4 crews represented DARC at Junior Inter-Regionals 2017, with all of them performing very well in the first national regatta of the year. Even after a fairly eventful journey, and unusual conditions at Holme Pierrepoint (Sun? No wind?), the standard set by DARC crews was high, and bodes well for the upcoming regattas.
First in their final was the Girls J15 4+, consisting of Gabby Suggett, Pardis Farahi, Millie McIntyre, Kate Henderson, and cox Katie Warburton, putting in a gutsy performance to finish 9
th overall, with a time of 6:39.1. They were closely followed by the J15 Girls 4x+, Honor Cessford, Mollie Coe, Jess Cooper, Catherine Musgrave, and cox Lily Sanderson who came 8
th in the time trial, and were beaten to winning the B final by just 0.35 of a second, making for a nail-biting finish for all involved.
Also racing were the Girls J14 4x+, consisting of Hope Simpson, Elicia Baldwin, Freya Court, Madeline Elmer, and cox Zara Gilbert, who managed to come 10
th, a good performance for a crew just starting in their racing career. The WJ16 8+, consisting of Alex Roberts, Abby Burke, Alannah Baldwin, Georgia Murphy, Elise Goddard, Bethan Hall, Izzy Wilkinson, Katie Strangward, and cox Becky Jackson, although completely overshadowed by Fred’s shirt (just ask him to show you), performed extremely well, winning the B final by almost a length, and only 20 seconds off the winning time for the A final.
Last and certainly not least, our resident Big Lad, Sam Taylor, was invited to row in a composite 8+, featuring rowers from such far-flung climes as Durham School and Chester-le-Street. Despite having only had a few sessions together, they were still able to come 10
th, with Sam showing himself as a more than competent oarsman.
Overall, the results of the weekend show the strength of the DARC
Junior Section, and especially that of the Junior Girls, setting a good precedent for local regattas in the next few weeks.
Written by Harry Coe
Photos by Ian Suggett and Rob Coe
