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.