Dover Rowing Club were in action at Hasting Regatta at the weekend, the opening regatta of the CARA season. A good start to the season saw Dover secure a string of seconds behind a dominant Shoreham Club performance. Cameron Mackintosh and Sonny Varnes-Stone, a new pairing for this season, competed in the Open Junior Pairs. A good start saw them in the top six through the first quarter of the 2 km course. Gaining speed they moved to fourth entering the turn which they executed brilliantly to come out in second. The chase was on but, whilst gaining ground, they were unable to catch the lead crew securing second place. The Woman’s Junior Pair had Emily Harvey and Holly Hannington seeking to improve on the men’s performance. A good push from the start moved the pair into a battle for first. It was looking good going into the turns with Dover in second and, with neither boat making a mistake, the push was on for the line. The proximity of previous races took enough of a toll to prevent the pair from holding onto the lead boat, seeing them comfortably taking second.

The Woman’s Senior Four of Ashleigh Stevenson, Vanessa Ware, Rachel Bailey, Charlotte Cox with Jasper Mallet at cox moved well off the line and were competing with the Shoreham crew on the outward leg. Heading to the buoys Shoreham moved clear and maintained a good lead on the way back, whilst Dover’s crew comfortably maintained their second place to the line. The Open Senior Pairs saw Will Coleman and Jasper Mallet compete. They started well and were in a three way battle through the outward leg. At the turns they came out in second with a comfortable lead over the Deal crew. Slow water in the middle of the course saw Shoreham pull away and Deal start to close but, breaking into better water, they jumped away from Deal to secure second.
The Woman’s Junior Four featuring Cemelia Hanga, Janice Bradford, Hannington, Harvey coxed by Ware, moved away from the field with two other crews, and were initially leading. Through the turn they came out narrowly in third holding the gap to the other two crews. The racing was tight with a close finish and Dover securing third.
Open Junior Sculls had Coleman as Dover’s entry. The race started well and, competing with the lead crews, he steady increased his power and moved into contention for the lead. At the turn Coleman lost ground as his buoy had drifted from the standard line. Coming out of the turn in third Coleman was chasing but couldn’t regain the lost ground finishing third.
Open Senior Four Lee Stampton, Coleman, Mallet, Tom Stothart coxed by Ware started well and were competing with the lead crews through the first third of the race. Still rowing smoothly they started to drift down the field through the turn and were unable to close on their opponents finishing in fifth.
J16 Woman’s crew of Izzy Vickers, Elizabeth Strong, Holly Young, Poppy Worthington-Taylor coxed by Stampton had a good race over the 1 km course, battling hard to secure fifth place in a straight sprint.
In the Woman’s Novice Four, Strong, Young, Evie Holland, Worthington-Taylor coxed by Ware were in the first qualifying round and executed a controlled race to finish in fourth and qualify for the final. In the second qualifying race Evie Jones, Tilly Bingham Were in a composite crew with Eastbourne coxed by Stampton finished seventh and did not progress. The final saw a good race from the young crew who spent the race battling Folkestone for sixth place, missing out on the line taking seventh.
Woman’s Senior Pair, C Cox and Stevenson, had a solid race working hard to the turns and coming out fifth, a position they held to the finish.
Open Novice Four saw Hanga, Nick Walby, Henry Cox, Varnes-Stone coxed by Mackintosh starting well and pushing for the higher places as they approached the turn. On the return run Dover drifted back to sixth by the time they crossed the line. Mackintosh rowed with Walby, H Cox, Varnes-Stone in the Open Junior Fours with C Cox on steering duties. A steady row saw the crew finish seventh.
Harvey rowed a controlled race in the Woman’s Novice Sculls, as she focused on her other races, coming home in sixth place. Stothart and Mallet competed in the Open Senior Sculls. Stothart got the better start and, competing with the leader taking the turn, he sought a better line on the outside. This proved costly as the inside line was running faster at that stage of the tide seeing Stothart dropping to sixth with Mallet coming home seventh.

Dover Rowing Club sent two competitors to Newport on the Isle of Wight to race on their 1km course on the tidal stretch of the River Medina. The races are head to head format with only the winner guaranteed to progress.
From the semi-finals Will Coleman faced Taylor from Itchen Imperial in a straight sprint in the Open Junior Sculls. The race was full on with neither sculler giving an inch as they powered down the course. Grinding out a lead as the race progressed, Coleman took the win by a length.

