The first competition of the year has always been popular and the 2025 edition of Durham Small Boats Head certainly lived up to expectations, entries being suspended within hours of opening on January 10th.
Weather concerns dissipated rapidly in the wake of Storm Eowyn and by race day on Saturday, February 1st, river conditions had recovered sufficiently to allow the time trial in four divisions over 1800 metres to go ahead.
A bumper entry of 437 assembled, with numbers swelled by strong contingents from George Watson’s College and George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh as well as by a large team from Yarm School, supplementing a healthy turnout from the boat clubs along the Wear as well as from clubs around the Northern region and beyond.
Durham ARC had 40 entries taking part in 28 different categories, with a total of 64 events being contested due to many boat categories being subdivided into bands to accommodate the large numbers taking part, medals being awarded to the winners of each event.
The following summarises the entries from Durham ARC for each division.
Division 1
The Masters E coxless quad was first to start, one of 8 crews contesting the MasCDEGH 4x-. A time of 8.10.5 left them to await results of opposition in divisions 2, 3 and 4.
The J18 girls composite coxless quad with Durham School was assigned to band 2 of the WJ18 4x-, a time of 7.37.1 giving them victory by 7 seconds over opposition from Tees, Durham School, Heriots, Hexham and Lakeland.
A second win went to the Women’s MasF coxless quad who finished in a time of 8.23.7 holding off a strong challenge from the Hexham WMasC quad to take victory by 4 seconds after application of the Masters handicap system.
Forsaking sculling in favour of sweeping, the Senior Women raced coxed fours in divisions 1 and 2, the band 2 four starting with 8.42.5 in the first division which was to give them 3rd place to South College.
The Masters H 2x was in a 4-way MasFH contest with Lakeland MasF entries in divisions 2 and 4, and DARC MasF in division 3, a time of 9.40.2 giving them 2nd place.
Two DARC WMasC doubles entered in division 1, the handicap system again coming into play as crews contested a WMas BCF 2x handicap against entries from Hexham and a Strathclyde Park/X-Press Rowing Club composite in other divisions. Times of 8.24.0 and 9.11.6 saw them take 2nd and 4th positions to the composite on handicap times.
The DARC/Durham School composite J15 2x finished 2nd to Chester-le-Street in band 2 in 7.44.0.
Nick Baird recorded the faster of his two times for the Open 1x with 7.50.6 in division 1 to take 2nd place.
Patrick Lakey was in band 3 of the J18 1x, taking 2nd place in 8.20.7.
The third win of the day went to Rachel Terry in the Women’s Masters BD single sculls handicap, a time of 9.20.7 in WMasD 1x seeing off opposition from Hexham in divisions 3 and 4.
Louisa Scott was 2nd to Cambois by 0.4 seconds in band 2 of the WJ18 1x in 9.32.3.
Quinn Mosley achieved the first of his two wins, recording the fastest time of the day by a single sculler in taking the J16 1x in 7.22.3.
J14 girls 4x+
Division 2
The MasH 4x- was the second of the DARC entries in the MasCDEGH 4x- handicap, finishing in 8.46.6 in division 2.
Two DARC crews took part in different bands of the Women’s 4+. The band 2 crew recorded 9.05.7 to take 6th place in the band, while the W4+ band 3 crew finished in 8.42.3, giving them victory as the fastest of 10 entries in band 3 – the time also being 0.2 seconds faster than that set by the band 2 four in division 1.
Another victory went to the J15 girls coxed quad who finished fastest of 6 entries in the WJ15 4x+ band 1 in 7.56.6.
The faster of DARC’s two J13 4x+s won their event in 8.53.2, also ahead of crews from Lambton, in combination with Berwick and Cambois.
The Men’s pair finished 2nd of the three entries (all in different divisions) for the Open 2-, recording 7.57.7, faster than St John’s College but not as fast as Collingwood College.
The DARC/Durham School J16 girls 2x finished 4th to opposition from George Watson’s and George Heriots School in band 1 of the WJ16 2x in 8.31.2.
The first of two J14 2xs to race finished 3rd in 8.22.2.
Nick Baird took 3rd place overall in the Open 1x with his second entry in the event, in 7.57.3.
Patrick Lakey in Open 1x
Division 3
The DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC composite coxless quad entered as MasE in division 3 before a marginally quicker run as an Open coxless quad in division 4. A time of 6.55.6 ensured them of a win in the MasCDEGH 4x- event ahead of Lakeland RC MasG, with the DARC MasH quad 3rd and MasE quad in 4th place on handicap times.
