Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Youngsters to the fore
Rowing
Herne Bay were undaunted by the blustery conditions at Bexhill Regatta on Sunday.
Despite the wind getting stronger as the day went on, some top results were achieved.
The younger rowers proved their worth again, winning first place in the mixed under-14s’ race, with James Dawkins leading Poppy Webb, Lewis and Bradley Perry-french and Heidi White in bow position.
Not long after, Dawkins coxed front runners Webb and White, with Georgia Shelton and Beth Ling, to win the under16s’ race.
Adam Taylor led under-16 boys’ crew of Jacob Webb in bow position, Will White and the Perry-french twins to victory.
The masters 50+ race was next up with club veterans John Cox, Liz Taylor, Stuart Webb and Roy Iddenden storming to victory.
It was a close call in the men’s junior pair race, with Bay’s Luke Taylor and Manuel Marques achieving fifth.
Maisie Saunders, from Shoreham, was able to jump in to fill a gap in the ladies’ novice four, rowing alongside Jasmine Amos, Georgia Shelton and Beth Ling.
They gave the Worthing crew run for their money pushing to second place.
Bay’s junior sculler George Holness came fourth.
By now the wind was starting to pick up and the waves were starting to get bigger but this didn’t deter Herne Bay’s masters 40+ crew.
Coxed by Jacob Webb, the crew of Liz Taylor, Stuart Webb, Darren White and John Cox, finished second, close to winners Folkestone.
For the first time this season, Bradley and Lewis Perry-french, Will White, Harry Taylor and Adam Taylor (cox), rowed together in the men’s novice four race. They gave it a good go to finish third.
The ladies’ junior four crew of Scarlett Bates, Heidi White, Poppy Webb and Emily Noyes and James Dawkins (cox) came in well ahead of the other crews to secure a convincing win.
Bay’s other ladies’ junior four crew of Jasmine Amos, Georgia Shelton, RoseMarie Hollywood and Beth Ling, with John Cox (cox), came in a respectable fourth.
The ladies’ double sculls of Scarlett Bates and Liz Taylor battled to get a deserved first place for Bay’s final win of the day.
The last race saw the men’s junior four power through the other 10 crews. John Cox skilfully coxed James Dawkins, Harry Taylor, Luke Taylor and Manuel Marques into an excellent second place.