The next race was the Open Senior Pairs which saw Coleman rushing back from his sculls race to join Jasper Mallet. A three boat sprint saw Dover facing Ryde and Poole in their semi-final. Dover were able to ease past Ryde but struggled to hold onto the Poole crew with the efforts from the previous race still in Coleman’s legs. At the line Poole took the win by three lengths.
The Open Senior Sculls semi-final saw Mallet facing Barnes from hosts Newport and Smith from Poole. Poole would again be the class of the field as Mallet like Coleman came straight from another race. Mallet recovered well to move past Newport, but Poole’s sculler was too strong and was able to hold him off to win by a few lengths.
In the final of the Open Junior Sculls Coleman was always going to be up against it as his Lymington opponent Wallis turned out in a sleek river scull compared to Dover’s heavier coastal scull. Taylor from Itchen Imperial was also progressed as the fastest loser for a three way final. Whilst Lymington steadily pulled away, Coleman chased him all the way coming home second. 
Dover RC would like to thank Southsea RC for final leg transport to the Isle of Wight.

Dover Rowing Club’s coastal rowers renewed their on off love affair with the Tideway course made famous by the Boat Race. After a 20 year break Dover entered a mixed eight in the Vesta International Masters Head of the River Race over the reverse Boat Race course from Mortlake / Chiswick Bridge to Putney Bridge, a full 4.2 mile course. To qualify to enter all rowers must be over 27 years old with multiple age categories within the 295 boat field. This race is run in a time trial format.

Dover’s crew was Will Coleman, Cemelia Hanga, Ashleigh Stevenson, Emily Harvey, Nikki Leggatt, Chris Hall, Tom Stothart, Tyler Amos coxed by Marcus Baldwin. Baldwin and Hanga were provided by Vesta, and Dover particularly appreciate Hanga’s help as a late seat change due to injury.

They found a good rhythm off the start and maintained their gap over the next boat through Barnes Bridge where Cambridge 99 started to move on them. By Chiswick Eyot Cambridge 99 had eased past with both crews going well. Heading under Hammersmith Bridge, Dover were still going strong, but the gap to the Cambridge crew continued to lengthen with Ross beginning to close. Passing Craven Cottage the crew maintained good form as they geared up for the final sprint to the Putney finishing line. A good sprint saw the crew home in 20 minutes and 32 seconds finishing sixth in their category in the final results. Dover were pleased to finish 57th overall in this mass participation event.
The Dover Junior section were in action in the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships – Virtual with 15 competitors across four age categories. Competitors race for set time limits according to their school year group, with Year 12 rowing for 2000m. Henry Cox, year 11, put in a fantastic performance completing 1742m in 6 minutes with the best Dover split time of 1 minute 43.3 seconds,. His age group ranking was an impressive 8th. Ella Cook was the top ranked female completing 2000m in 8 minutes 2.9 seconds, ranking 10th nationally. Also competing over 2000m Jack Castree finished in 7 minutes 27 seconds, Alex Sutherland 7 minutes 40.4 seconds and Sonny Varnes-Stone 7 minutes 51.5 seconds. In the Year 11 category Rhiannon Castree finished with 1458m in 6 minutes, with Elizabeth Strong 1309m. Holly Young 1100m in 5 minutes, Zara Meakins 1084m and Jess Clements 1080m in the Year 10 category. Year 9 saw Hollie Castree finish off a strong performance for the Castree family with 917m in 4 minutes, Poppy Worthington-Taylor 908m, Holly Durham 841m and in the boys category Oliver White 1007m and Fabian Coates 840m.

