Dover Rowing Club had a successful start to the 2025 season competing in the Southampton Coastal Head of the River Race and the Adur Head.
At Southampton, Senior Pair Jasper Mallet and Will Coleman, started well chasing down the two BTC crews setting off before them in time trial format. Rowing a good course, Dover’s crew were progressing well when they caught a Junior Pair from Worthing already on the course. Poor steering from Worthing led to a collision which held Dover’s crew up, leaving them to come home fourth in a time of 19 min 32 sec. At the Adur Head the Dover pair had a storming race, determined to make up for the disappointment in Southampton. Racing with the tide in their favour, they rapidly closed down the Bexhill crew in front of them and started picking off the Men’s Double crews released earlier in the time trial. Eating through the doubles, the Dover crew crossed the line in second, after being released in seventh, easily securing the first place result in the Senior Pairs in a time of 14 min 29 sec.

Tom Stothart competed in the Senior Sculls events both days. Stothart had been battling illness leading into the events and had to work hard to fulfil his potential. This paid off with a strong second place in Southampton, finishing in 18 min 54 sec. On the Adur, Stothart was looking good for the win as he powered down the course. Misfortune set in at the start of the final 750m straight when his fixed shoes separated from their footplate. Despite this challenge, Stothart managed hold on for second place in a time of 14 min 37 sec.
Dover had two crews in the Woman’s Double Sculls, Emily Harvey and Janice Bradford racing against Holly Hannington and Alex Henchy in her first ever race. Competing against crews with better knowledge of the course, the new combinations acquitted themselves well, with Harvey / Bradford coming home in fifth in 23 min 42 sec and Hannington and Henchy in sixth in 24 min 55 sec. Hannington and Harvey combined for the Double Sculls on the Adur. Their race was against the tide and saw them face strong cross winds. A determined performance saw them home in second place behind a strong Shoreham crew in a time of 20 min 27 sec.
Nikki Leggatt made her debut in a sculls race on the Adur after working hard in the off season to prepare for the challenge. Despite the strong cross winds, Leggatt performed well placing third behind two Shoreham scullers on their home course, in a time of 21 min 55 sec.
A late seat change saw the Woman’s Novice Crew having to race in the Junior category. The crew of Bradford, Leggatt, Henchy, Harvey coxed by Hannington, performed well with a strong start and a hard driving finish where they secured an excellent third place in a time of 16 min 42 seconds.