Crews have an oarsome day at Heads meet
ROWING
ROWERS from across the north converged on the River Wear for the annual Durham Small Boats Head.
They were joined in Durham City by competitors from Bradford, Lancaster University and George Watson’s College in Edinburgh.
The time trial over 1,800 metres, passing through the arches of Elvet Bridge, is always a highlight of the winter racing season in Durham.
It provides an excellent opportunity for crews to compete in smaller boats as they build up their training in preparation for racing on the River Tyne in Yorkshire and on the Tideway in London.
The Head always attracts a good spread of competitors of all ages from local clubs, schools, colleges and universities.
This year was no exception, with capacity reached in record time once entries opened in January.
River conditions remained good throughout, allowing excellent racing despite some of the original 400 entrants choosing to stay away because of the wintry conditions.
The overall winner was the open senior coxless quad from Durham School, who completed the course in a time of 6 mins 16.4 secs.
The fastest women’s crew was Talkin Tarn’s coxless quad in 7.14.4.
Host club Durham Amateur Rowing Club was the most successful with victories in 16 categories, followed by George Watson’s College with 10 and Durham School and Talkin Tarn ARC with six each.
George Watson’s had the fastest open single sculler and their J16 open and women’s double scullers were also faster than senior opposition, while Talkin Tarn’s J18 single sculler was the quickest of the women’s singles.
As usual there was keen competition between the Durham University colleges in the coxed fours.
From nearly 40 entries, St Aidan’s College ran out winners in the open four in 6.23.8 and Collingwood College claimed the women’s coxed four in 7.24.5.
Events with larger numbers of entries were divided into bands as recommended by British Rowing.
Durham ARC won band two of the Open fours while Butler College took band three.
In the women’s coxed fours Durham School triumphed in band two and St Leonard’s School in band three.
There was also a junior women’s J18 coxless fours race which went to St Leonard’s School in 7.30.2.
Durham ARC achieved victories over an age range from J13 juniors to Masters G (65-69) - including both open and women’s senior crews.
The J13 quad finished in 8.04.7 for its first racing success.
David Dowsett and Mark Humphries won the J18 double in 7.10.2 while, with no opposition from other Masters, Gill Prescott and Eva Rankin from Loch Lomond RC combined to prevail in the senior women’s double sculls in 7.49.9. DARC’s boys’ and girls’ J16 coxless quads also recorded victories, as did the J14 and J15 girls’ coxed quads.
There was a double success for DARC’s David Rutter and Nicholas Baird, winning the open double sculls in 7.04.4 and then combining with Will Hamlyn, Brad Knights and cox Millie McIntyre to triumph in band two of the open coxed fours in 6.50.6.
John Watkinson, John Appleby, Paul Rutter and Micky Stevens claimed the Masters G coxless quad honours in 6.42.2 before John Appleby and Micky Stevens combined again to win the Masters G double sculls in 7.12.5. Andy Jaggard won both the Masters F and Masters G single sculls, achieving the better time of 7.58.4 in Division One.
Other Masters wins for DARC came from the F coxed quad, women’s E coxless quad and Kim Forster in the women’s C single scull.
St Leonard’s School celebrated victory in three events, as did Tyne ARC, while Tyne United won one.
Sunderland City prevailed in three events and Cambois and Hexham ARC in one each.
Berwick ARC achieved a 100% success rate from their only entry Andrew Cairns and Chris Eke clinching the open pair in 7.11.6.