Cambridge Autumn Regatta

By Sarah Watson

City scullers had a successful Sunday at the Cambridge Autumn regatta where they took home 15 wins and 5 second places.

The junior dominated their events, some of them taking home two pots from the event that took place over 650 metres on the River Cam.

One of the scullers that took home 2 wins was Ella Darrington, who won her Women’s J17 single by 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Lincoln rowing centre, and she also joined forces with Lucy Ralfs, Esme Mcintyre, Grace Niklasson, Lydia Hilton, Lily Mae Allen, Jessica Moorfoot, Isabel Jackson, Ella Darrington and cox Adam Taylor to win in the Women’s Open eight category. The oarsome eight won their semi final by 2 1/4 lengths against a Fitzwilliam college crew then they won their final by 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Downing/Hills hall.

Niklasson, Hilton, McIntyre and Allen then joined forces to race the Women’s J17 quad, winning their semi final 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Globe Rowing club then their final by 3 lengths ahead of Lincoln rowing centre.

Jack Wakefield-Lilley also took home two wins in the J17 single and Open schools quad. In his single he won his semi final by 5 lengths ahead of Globe Rowing club, then won the final by a length ahead of Sudbury Rowing club. He then joined Tom Calver, Lucas Niklasson, Daniel Armstrong, Jack Wakefield-Lilley to win their quad by 5 lengths ahead of Lincoln Rowing centre.

There was a Peterborough vs Peterborough final in the Women’s J16 doubles event, where Erin Ansell-Crook and Lottie Tasker finished just a length ahead of team mates Wiktoria Szubzda and Sophie Bicknell.

Emma Calver and Emily Fitzjohn also had a superb race in the women’s J15 double, winning by 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Cantabrigian rowing club.

James Goodchild and Oliver Barber won their J15 double by 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Huntingdon rowing club.

In the J16 double, Joseph Beesley and James Garfield won their semi-final by 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Cantabrigian rowing club then they won by just a canvas in a nail biting final against Huntingdon Boat club.

Sergio Read Moreira Lima won his semi final easily against Nottingham Rowing club then his final by 1 1/2 lengths in the J15 single.

Another super sculler was Bert Papworth who won all of his races by 3 lengths to take the J16 singles title.

There were also wins from senior rowers at the weekend, one of them being Eric Holt who won his Masters I single by 4 lengths ahead of City of Cambridge.

In the Women’s open singles Sarah Watson won both her heat and semi final to progress through to the final against Loughborough boat club who she beat with the verdict of ‘easily’

Watson also joined Gemma Singleton, Keely Watson and Saskia Rai to finish second in the Women’s coxless quad.

Gemma Singleton and Keely Watson later rowed in their Masters B double to win by 1 3/4 lengths ahead St Ives rowing rowing club.

The final win came from Jonathon Ibbot, Alex Hughes, Claire Widdowson, Gina Gould who won the Mixed Masters A quad final by 3 lengths ahead of Loughborough boat club.

The remaining second places came from Debbie Hunt-Pain, Debbie Downes, Anne Grange, Andy Merchant and cox Denise Parker in the Women’s Masters E four, and Alice Swindells and Tazmin Jones in the Women’s pair.