Youth and experience shine through in regatta
Stirling Rowing Club had their most successful weekend on the Caledonian Canal last weekend at the Fours/Quads and Small Boats Head Rac.
Organised by Inverness Rowing Club. This regular fixture in the winter calendar had its biggest ever entry with more than 570 boats competing from across Scotland down the winding 4.5km course on the canal.
For Stirling, it was an opportunity for a club weekend away with 38 athletes and 19 boats transported to the event - the club’s largest ever entry in the two-day regatta.
And in spite of the cold conditions and early morning frost, the days turned out to be beautiful, crisp and sunny making for great racing conditions.
The racing was spread across four divisions, two each day, and Stirling entered multiple crews in each division. On day one, the club had 14 crews entered across two divisions in a variety of categories. Highlights from Saturday included a win for the women’s restricted two coxed quad of Christine Graveling, Eilidh Cuthbertson, Lindsey Arnott, Natalie Firth and cox Ollie Plank.
Rebekah Kittridge and Ellie Butler also had an excellent race finishing second out of 12 crews in the women’s novice double sculls category while the junior 16 boys quad of Robbie Waddell, Ruairidh Reid, Joshie Matthews and Quinn O’Donnell came second to George Watson’s College in a tough race. The women’s equivalent junior 16 quad of Rebecca Plank, Melissa McGarva, Rachael Graveling and Isla were third.
In a rare outing rowing rather than sculling, the junior boys crew of Rory Duncan, Ardal MacKenzie, Ruairidh Reid, Robbie Waddell and cox Eleanor Culley combined to compete in a novice coxed four coming an excellent second place in this event.
On day two, the club had 24 different crews across both divisions with even more impressive results. A first win came in the women’s junior 15 double for Rachael Graveling and Rebecca Plank and the girls were closely followed by Ruairidh Reid who looked strong in his junior 15 single scull, finishing in second place behind the current Scottish champion.
The club’s most experienced crew with an average age of more than 65 were on impressive form winning gold in the Masters coxed four with a crew of David Plank, Ian Robb, Andrew Hilley, Dave Sannachan and cox Ollie Plank.
And the mixed Masters quad of Sam Sellars, Dave Sannachan, Graeme Duff and Sandra Engstrom were also successful.
Second places went to the open quad of Ross Marchbank, Gregor Hall, John Dunse and Graeme Duff; Sandra Engstrom and Sam Sellars in the women’s Masters double and Christine Graveling and Natalie Firth in the women’s restricted two event.
In the single sculls, the experienced Billy Brown continued to dominate his category with a great win in the Masters event. Gordon Henderson also did well in the Masters single scull finishing second in the younger age category.
Overall it was a great weekend at one of the toughest events of the year – a significant team effort from the athletes, coaches and supporters and the club is grateful to Stirling Trailer Centre for the towing vehicle which enabled them to transport all 19 boats.
The next event for the club is the National Indoor Rowing Championships on Saturday, November 23 in Motherwell.