29/05/06

Winning at Wallingford

Success for Upper Thames at Wallingford Regatta on 30th April was significant because it came with a win for a men’s crew of whom three had joined Upper Thames as juniors.

This event is now held on the man-made Dorney Rowing Lake near Windsor which will host the World Rowing Championships in August. Its seven-lane 2000 metre course is now among the best in the world and the crew of Ollie Davies (bow) Ed House, Jamie Smith, Tom Davies (stroke) and Peta-Ann Goosen (cox) were determined to do it justice.

They beat five other crews in a straight final to win men’s Senior 4 coxed fours. It was the first major success for Ed, Jamie and Tom who joined the Upper Thames junior squad some three years ago and was Ollie Davies’s first ever regatta. He joined Upper Thames as a novice earlier this year.

Second win at Wallingford for Upper Thames came from Rebecca Sadler and Naomi Ashcroft who dominated the women’s Elite pairs event to win by a margin of three lengths.

Upper Thames also sent some of its juniors to race at Evesham Regatta on Saturday 29th April and here again had surprising success. The regatta is raced over 1000 metres with a staggered start and the women’s Junior 14 double-sculling event had six entries. The Upper Thames crew of Emma-Jane Girling (bow) and Katherine Poulter were therefore required to race three times - in a heat, semi-final and final.

At half way in the final Emma-Jane and Katherine were two lengths down but starting to pull back. With 250 metres to go they put in their big push, drew level and went into the lead in the last few strokes to win by half a length. This was a great first win for this pair of juniors.