The Senior Women and Masters Women went to the 8-lane course at Strathclyde Park for the Scottish Rowing Spring Regatta over the weekend of April 27th and 28th, always a favourite location with members of Northern clubs seeking an early season opportunity of some multi-lane racing.
Durham ARC had three entries, the Seniors entering the Women’s coxless quad on Saturday and the Masters going in the WMasB 4x- on Sunday before combining with Hexham to form a Women’s Masters B eight for the WMasBCD 8+ race.
All crews were in straight finals, the Women’s 4x- of Rachel Wilson, Lilly Muskett, Gabrielle Maxfield and Anna Golightly settling for 2nd place to St Andrews University BC over 2000 metres in their event, which in order to make good use of the 8 lanes took place at the same time as the Women’s Championship 4x- event won by Edinburgh University BC.
On Sunday Fiona Ashton, Kate Sowden, Sarah Buist and Meghan McCarthy took 4th place to Hexham in the final of the WMasBC 4x- before Kate, Sarah, Meghan and Debra Harland joined 3 members of the victorious Hexham crew in a Durham/Hexham composite WMasB 8+ who were up against C and D opposition from Aberdeen Boat Club and St Andrew BC/Strathclyde Park RC, the handicap defecit over 1000 metres proving insurmountable as the crew finished 3rd.
Results from both days are available here.
The regatta season continues on home water with Durham City Regatta over 2 days on Saturday, May 4th and Sunday, May 5th, followed by more local encounters over the coming weeks at Tees Regatta on May 11th, Wansbeck Regatta on May 18th, Hexham Regatta on June 1st and Durham Regatta on June 8th and 9th.
The British Rowing Masters Championships takes place at Nottingham on June 15th and 16th, and the inaugural Junior and Senior Club Championships on July 19th to 22nd.
Entries for Tees, Wansbeck and Hexham are now open, and Durham Regatta entries will be opening soon. Talkin Tarn and Tyne in July and August round off the Northern regatta season.
Alongside regatta racing the Sunday League season takes place each month at a variety of locations across the Northern region until October.
If that isn’t sufficient there are opportunities for multi-lane racing further afield at Nottingham Regatta on May 11th and 12th and the Metropolitan Amateur Regatta at Dorney Lake on June 1st and 2nd, followed by the excitement of one on one racing at Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Masters and Henley Royal Regatta.
Interest is expected to be greater than usual with the GB Rowing team in good form ahead of the Olympic Games in July.