Dover Rowing Club saw championship success as the Men’s Junior Four sealed the Coast Amateur Rowing Association title in an eventful race. Dover’s championship crew of Sebastian Steele, Finn Cockerell, James Hale, Jasper Mallet coxed by Jo Johnston pulled away from the field at the start. Difficult conditions contributed to Cockerell’s seat derailing leaving his teammates powering the boat whilst he worked to reattach it. With Cockerell back on line by the first turn Dover were neck and neck with Deal, but Dover’s young crew powered away developing a lead of several lengths at the second turn comfortably taking their fourth counting win, and securing the CARA Championship title at the line. The win also secured the day’s Junior Aggregate competition.

The Junior Senior crew of Paul Scrivener, Jon Cook, Chris Hall, Tom Stothart coxed by Nick Bailey faced a re-row, after appearing to win the first race, due to Deal’s crew being impeded by Shoreham. In the re-race the Shoreham crew got the best start and were leading into the first turn where an excellent turn from Dover saw them gain ground in a three way battle. Dover were in second coming into the second turn and were facing the rougher conditions. Shoreham cut in to block Deal on the inside water as Dover nailed their turn and popped out with momentum. Despite the bow pair taking a battering in the rough conditions Dover’s crew took the win by more than three lengths.

The Master 40+ saw Dover crews go head to head. Marie Cockerell, Matt Barnett, Jon Cook, Nikki Leggatt coxed by Felicity Ulyatt faced Chris Wong, Laine Napier, Damion Napier, Maria West-Burrows coxed by Johnston. The Ulyatt crew got the better start pulling clear of their compatriots building on the lead after the first turn and recorded an easy win. Johnston’s crew worked hard in the difficult conditions and would take second at the line.

In the Men’s Novice Sculls Mallet had a battle with a Shoreham Sculler. The lead was changing regularly as they headed through the middle of the course. Mallet pushed on to gain a couple of lengths but was chased down by the second turn. With the lead changing stroke for stroke Mallet missed out by less than a canvas at the line, securing second.

In the Junior Sculls Stothart and Hall battled the Herne Bay sculler. Stothart moved into second at the turn with Hall third. On the run to the second turn Hall dropped to fifth the postion he would hold at the finish, with Stothart ahead securing second.
Novice Ladies Fours saw two crews entered. M Cockerell, Jodie Lott, Emily Harvey, Leggatt coxed by Johnston, and Cannelle Ulyatt, Kelly Jackson, Emma Sawkins, Emmeline McArdle coxed by Tony Burrows. Johnston crew was second off the line dropping down to third at the turn, a position they would hold to the finish. Burrows crew in the outside lane fighting the worst conditions came home seventh.

The Men’s Novice Fours had Max Jerden, Brendon Ulyatt, Kevin Ulyatt, Jason Cunningham coxed by Burrows, and Wong, Mark Weight, D Napier, L Napier coxed by Johnston. Burrows crew was in the mix for top three placing until the last 200m where they dropped to fourth. Johnston’s crew came home in seventh.
Senior Ladies Four saw Charlotte Cox, Rachel Bailey, Ruby Cockerell, Jo Woods coxed by Scrivener take fifth place. Hall and Stothart would finish fifth in the Men’s Senior Pairs after a collison with Herne Bay. Johnston took 7th in the ladies Sculls. The Ladies Junior Fours West-Burrows, Jackson, Sawkins, McArdle coxed by Johnston finished ninth.

Dover Rowing Club were in action at Shoreham Regatta at the weekend. Dover’s Junior Men’s Four of Sebastian Steele, Max Arkell, James Hale, Jasper Mallet coxed by Freya Emmerson got a good start and initially looked to be in a battle with Shoreham. The crew featuring Arkell as a sub suddenly clicked and rapidly pulled clear. They pulled fifteen strokes after the buoy turn before the next crew had turned and the margin of victory was wide at the finish. Mallet and Hale teamed up in the Junior Pairs with similar effect charging out to a lead and pushing on for a clear victory. Mallet had a challenging Novice Sculls race with swimmers and paddle boards on the course, Arkell in his first sculls race was on the outside. Mallet turned second and was unable to catch Herne Bay on the run home. Arkell crossed the line in seventh.