The J14 girls coxed quad was 3rd in 8.53.6, just ahead of the Berwick/Lambton composite.
The Women’s 2x was 2nd of 8 starters in 8.49.1, just behind the Strathclyde Park/X-Press composite who gained their second success of the day.
The MasF 2x finished in 10.11.1 for 4th place in the MasFH 2x handicap.
The WJ15 2x finished 4th in 8.55.0.
The second J14 2x was 6th in 8.48.2.
Patrick Lakey was slightly slower on his second entry of the day in the Open 1x than his J18 1x time in division 1, taking 4th place in the Open single sculls to give DARC a clean sweep of the top four places.
Masters E 4x- composite
Division 4
The DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC composite 4x- posted a faster time of 6.54.8 in their second outing of the day, this time taking 4th place out of 9 entries in the Open 4x-.
The Women’s 4x- was 3rd of 6 entries in 8.13.0.
The J14 4x+ was 2nd in 8.00.0.
The second of the J13 4x+ entries recorded 11.42.5 which put them into 4th place.
The J18 2x was 2nd in band 3 in 8.14.4
The WJ18 2x was 9th in band 2 in 10.01.8.
The second of the WJ15 2xs was 6th in 9.20.1.
Quinn Mosley recorded 7.27.2 in the Open 1x to take his second victory of the day.
Amelie Jones was 3rd in the Women’s 1x in 11.57.9.
Iris Mitchell was last to start with dusk approaching, finishing 5th of 11 starters in the WJ15 1x in 9.11.2.
Women’s 2x
Event wins for DARC were as follows –
- MasE 4x- (Durham/Hexham/Tyne ARC) Oates
- J16 1x Mosley
- Open 1x Mosley
- WJ18 4x- band 2 (Durham ARC/Durham School) Tute
- WJ15 4x+ Curry
- WMasF 4x- Heppell
- Women’s 4+ band 3 Doyle
- J13 4x+ Black
- WMasD 1x Terry
A summary of DARC results is below –
- 1st in WJ18 4x- band 2 (DARC/Durham School composite)
- 9th in WJ18 2x band 2
- 2nd in J18 2x band 3
- 2nd in WJ18 1x band 2
- 2nd in J18 1x band 3
- 4th in WJ16 2x band 1 (DARC/Durham School)
- 1st in J16 1x
- 1st in WJ15 4x+ band 1
- 2nd in J15 2x band 2 (DARC/Durham School)
- 4th and 6th in WJ15 2x
- 5th in WJ15 1x
- 2nd in J14 4x+
- 3rd in WJ14 4x+
- 3rd and 6th in J14 2x
- 1st and 4th in J13 4x+
- 3rd and 6th in Women’s 4+ band 2
- 1st in Women’s 4+ band 3
- 4th in Open 4x- (DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC)
- 3rd in Women’s 4x-
- 2nd in Open 2-
- 2nd in Women’s 2x
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in Open 1x
- 3rd in Women’s 1x
- 1st in WMasCDF 4x-
- 1st, 3rd and 4th in MasCDEGH 4x-
- 2nd and 4th in WMasBCF 2x
- 2nd and 4th in MasFH 2x
- 1st in Women’s MasBD 1x
In terms of event wins George Watson’s College was the most successful club with 13, while Collingwood College continued to dominate the Durham College boat club arena with wins in bands 1 and 2 of the Open coxed four and band 1 of the Women’s 4+ as well as the Open pair.
Full results are here and a report showing combined results for all divisions ordered by race time can be found here.
Photographs are available from SI Events.
Racing continues next weekend with Tyne Head of the River on February 8th.
Event winners from Durham SBH are shown in the table below.
