Home turf proves to be a winner

Peterborough City Rowing club took advantage of home turf at the annual summer regatta where they picked up a total of 24 wins and 14 second places. Crews from as far as Ireland and Barcelona competed over the Thorpe Meadow’s straight kilometre course on the Saturday and the 500 metre sprint on the Sunday.

There were over 20 club members that took home a pot on both days of the regatta.

On the Saturday, Peterborough’s Henley heroes Sam Tuck and Oliver Salonna competed in the highest band of the Open double sculls and claimed a victory for Peterborough when they finished seven seconds ahead of Broxbourne Rowing Club. Their winning streak continued throughout the weekend as they collected more pots for Molesey Boat Club.

The leading ladies from Peterborough were Kate Read, Gemma Singleton, Emma Richardson and Hayley Shipton with cox Ericha Knowles-Pardoe who all achieved four wins over the course of the weekend. The oarsome foursome won their coxed four by six seconds on the Saturday then by seven seconds on the Sunday. Knowles-Pardoe also coxed them to victory in the women’s eight on both days. On the Saturday they were joined by Valentina Futoryanova, Ilektra Apostolidou, Megan Fitzsimons, and Lucille Middleton then on the Sunday they were joined by Sarah Sheldrick and Izzy Arthur who took Futoryanova and Fitzsimmon’s place. They won comfortably by four seconds on both days.

Another oarsome foursome that won on both days was Forbes Plumb, James Plumb, Neil Gibbons and Piers Casey with cox Camilla Plumb in the band 2 coxed fours. Casey and Plumb also raced in their open band 2 double on both days, and on the Sunday they were just 0.1 seconds away from another win.

As well as her two pots from coxing, Camilla Plumb received another two from winning the Women’s band 1 single on both days. It was a nail-biting race for Plumb on the Saturday where she just managed to cross the line less than a second ahead of Neptune Rowing Club.

Chris Elder, Damen Sanderson, Mike King and George Bushell won the Open band 2 coxless quad on both days. On the Saturday they finished three seconds ahead of a fellow Peterborough crew then on the Sunday they finished three seconds ahead of Boston Rowing Club.

Benjamin Mackenzie continued his winning streak at the weekend, winning his J18 single with a comfortable lead on both days. On the Saturday, although he didn’t achieve the fastest qualifying time, he clearly saved his energy for the final where he crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of team mate Jack Collins. On Sunday’s shorter course he won by four seconds ahead of a Deben sculler.

Callum Gilbey won a pot on both days from the J15 double sculls event. On the Saturday he joined Ted Smith to win by an impressive margin of 13 seconds ahead of Broxbourne Rowing club. On the Sunday he was joined by Thomas Bodily and they also dominated the event, winning their final by seven seconds.

Despite this being his first regatta, J13 sculler Matt Hand won his final by over 25 seconds on the Saturday and came second on the Sunday, finishing just a few seconds behind Norwich Rowing Club.

The last Saturday win came from Tim Lloyd and Keith Blackman in the Masters E double sculls event. They just managed to take the win by 0.2 of a second.

Ian Palmer and Steve Cranfield won twice on Sunday, firstly in their Masters C double by four seconds followed by a win in their composite quad with Dave Smith and Chris Callow from Leicester and Star Rowing Club by just 0.1 second ahead of Molesey Boat Club.

Hayley Marsters, Gail Parker, Bridget Lloyd and Jo Canton also won twice on the Sunday in the Masters D coxed fours and the Masters D coxed eights. They won their four by a second against Star Club and then were joined by Anita Carter and Leicester rowers Liz Pulford, Sally Horrocks, Angela Holohan and cox Tracey Rushton-Thorpe to win their composite eight by four seconds. Carter also won the women’s Masters E doubles by 10 seconds with her doubles partner Joan Heath.

The remaining wins from the Sunday were the J14 double of Ross Lamont and Tom Calverley and the women’s band 3 double of Sarah Arthur and Izzy Arthur.

The Band 2 eight of Chris Elder, Alex Totty, Dan Heard, George Wilson, Connor Mumford, George Bushell, Mike King, Damen Sanderson and cox Tracey Rushton-Thorpe were close to victory, finishing in second place on both days. On the Saturday they were just 0.2 seconds behind the Newark and Derby composite, and on the Sunday they were just 1 second behind them.

Other second places from the weekend came from: Barry McCann, David Chinn, Doug Barber and Chris Burton in the Masters F coxless quad; Henry Barnett and George Woodall in the J16 double; Thomas Bodily in the J15 single; Connor Mumford and his doubles partner from Liverpool Victoria Rowing Club in the Mixed band 2 double; Georgina Parker in the Women’s J18 single; Ross Lamont in the J14 double and James Plumb and Charlie Fowler (from Isle of Ely Rowing Club) in the Open band 2 double.