Sourport weekend was peppered with wins for BRC, including two sculling event wis for Charlotte Jukes and the one for the women's novice four. The mens squad also won many of their races, often being pipped in the later stages of the event.
First wins for BRC's women
There was great celebration on Sunday as the Bridgnorth women’s coxed novice four eased past Bewdley, Ironbridge and Worcester to win the novice division.
The new women’s squad also built on the progress they had made at regattas earlier in the season by putting in some good displays against strong crews in the women’s intermediate three eight.
The women’s coxed novice four of Rhiannon Jones, Anna Gosney, Leonie Hudson and Gemma Becke, coxed by Richard Mottram, came very close to losing their novice status on Saturday as they lost by inches to Worcester A over 1100m in a very exciting straight final. That experience laid the foundations for the success that followed on Sunday for the slightly different crew of Rhiannon Jones, Anna Gosney, Leonie Hudson and Selina Green, who were competing together for the first time and were coxed to victory by Joe Bytheway. They led from the start in each of their three races and beat Worcester B comfortably in the final over the 500m course. All five of the crew were awarded with their first victory pots and celebrated in what is the traditional way for a crew who win their novices – by jumping into the river!
The women’s squad again rowed up a category to compete in the coxed intermediate three eight, with only Lucy Wilson at the time having lost her novice status. Lucy was joined in the eight on Saturday by Rhiannon Jones, Anna Gosney, Leonie Hudson, Katie Howell, Gemma Becke, Sophie Wright and Lucy Wycherley. The crew, coxed by Richard Mottram put in a strong effort against Bath Minerva to lose in the first heat by only four feet over 1100m. On Sunday, a slightly different crew with Selina Green rowing in place of Lucy Wycherley competed against Stourport in the semi-final over 500m, this time losing by just three feet.
The women’s squad are mostly very new to rowing and have made tremendous progress during this regatta season. They have been very ably captained, organised and coached by Sue and Rhiannon Jones. Their aim now is to compete in the longer distance head races over the winter and to work hard together in training in order to build on their achievements so far in next year’s summer regatta season. The squad welcomes new members, who can contact Rhiannon Jones on 07946 530673.
Charlotte leads junior wins
From the club's junior section, Charlotte Jukes competed in both the J16 event and the tough Intermediate 2 single sculls on both days. Charlotte put in a very strong performance in all her events, and won both women's J16 events. On Sunday Charlotte beat Hollingworth Lake by 3ft, and won convincingly over Amy Jones of Worcester on Saturday.
On Sunday's sprint course, Joe Bytheway put in a strong performance in the J14 Single Sculls event.
Mens Events
On Saturday, Daryl Breakwell, Simon Kett, Matt Pilsbury, Chris Thomas, Richard Pilsbury, John Allen, Andy Pilsbury and Rich Mottram were coxed by Vicky Wright in the Open Intermediate 3 eight. In the first time racing together as a crew, they beat Warwick convincingly to reach the semi final of their event. The crew had a very strong finish in their final race, gaining over half a length in the final few strokes of the race to finish only a canvas behind their opposition Minerva Bath, who went on to win the event.
Two mens fours from Bridgnorth raced in the same event at Intermediate 2 level over Sunday's upstream sprint course. Rich Shropshire, Matt Walker, Andy Cropper and Daryl Breakwell were coxed by Vicky Wright and were beaten by only a canvas by Stourport in the semi-final of the event. James Griffin, Simon Kett, Phil Wood and Chris Thomas, who were coxed by Emma Walker, beat Warwick in the semi-final to face the same Stourport crew in the final. Stourport narrowly beat the Bridgnorth crew by a canvas to win the event.
Matt Walker, Chris Thomas, Rich Shropshire, James Griffin, Simon Kett, Daryl Breakwell, Phil Wood and Andy Cropper were coxed by Emma Walker in Sunday's Open Intermediate 2 Eights event, where they competed against Minerva bath in the final of the event.
Also competing on Sunday's sprint course was Richard Mottram, in a particularly large 14-crew Novice Sculls event. Richard reached the final of the event, with a number of impressive wins over his opposition. Brothers Pat and Martin Brown raced for the first time in a double scull, at Intermediate 3 level where they beat Bradford on Avon to reach the semi final of their event and finish narrowly behind their opposition. Pat and Martin were joined by John Allen and Matt Pilsbury in an Intermediate 3 four coxed by Vicky Wright, where they narrowly lost to Ross in the final of the event.