The Men’s Junior Sculls had Tom Stothart and Chris Hall competing. A good start for Stothart saw him move into second place trying to keep with Herne Bay. Stothart would secure second place at the line, with Hall in fourth place. The Junior Crews would secure the Junior Aggregate Trophy with these wins and a second place. Hall and Stothart would be fifth in the Men’s Senior Pairs.

In the Men’s Novice Fours Kevin Ulyatt, Brendon Ulyatt, Jamie Smith, Jason Cunningham coxed by Tony Burrows had an excellent start grabbing the initial lead. Cunningham stroking for the crew after 2 weeks rowing experience was outstanding as the crew turned in third place. Dover’s crew gained good separation from the next boat to come home in third.
In the Masters 40+ K Ulyatt, Maria West-Burrows, Smith, Jon Cook coxed by Jo Johnston were left a little at the start. Pursuing the leading crews Johnston’s crew turned in fourth, the position they would hold to the line.
Men’s Junior / Senior Four had Ben Gomm, Cook, Hall, Stothart coxed by Emmerson immediately in a fight for second off the line. Heading to the turn a combination of factors dropped the crew to fourth with the distance lost too great to make up on the way home. Gomm, Hall, Stothart and Arkell joined forces for the Men’s Senior Fours with Hattie Aubrey coxing. The crew were fifth out of the turn and were able to maintain this position at the line.

Junior Ladies crew of Emily Harvey, Canelle Ulyatt, West-Burrows, Emmerson coxed by Johnston found themselves battling for points. They would eventually come home in sixth. Harvey and C Ulyatt teamed up with A Bell and C Clover from Folkestone RC to compete in the Woman’s Novice Fours coxed by Emmerson they would finish seventh.

Dover Rowing Club had 3 rowers qualify for World Offshore Championships after competing in the British Offshore finals at Saundersfoot beach, Wales. Jo Johston and Maria West-Burrows in the woman’s double and Tony Burrows rowing with Jon Osborn from Eastbourne RC. Both crews were using hired FISA style boats which differ from their normal CARA approved versions.

Burrows and Osborn had to go through qualifying. The 4 km race saw the Burrows boat grab second at the 1 km turn place. The Burrows crew were unable to close down the Mayflower crew on the 1.1 km second leg leaving them to settle into their qualifying place through the remaining buoys, finishing in 25 minutes and 5.9 seconds.

Finals day saw the weather in Wales deteriorate with 6ft swells, heavy hail storms and risk from thunderstorms. Burrows and Osborn were up first facing international opposition from former Swedish World Champion Peter Berg. From the start of the race there was a clear break for The Jersey / Rob Roy and Helsingborg crews who turned in first and second. Burrows boat turned in fourth behind the Mayflower crew. Running to the second buoy Mayflower had separation, whilst Burrows and Osborn had to focus on holding off the Hollowell crew who won the Welsh Championship earlier in the year. In the charge from the last buoy the Burrows boat finished in fourth in a time of 26 minutes and 15 seconds, only 4.1 second ahead of the Hollowell’s crew. With the Burrows boat ranked third amongst GB boats it guaranteed them a place in the World Offshore Finals.

Johnston and West-Burrows, veteran’s of 4 previous World Offshore Finals, would face worsening conditions for their race. The Dover crew got a fantastic start, even receiving praise on the British Rowing feed at the event. In the mix at the first turn the Dover crew fell behind the Irish Arklow and Coastal RA crews who would go on to be first and second. Fighting for third against Exmouth / Tideway and Jersey crews they started to drop back by the second turn, leaving them in a safe fifth place. Dover’s crew would complete the remaining turns to run home in fifth, securing automatic World Offshore places as the fourth GB crew, in a time of 32 minutes and 4.8 seconds