Dover Rowing Club were in action on the 5km Itchen River Course in the Southampton ARC Head of the River. The competition was in coastal boats and run in a time trial format with each crew starting 20 seconds apart. This was Dover’s second outing on the Itchen and Will Coleman and Jasper Mallet were hoping to better their second place in the BTC head where they missed out by 4 seconds in the Open Senior Pair. In a 10 boat field Dover were the third to start and were chasing BTC’s crew off the start line. A strong start saw the pair slowly grind down the gap to the BTC crew and both crews closed down the lead Eastbourne boat comfortably passing them before the half way point. In the final third Dover eased past BTC to take the lead position in the race and were driving hard to the line to what felt like a good finish. The long wait for the timing results led to disappointment as they were once again second to Lymington for the second race running, by the tiniest 1 second margin, in a time of 18 minutes and 39 seconds.
Tom Stothart competed in the Senior Sculls event starting in sixth place and chasing the Eastbourne Sculler with a slightly longer 29 second gap to close down. Stothart showed his strength and closed steadily. Through the bridges of the course he got closer to Eastbourne coming past around the 3.5km mark. Pushing for a good time Stothart came home in 18 minutes and 53 seconds. The timings showed that he finished third behind Coalporters and Poole by 12 seconds.
The Novice Women’s Four of Elizabeth Strong, Evia Holland, Holly Young, Poppy Worthington-Taylor coxed by Vanessa Ware competed in a large field. Starting ninth the young crew found themselves under pressure early in the race as the fast moving Lymington crew, starting 18 seconds behind them, were soon closing. Rather than be disheartened they focused on their race and building experience in these longer events. Two crews would pass them by the finish but a good performance saw them finish tenth in 22 minutes 39 seconds.
The Junior Women’s Four of Janice Bradford, Rhiannon Castree, Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey, coxed by Lee Stampton competed for Dover. Starting first, Dover’s crew were chased by a strong Itchen Imperial boat. Dover came under increasing pressure through the first half of the course before eventually slipping behind their opponents who were on home waters. The finish saw the Junior crew finish tenth in a time of 21 minutes 16 seconds.

Dover Rowing Club were in action at the weekend in the BTC Head of the River 2026. This was the 50th anniversary of this event run on the 5km Itchen river course through Southampton. With no Adur Head this year, this was an opportunity for Dover rowers to experience a longer river race as the club builds for the coastal season.
The Senior Coastal Pair saw Will Coleman and Jasper Mallet competing. The race is run in a time trial format with the crews uncertain of how they are placing until the results are released. Coleman and Mallet pushed hard, racing Hants and Dorset crews who are more familiar with the winding river currents and the bridges on the course. The gap between the leading crews appeared pretty consistent throughout the race and there was a little disappointment when the times came in. The Lymington crew won by 4 seconds over Dover’s crew who finished second in a time of 19 minutes 54 seconds.
Tom Stothart raced in the Coastal Single and was under pressure early from the BTC sculler who quickly established a lead. Local knowledge helped BTC continue to ease away down the course but Stothart didn’t give up his pursuit finishing second in a time of 19 minutes and 53 seconds, closing to 21 seconds behind the winner.
A new J16 Girls Quad crew were taking on the challenge of a course 5 times longer than a normal age group race. Dover’s crew of Elizabeth Strong, Hollie Castree, Holly Young, Poppy Worthing-Taylor, coxed by Lee Stampton, were the last Dover crew in the first session. It was a tough race for the young crew in unfamiliar setting but they worked well and showed real promise for the season to come. They finished in a time of 24 minutes and 50 seconds cementing fourth place behind the winners Lymington.
The second session saw Coleman and Mallet race in a river pair. A good start saw Dover’s crew hunting Southampton ARC as they followed them down the course. It developed into a good dual which saw Southampton pulling away at the end as the first race started to take it toll on the Dover pair’s legs. Dover finished second 19 seconds down in 21 minutes 16 seconds.

The Woman’s Junior Coastal Four saw two crews competing. Ella Cook, Nikki Leggatt, Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey coxed by Stampton, Dover’s 2025 Championship qualifying crew, racing against last year’s Novice Crew Janice Bradford, Lily Stafford-Edwards, Alex Henchy, Rhiannon Castree coxed by Stothart. Stampton’s crew were chasing Christchurch directly ahead whilst the Stothart crew were chasing Stampton’s. Given the larger field size it was difficult to judge placings as they pushed down the course. Stampton’s crew maintained their time gap with Christchurch whilst they eased away from the Stothart crew. The race was won by Coalporters with Christchurch trailing them by 6 seconds and Stampton’s crew a further 6 seconds back in 21 minutes and 19 seconds. Stampton’s crew also beat the Herne Bay crew by nearly a minute. Stothart’s crew finished in 9th place in the timings, seconds behind the 8th placed Southsea crew.
Coleman, Dover Captain, was very happy with the squad’s performance which had seen crews push their endurance in these longer races and gain valuable racing experience for the coming season.

Dover Rowing Club held their 2025 season awards at their annual Dinner Dance. DRC had a fantastic 2025 season which saw many rowers promoted to higher categories, two Coast Amateur Rowing Association titles secured, and two crews qualify for Championship races in the South Coast Championships in Plymouth. Dover Rowing Club were pleased to welcome Adam Bates the CARA President, from Shoreham.

