24/10/2006

Double Wins for Upper Thames in the Tideway Pairs Head

Rowed over some 4000 metres of the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat race course between Barnes Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge, the Tideway Head of the River race for coxless pairs and double sculls represents a tough challenge in the autumn when wind and tide can make conditions wet and chilly for small boats.

Upper Thames Rowing Club entered six crews in the event on Saturday 14th October and two of them brought back winning pennants - for Women’s Senior 3 and Veteran ‘B’ double sculls.

In the Senior 3 event Elise Cope (stroke) and Caris Marsh handled the conditions extremely well and, despite twice being impeded by an Auriol Kensington crew who were given a time penalty for the offences, won by a margin of 8 seconds.

National sculler Mary-Ann Chalmers stroked the Upper Thames Veteran ‘B’ double scull with Victoria Wood (Henley R.C.) at bow (Victoria is a member of both clubs). They finished with a handicap-adjusted winning time of 14 min 10 sec in a notably difficult category.

Next day (Sunday 15th October) it was the turn of the Upper Thames men veterans at the Reading Small Boats Head of the River. Malcolm Selway (bow) Mike Dudley, Ray Miles and Tony Hughes (stroke) won the Veteran ‘E’ coxless fours in an excellent time, finishing 25th overall out of 190 starters.

Here again the conditions were challenging, with an east wind and heavy river traffic combining to make the North Sea a rather more attractive option over the last 1,500 metres of the 3000 metre downstream course.