Glory on the Great Ouse

There was glory on the Great Ouse on Saturday, where city scullers gained 10 wins at St Ives Regatta. The crews faced a 550 metre course with a very tight bend, whilst the eights sprinted down a shorter 300 metre course.

Ten people achieved more than one win, with Hayley Marsters being the leading lady taking home three pots overall. Following the national success, the previous weekend, Marsters joined Carole Hook, Bridgitte Lloyd, Gail Parker, Tina Allen, Caroline Calver, Kate Read, Anita Carter and cox Tracey Rushton-Thorpe in the Women’s Masters C eight for an easy win in the semi-final by 2 lengths then secured their win in the final by half a length. Marsters, Parker, Allen and Calver also won the Women’s Masters C four coxed by Tracey Rushton-Thorpe. They beat West Norfolk by two lengths. Marsters’ remaining win was in the Mixed Masters E coxless quad when she joined Tim Lloyd, Bridgitte Lloyd and Keith Blackman to beat Sudbury Rowing club by 1 1/2 lengths.

There were many other victories by the women, including the women’s coxed four of Hayley Shipton, Gemma Singleton, Emma Richardson and Ilektra Apostolidou, who won their semi final by 3/4 length then went on to beat Broxbourne Rowing Club in the final by half a length. Ilektra Apostolidou also won her Women’s Masters B double with Carole Hook where they beat St Neots Rowing Club by four lengths.

Another winning women’s double was Anita Carter and Joan Heath in the Women’s Masters D double when they beat Broxbourne Rowing Club by 2 lengths.

There was another Masters D crew that won their race easily; this was Kenny Low, Steve Akerman, James Baile, Iain Cameron and cox Tom Calver in their coxed four.

The remaining wins of the day were by the juniors. Henry Barnett and Connor Ribbons took away two pots each as they won their J16 double by four lengths in their semi-final then by a length in their final. They also joined Ted Smith and George Woodall to row up two years in the J18 coxless quad and beat Sudbury Rowing Club by a boat length.

In the Open J14 double, Finley Ribbons and Ross Lamont had an impressive row in their semi-final where they won by five lengths against Leas School Boat Club. They then won their final by two lengths against Huntingdon.

J14 girls Rosie Turp and Freya Woodall did extremely well in their double, winning their semi-final against West Norfolk by three lengths then won their final easily.

The Crews that achieved second place were Bridgitte Lloyd and Tim Lloyd in the Mixed Masters E double, Thomas Bodily in the Open J15 single and Dan Heard and Paul Glover in the Open double.