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Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club amassed no less than 20 wins at their annual autumn Head of the River race.

MIRC were joined by clubs from across the South East and beyond. Kingston Grammar School and London’s Globe Rowing Club took part, and they were joined by Medway, Bexhill, Dover and Poole. Word had even spread as far north as Newcastle, with Tyne Rowing Club making the long trip south.

In all nearly 190 boats and more than 100 competitors took to the River Medway but MIRC were more than up for the challenge with home wins evenly split across junior and senior categories.

The youngsters took the honours in the women’s intermediate coxed fours, women’s novice coxed fours, intermediate 3 coxed quad, women’s novice coxed four quad, women’s junior 16 coxed quad, women’s junior 15 coxed quad, intermediate 3 coxless pairs, junior 18 double sculls, women’s novice double sculls and women’s junior 13 double sculls. The senior team of Alex Marlow, Jamie Waterhouse, Mike McLorn, Dan Hawke and Ella Knight triumphed in the IM3 coxed fours; Graham Hill, Darren Prentice, Chris Long, David Purchase and Dani James led the way in the masters E/F coxed fours; James Knight and Brian Humphris were in winning form in the IM1 coxless pairs; Robin Chapman and Ray Phillips took the masters F double sculls; and Richard Huggins and Geraint Evans did likewise in the masters D double

sculls.

Cassandra Gilbert-Ward and Baye Drury claimed the WIM2 double sculls, Sam and Cassandra Gilbert-Ward were first in the mixed IM3 double sculls, Baye Drury added the WIM2 single scull, Graham Hill won the masters D/E single scull and Robin Chapman triumphed in the masters G single scull.

Medals were awarded by club chairman Harry Salmon to the fastest boat in each category.

He said: “It is wonderful to see so many people competing and it is a great advert for the sport. It is especially nice to see so many youngsters, some taking part in their first race, and the good sportsmanship which all the rowers have

demonstrated.”

FM4527339 main picture, FM4527379 left, FM4527365 right FM4527374, FM4527350 Main picture, two of Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club’s juniors, left, the hosts’ women’s junior 16 coxed quad team and, right, the winnning women’s junior 13 double sculls Juniors racing up a category for MIRC in the women’s novice coxed fours, and,...

FM4527373 MIRC in junior 16 single sculls

FM4527348 top, FM4527349 middle, FM4527345 right Top, Maidstone Grammar School in the intermediate 3 coxless pairs, middle, MIRC in the masters F double sculls and, right, the host club’s women’s junior 16 coxed quad

FM4527378 MIRC’s masters E/F coxed fours on the river