| Event | Winner | Entries | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| J18 4x- | George Watson’s College | 6 | 6.11.5 |
| Open 4x- | Yarm School | 9 | 6.21.7 |
| J16 4x- | George Watson’s College | 9 | 6.34.3 |
| Open 4+ band 1 | Collingwood College | 6 | 6.49.5 |
| Open 4x+ | George Watson’s College | 7 | 6.55.1 |
| MasCDEGH 4x- | Durham ARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC | 8 | 6.55.6 |
| J18 2x band 1 | Yarm School | 5 | 6.57.0 |
| Open 4+ band 2 | Collingwood College | 9 | 6.57.5 |
| J16 2x band 1 | George Watson’s College | 8 | 7.02.5 |
| 15 4x+ band 1 | Yarm School | 5 | 7.06.5 |
| WJ18 4x- band 1 | Hexham RC | 5 | 7.06.9 |
| J15 2x band 1 | Cambois RC | 4 | 7.12.5 |
| Open 2x | Yarm School | 3 | 7.18.9 |
| Open 4+ band 3 | St Cuthbert’s Society | 11 | 7.20.1 |
| J16 1x | Durham ARC | 9 | 7.22.3 |
| J18 2x band 2 | George Heriots School | 7 | 7.23.6 |
| WJ16 4x- | George Heriots School | 8 | 7.26.4 |
| J18 1x band 1 | George Watsons College | 5 | 7.27.1 |
| Open 1x | Durham ARC | 5 | 7.27.2 |
| MasBD 2x | London RC | 3 | 7.34.1 |
| Open 4+ band 4 | Queen Elizabeth HS | 12 | 7.36.8 |
| WJ18 4x- band 2 | Durham ARC/Durham School | 6 | 7.37.1 |
| Open 2- | Collingwood College | 3 | 7.40. |
| J15 2x band 2 | Chester-le-Street ARC | 5 | 7.41.8 |
| WJ18 2x band 1 | Chester-le-Street ARC | 6 | 7.42.8 |
| J15 4x+ band 2 | George Watsons College | 8 | 7.45.1 |
| Women’s 4x- | Tees RC | 6 | 7.47.4 |
| J14 4x+ | Yarm School | 6 | 7.48.5 |
| J18 2x band 3 | George Watsons College | 5 | 7.48.9 |
| Women’s 4+ band 1 | Collingwood College | 6 | 7.53.5 |
| WJ15 4x+ band 1 | Durham ARC | 6 | 7.56.6 |
| MasE 2x | Lakeland RC | 4 | 7.58.4 |
| Women’s J15 2x | Cambois/Chester-le-Street | 12 | 7.58.8 |
| WJ16 2x band 1 | George Watsons College | 8 | 7.59.9 |
| J14 2x | Berwick ARC/Lambton RC | 8 | 8.00.1 |
| J18 1x band 2 | George Heriots School | 8 | 8.00.5 |
| J18 1x band 3 | Hexham RC | 8 | 8.01.1 |
| J16 2x band 2 | George Heriots School | 7 | 8.02.6 |
| J15 4x+ band 3 | George Heriots School | 7 | 8.05.1 |
| MasFH 2x | Lakeland RC | 4 | 8.15.3 |
| J15 1x band 1 | Cambois RC | 7 | 8.16.3 |
| Women’s 4+ band 2 | South College | 8 | 8.20.6 |
| J15 1x band 2 | Berwick ARC | 6 | 8.23.0 |
| WMasCDF 4x- | Durham ARC | 3 | 8.23.9 |
| Women’s 1x | Chester-le-Street ARC | 4 | 8.29.4 |
| WJ18 1x band 1 | Chester-le-Street ARC | 5 | 8.33.5 |
| WJ14 4x+ | George Watsons College | 10 | 8.41.2 |
| Women’s 2x | Strathclyde Park/X-Press RC | 9 | 8.41.7 |
| J15 2x band 3 | Queen Elizabeth HS | 7 | 8.41.9 |
| Women’s 4+ band 3 | Durham ARC | 10 | 8.42.3 |
| J15 1x band 3 | Chester-le-Street ARC | 9 | 8.44.9 |
| WMasBCF 2x | Strathclyde Park/X-Press RC | 4 | 8.46.9 |
| WJ14 2x | George Watsons College | 8 | 8.47.8 |
| Women’s 4x+ | George Heriots Schoo | 11 | 8.49.8 |
| WJ15 1x | Cambois RC | 13 | 8.49.8 |
| WJ15 4x+ band 2 | George Watsons College | 7 | 8.50.2 |
| MasACD 1x | Hexham RC | 5 | 8.50.8 |
| WJ16 1x | George Heriots School | 11 | 8.52.5 |
| J13 4x+ | Durham ARC | 5 | 8.53.2 |
| Women’s 4+ band 4 | Lambton RC | 14 | 8.55.1 |
| WJ16 2x band 2 | Durham School | 6 | 8.57.2 |
| WJ18 2x band 2 | George Watsons College | 9 | 9.03.5 |
| WMasBD 1x | Durham ARC | 3 | 9.20.7 |
| WJ18 1x band 2 | Cambois RC | 6 | 9.31.9 |