Issue 142

Rowing Club Latest

08th May 2006

The inaugural Welsh Boat Race was held on the Taff River in Cardiff, and got off to a fantastic start on the 29th March with both Men's and Women's eights competing. Both Swansea crews rowed very well considering the men's crew not trained in an eight at all before, and the women's crew had only trained once!

After battling it out downstream from the Penarth Road Bridge into Cardiff Bay for 2500m, Cardiff were victorious in both races. The Welsh Challenge Cup, kindly sponsored by the Tomos Watkin Brewery of Swansea, will be guarded proudly by Cardiff University until it goes up for grabs again next year. The challenge was set for next year in the pub afterwards by club captain Henry Hilsdon, ensuring the continuation of a fantastic event.

The rowing club made their second appearance in BUSA at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham this year, entering two women's and two men's coxed fours. After gruelling time trials down the 1750m course, unfortunately the 1st women's crew missed out on qualifying for the semi finals by 0.48 of a second, and the 1st men's crew by 4 seconds. The 2nd men and women's crews also rowed admirably, but failed to qualify by a slightly bigger margin.

The 500m sprints were also entered by all four crews, the 1st men's crew getting from the heats to the semi finals and the 1st women's crew getting disqualified for not being at the start on time! The final race of the Bank Holiday weekend was on Mayday, when Tim Stickley competed in the single scull - he came 3rd in his heat, beating Sheffield, and went on to the repechage (a second chance of getting into the semi finals). He lost in this race, but was still quite chuffed as he was competing in a coastal scull!

Everybody had a great time and the results were an improvement on last year - next year, the rowing club will be at the top of the scoreboard!

Tim Stickley