Speeches from Bates and Club Officials Kevin Goodwin (Chairperson), Nick Bailey (President) and Will Coleman (Captain) opened the ceremony. The awards featured both serious and some more humorous, with the main prizes reflecting the club’s youth movement and the impact of the Learn to Row courses organised by Tom Stothart.

Rhiannon Castree received three awards showing her rapid development from Learn to Row to securing progression to Junior Rower. She willingly has been involved in a positive way with club activities and helped with the Indoor Rowing Competition at Dover Grammar School for Girls. Castree received the Most Improved Woman award, The Captain’s Award for her efforts to support the club, and the club membership voted her the Rower’s Rower award demonstrating the respect the Club has for her achievements. The Rower’s Rower vote saw Club Captain Will Coleman come second and Zara White and Nikki Leggatt come joint third.

Most Improved Male was awarded to Sonny Varnes-Stone for his huge improvement in performance and focus through the season which saw him take his first win in the Men’s Novice Four.

Most Improved Junior was awarded to Holly Young, the Junior Captain, who has been a keen club member and regularly involved in the wider club activities. Young has shown great improvement in her rowing and leadership skills.

The Coxswain of the Year was awarded to club returner Vanessa Ware. Ware brought with her a wealth of experience in coxing coastal boats and was present in most of the winning fours throughout the season.

Club Person of the Year was awarded to David Newman for his work as the club’s Press Officer and photographer for over a decade.

The Club introduced a Special Award this season which will be presented as and when appropriate. The first recipient of the award was Jacky Silk who the award has been named after. Silk has been involved with the club as a rower and administrator for many decades.

Jasper Mallet and Chris Hall received club awards in acknowledgement of the two CARA titles – Junior Sculls and Junior Aggregate. Novice medals were presented to Paul Scrivener, Ella Cook, Alex Henchy, Lily Stafford-Edwards and Rhiannon Castree.

The Outstanding Performance Award was shared between the Novice Men’s Four win at Folkestone, with the crew of Varnes-Stone, Henry Cox, Oliver White, Jack Castree coxed by Ware, and the Women’s Junior Four win at Herne Bay, featuring Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey, Cook, Leggatt coxed by Ware.

Remaining Awards: ‘Up and Coming’ Hollie Castree, ‘Learn to Row Master’ Tom Stothart, ‘Game Changer’ Lee Stampton, ‘She Floats Because of You’ Steve Woods, ‘Unsinkable but often Submerged’ Chris Wong and Damion Napier, ‘Dancing Queen’ Antya Markin.

The Coast Amateur Rowing Association presentation evening signalled a successful coastal season for Dover Rowing Club. Dover secured two championship trophies from the season in the Junior Sculls and the Junior Aggregate. Dover RC were runners up in the Open Senior Fours, where they tied with Deal on four wins but lost out on count back, Novice Fours and Women’s Junior Fours.
Chris Hall and Jasper Mallet combined with eight wins out of nine races in the Junior Sculls securing the championship title and the Junior Aggregate on a tie break with an impressive Worthing Four.

Dover RC finished fourth in both the CARA League and CARA Grand Aggregate, placing second highest of the Kent clubs behind Herne Bay.
The Open Senior Four of Jasper Mallet, Will Coleman, Chris Hall, Tom Stothart coxed by Vanessa Ware, qualified for the Bideford Bowl race at the South Coast Championship with the help of Senior Squad members Nick Bailey, Jon Cook and Alex Nash, finishing third. A large Womens Junior Squad fought their way to the South Coast Championship finishing fifth with Rosie Crosbie, Alex Henchy, Holly Hannington, Nikki Leggatt coxed by Nick Bailey competing. Emily Harvey, Ella Cook, Janice Bradford and coxing from Vanessa Ware contributed strongly to the qualification.
The club has been particularly pleased that eleven rowers moved up categories with Novice Women moving to Junior Oarswomen, Open Junior Scullers moving to Senior Scullers and Junior Senior men to Senior Oarsmen.
There was also success on the river in the early season for Will Coleman and Jasper Mallet and an impressive Marlow win for club members Chris Hall and Alex Nash rowing in a four for Vesta RC.
A huge thank you goes to out-going Club Secretary Jacky Silk for her 25 years in the often challenging role, her work is truly appreciated.