Volunteers and spectators were able to enjoy pleasant sunshine for the eagerly awaited 191st Durham Regatta on June 8th and 9th, as competitors rose to the challenge of a stiff headwind throughout the weekend.
Durham ARC was able to record its most successful Durham Regatta in terms of racing success for many years. The 20 wins over the two days was easily the highest total achieved by any of the 48 competing clubs and, including victories in 9 composite crews, was the best amassed by DARC for 20 years.
The main event of the year included over 450 races on the short (700 metres) and long (1800 metres) courses during 11 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday.
With no clash of dates between the Regatta and the British Rowing Masters Championships this year entries for Masters events remained thin on the ground although some Masters took their chance against School and University opposition by opting for the Open and Women’s events.
Saturday
DARC had 49 entries in all over the 2 days, starting with race 1 at 8am on Saturday in which the Masters E 8+ went out to St. John’s College in their heat of the Open Intermediate 8+.
The Women’s Intermediate four raced soon afterwards and fared better, winning their heat against University College before going out to Trevelyan College in the following round.
The Open Elite pair lost to Collingwood College in the quarter-final.
Lucas Walker went out against Cambois in the quarter-final of the J18 single sculling event, but Will Terry overcame Sunderland City and Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS) in the same event to gain DARC’s first success of the day.
Will Terry J18 1x
The J15 2x prevailed against St Paul’s School from London and QEHS from Hexham to reach the final but then became unable to race due to illness.
The J13 coxed quad were beaten finalists against Infinity Boat Club, enabling the latter to enjoy a first victory on their debut appearance at Durham Regatta.
The next win on Saturday came in the WJ18 4x- when the DARC quad won by one and a half lengths in the final against Yarm School.
Another win went to Jonny Cleugh in the J16 1x final against QEHS, the first of his two successes of the weekend.
In Division 2 the J14 girls got a bye into the semi final of the WJ14 2x where they beat Doncaster Schools only to lose to a Cambois/Chester-le-Street combination in the final.
The Open Elite 8+ was drawn to race Durham University Boat Club in the quarter-final and lost by a length.
The Open Beginner 4+ won against St Cuthbert’s Society in the first round but lost against Durham School in the next.
The J14 girls coxed quad overcame two QEHS quads to qualify for the final but was then defeated by Lambton RC by a margin of 1 foot.
The DARC/Infinity BC Open Elite 2x beat the Newark/Hollingworth Lake double before losing to Leeds University in the semi-final, while the DARC Elite 2x lost against Northumbria University in the other semi-final.
Jonny Cleugh J16 1x
The DARC/Tees RC composite MasE coxless quad beat the DARC MasE 4x- in the semi-final and went on to win the final against Cambois MasC in a MasCDE 4x- handicap event.
Nick Baird lost by 1 and a quarter lengths to Sheffield City in the semi-final of the Open Elite 1x.
Quinn Mosley won two rounds of the J15 1x, both against St Paul’s School scullers, before winning against Lambton RC in the final.
The DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC MasE 8+ won on both days, beating a Tyne ARC MasF 8+ easily on Saturday to win the MasEF 8+ event.
The Women’s MasE 2x lost to Tees RC in the final of the WMasE 2x.
DARC entered two MasH coxless quads, with John Appleby, Ian Boyd, Derek Gordon and David Heppell beating Tees RC in the semi-final and then the other DARC quad in the final.
Izzy Maddison and Olivia Tute (Durham School) overcame Hexham in the semi-final of the WJ15 2x before being beaten by Lambton RC in the final.
A DARC/QEHS/St Leonard’s/Tyne ARC composite Women’s Intermediate 8+ lost in the quarter-final to Trevelyan College.
A DARC/Durham School/Tyne ARC composite J15 octuple won the J15 8x+ final against St Paul’s School.
Tom Pfetscher and Finley Scott rounded off the day by winning the final of the J18 pair against Berwick ARC after beating Durham School in the semi-final.
Wins for DARC on Saturday –
- J18 1x Terry
- J16 1x Cleugh
- WJ18 4x-
- MasE 4x- (DARC/Tees) Rutter
- MasH 4x- Appleby
- MasE 8+ DARC/Hexham/Tyne Oates
- J15 8x+ (DARC/Durham School/Tyne ARC)
- J15 1x Mosley
- J18 2-
WJ18 4x-
Sunday
On Sunday the Senior Women were in action on the long course beating Sheffield City in the quarter-final before losing by 2 lengths against Tyne ARC in the semi-final of the Women’s Championship 4x-.
The WJ18 4x- of Louisa Scott, Grace Beattie, Charlotte Foster and Emily Rodgers also raced over the long course beating Doncaster Schools to win the final.
The Masters Women including Rachel Terry, Debra Harland, Sarah Buist and Kate Sowden combined with Hexham to win the Women’s non-Championship B 8+ by overcoming Sheffield University in the semi-final and York University in the final.
Another Masters Women’s crew was involved in a close race in the Women’s non-Championship 4x+ losing to Yarm School by 2 feet in the semi-final.
Women’s Intermediate 8+
Durham ARC, Durham School and Tyne ARC combined in an Open J15 octuple to record a victory over St Paul’s School by one and a half lengths in the J15 8x+ final.
The DARC MasG 8+ won the final of the MasFG 8+ handicap against the Tees MasF eight.
The DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC MasE 8+ had their second win of the weekend, this time beating the DARC MasE 8+ by two and a half lengths.
MasG 8+
In division 2 on Sunday a strong field of nine eights contested the Championship 8+ event, with DARC’s Senior Men getting a bye in the first round before meeting Tyne ARC in the quarter final with Tyne getting the verdict by 1 length.
A DARC/Hexham composite MasE four won easily against a Durham School MasD crew in the final of the MasDE 4+ handicap.
St Leonard’s School beat DARC by 4 lengths in the semi-final of the Open non-Championship 4x-.
Quinn Mosley and a DARC/Hexham composite beat St Leonard’s in the semi-final and Yarm School in the final of the Open J15 4x+.
Izzy Maddison, Becca Burns, Sophie Hancill and Charlotte Foster defeated Yarm School in the final of the J16 girls 4x-.
The Cambois/DARC octuple beat Cambois/Lambton in the final of the WJ15 8x+.
The Open J13 4x+ beat Berwick/Lambton in the final.
Four scullers from DARC entered the Open Championship 1x. Nick Baird went out in the first round against Tees RC, but Adam Morris, Luke Davison and Jonny Cleugh progressed against Tyne ARC, St Cuthbert’s and Tees RC respectively, before Jonny beat Adam by 3 lengths in the next round, and Luke won against Yarm School. Jonny then won against Luke by 3 lengths in the semi-final before overcoming York City by a length to win the final, securing DARC’s 11th win of day 2.
Wins for DARC on Sunday –
- Women’s non-Championship B 8+ (DARC/Hexham)
- MasG 8+
- WJ18 4x- (long course)
- MasE 8+ (DARC/Hexham/Tyne ARC) Oates
- J15 8x+ (DARC/Durham School/Tyne ARC)
- Open Championship 1x Cleugh
- J15 4x+ (DARC/Hexham)
- WJ16 4x-
- WJ14 8x+ (Cambois/DARC)
- MasE 4+ (DARC/Hexham)
- J13 4x+
Lists of winners with trophy awarded and race sponsor are available for Saturday and Sunday racing.
Results of all races can be fund on OarOnline for Saturday and Sunday
Results in race order for Saturday and Sunday and in other formats are on the Competitors page here.
PalTV has provided live broadcasting of both days which is available to watch on Youtube – Saturday and Sunday.