St Neots Rowing Club headed to Bedford for the Star rowing club head of the river on Sunday 22nd January, a time-trial style race over a 2km course. With a large junior contingent, as well as several crews from the senior squads, St Neots came back with a large number of tankards – the prize traditionally given at rowing competitions.
The junior four of Jack Jakins, Ethan Page, Nick Shorten, & Adam Williams, with cox Emma Harris raced in a senior category racing against older and more experienced crews. They won by an impressive seven seconds. Bryce Taylor then replaced Jack for another senior event, racing against senior novice crews, this time winning by one second. Both events show the commitment these rowers have displayed in recent months is paying off. Andy & Ethan then combined once more to win their junior 17 double sculls events.
Four other juniors, Zoe Adamson, Hannah Bousfield, Olivia Hooper, Louise Shorten, & cox Danielle Lewell won their event, the J14 quads, by 26 seconds. In the J13 double, Jamie Lynn & Shaun Parren won their event by 11 seconds. Also in the J13 double, but in the women’s event, Voirrey Taylor & Zoe Adamson won their category by 24 seconds.
All of these results show the winning ways of the St Neots junior squads are set to continue well into the future. The senior squads had representatives racing as well, the highlight of which was the senior women novices winning their first event. The crew of Angela de Stefano, Louise Rushworth, Rachel Tackley, & Lynne Taylor coxed by Sarah Porteus, won the novice four event by 28 seconds against their nearest rivals. Their coach Andy Taylor was especially pleased to see the result of all his tortuous training sessions was a comprehensive victory.
The senior women crew of Ali Brown, Sarah Davies, Helen Knowles, & Sarah Porteus, then won their event racing in a coxed four, by just four seconds. Ali & Helen teamed up again to see them victorious in the double sculls event. Finally, this race report would not be complete without mentioning the oarsome [sic] performance of John Knights, winning his age category in the senior men’s single sculls by 16 seconds.