy Maddison were first in action but went out against Tees RC in the semi-final. Tees then lost in the final against the second DARC pairing of Jasmine Kane and Eleanor Wesencraft-Colledge.

DARC’s two J14 boys doubles won through their respective semi-finals to meet in the final on Saturday afternoon with Quinn Mosley and Alex Lowes securing the first of their two victories of the weekend.

The DARC/St Leonards composite J14 girls octuple lost by a length to Durham School in one of the last finals on Saturday night.

WJ14 2x

Two DARC doubles contested the J16 boys 2x in division 1 but were knocked out in the quarter and semi-finals. There was a win however for Louisa Scott and Grace Beattie in the J16 girls 2x in division 2.

Jonny Cleugh overcame two Tees scullers to win the J16 boys 1x and claim victory in the North of England Sculling Championship, and Luke Davison won through his semi-final against Sheffield City before overcoming the challenge of Durham School’s Sam Cardnell for victory in a close-run final of the J17 1x, the winner being awarded the Stewards Cup.

Finley Scott and James Bruce won against St Leonards in a straight final for the J17 double sculls to take the Harry Clasper Trophy.

Jenny Napora, Libby Morris, Emily Rogers and Eva Williams won against York St Peters School in the final of the WJ18 4x-. The WJ18 2x went out to Sheffield City in the quarter final.

WJ18 4x-

The Women’s Elite 4x- went out to the eventual winners from Tyne ARC in the semi-final. Sam Terry beat Matthew Flatters in the quarter final of the Elite 1x but went out against City of Cambridge in the semi-final. After beating Leeds University in the semi-final DARC lost to York City in the final of the Women’s Beginner 1x.

Open eights attracted 25 entries and Women’s eights 18 on Saturday meaning both events were banded into Elite, Intermediate and Beginner categories. The Senior Men provided two of the nine entries in the Open Elite Eights but both crews went out in the quarter finals against Sheffield University and Tyne ARC respectively.

Coxed fours were also very popular, with the 34 Open and 35 Women’s entries on Saturday assigned to one of three bands (plus an additional 13 College Maiden Fours). DARC’s Women’s Intermediate 4+ was one of 15 entries for their event and won through two rounds against Collingwood College and York University before going out in the semi-final against a Berwick ARC/Harper Adams University composite who went on to be the eventual winners.

Masters events were in short supply because of the British Rowing Masters Championships taking place over the same weekend but Durham ARC succeeded in winning all three Masters events contested. George Adair, Mick Seed, David Oliver and Tim Morris won the final of the MasF 4x- against City of Sunderland RC who had knocked out the other DARC MasF 4x in the semi-final. Chris Merchant, Vaughan Gordon, Colin Lawson and Dave Green beat Tees RC to win the MasG 4x- event to win the Wardman Yates Challenge Cup.

There were no Women’s Masters entries from any club on either day of the Regatta.

Championship 4-

On Sunday there were two wins on the Long Course, the first in the Women’s Championship 2x in which DARC overcame Tyne ARC and Leeds University, and the second in the Open Championship coxless four in which the Senior Men had two entries, the crew of Luke Gilderdale, Will Standing, Jeff Gugelmann and John Roxborough taking victory to win the Durham Challenge Cup. In the Championship coxless quad DARC overcame Tyne ARC in the semi final but lost to Yarm School in the final.

Durham University and Newcastle University Boat Clubs contested band A of the Open Championship 8+, with DUBC providing both finalists. Two DARC Senior Men’s eights were among seven band B Championship 8+ entries, one going out in the quarter final to Tyne ARC and the other to DUBC. Tyne ARC ran out winners of the Open Championship B 8+ and NUBC won the Women’s Championship 8+.

The J13 girls 4x+ lost to Lambton RC in the semi-final.

Alex Lowes, Jason Wrack, Quinn Mosley and Harrison Glasper, coxed by Izzy Maddison won the Open J14 4x+ for the Lilian Humphries Trophy, while Izzy Maddison, Jasmine Kane, Eleanor Wesencraft-Colledge and Amellie Jones, coxed by Elouisa Wilks won the WJ14 4x+ for the Arthur Stainsby Memorial Trophy.

Women’s NC 4x-

The J18 2x went out to Durham School in the semi-final, the J17 2x lost by 2 lengths against Durham School in the final, and the WJ16 2x lost against Chester-le-Street ARC in the quarter final,

The J17 4x- lost to Durham School by half a length in the final, and the J16 4x- went out against Durham School in the semi-final.

Victory in the Women’s non-Championship coxless quad went to Orlagh Windle, Elise Lambert, Fran Suggett and Tilly Stoddart who beat York St John’s University in the final.

The MasF 8+ was involved in the only Masters race to take place on Sunday, a handicap against the Tyne ARC MasB 8+ in a straight final over the short course, with DARC holding on to a 16-second advantage at the start to win by half a length and take the British Heart Foundation Trophy.

MasF 8+

List of Saturday winners –

List of Sunday winners –

The Saturday draw can be found here and Sunday draw here.

Results in race order are available for Saturday and Sunday.

Lists of winners with sponsor and trophy assigned to the race are available for Saturday and Sunday.

For other information see the Durham Regatta Competitors page.

Both days of racing were covered live by PalTV, footage being available on YouTube for Saturday and Sunday. Honours were distributed between 32 different clubs. We are indebted to the efforts of officials and volunteers for providing an excellent weekend that was enjoyed by participants and spectators alike.