Dover Rowing Club hosted the Viking Shield Regatta, CARA’s preseason regatta giving crews a chance to see how they line up with rival crews. Nikki Leggatt had a great day for Dover taking three wins. Leggatt’s first race was the Woman’s Novice Sculls where she faced a field including team mates Emily Harvey, Zara White, Ella Cook. A strong start allowed her to push clear of the field. It was Harvey that was closest to her at the turn, but Leggatt’s power saw her stretch her lead to 28 seconds as she crossed the finishing line. Harvey took a comfortable second with White fourth and Cook sixth. The Junior Pairs event saw Leggatt and Holly Hannington facing Dover rivals Z White and Rhiannon Castree. Leggatt’s boat started well and they were soon leading with a comfortable lead at the turn and White’s crew in fourth. Great steering from Hannington saw their boat keep a straight line on the run home finishing with a good margin over the second place team of 39 seconds. White’s boat would come home in a fourth. Leggatt’s third win came in the Woman’s Junior Fours rowing with E Cook, Hannington, Harvey coxed by Vanessa Ware again facing another Dover crew Alex Henchy, Lily Stafford-Edwards, Z White, R Castree coxed Lee Stampton. From the line it was Leggatt’s crew verses Herne Bay. At the buoys a good turn pulled them clear into the lead. A strong drive to the line saw Dover’s crew stretch their lead to 16 seconds to complete Leggatt’s hat-trick of wins. The Stampton coxed crew came home in seventh.
The Woman’s Masters Four and Senior Four were combined leaving Senior crew of Rachel Bailey, Ware, Ashleigh Stevenson, Charlotte Cox coxed by Paul Scrivener facing two Dover crews from the Master category; White, Chrissy Purvis, Anna Gordon, Leggatt coxed Stampton facing off against Fiona O’Neil, Amy Wren, Debbie Thomas, Michelle Meakin coxed Hannington. A good start from the Scrivener crew saw them establish a lead ahead of Herne Bay, Dover (Stampton) and Folkestone crews and this would be the order through the turns with Scrivener’s crew steadily pulling away from the field, with a 13 second lead at the finishing line. Stampton’s crew would finish fourth and Hannington’s crew in seventh.
Dover were unable to defend the Viking Shield as an unwell Jasper Mallet was unable to finish the race with Open Senior Pairs partner Will Coleman after initially leading as they neared the buoys. Coleman would have better luck in the Open Junior Sculls where he was racing Cameron Mackintosh and P Scrivener. Coleman was in the pack off the start but steady built his speed as he headed to the buoys turning in fourth. A strong push saw Coleman rowing through the three leading boats to charge home with a 15 second winning margin, securing the Butch Thomsett Trophy. Mackintosh finished seventh and P Scrivener finished ninth.
The Open Senior Sculls saw Tom Stothart racing for Dover. A slow start saw Stothart a little off the pace on the outward leg. At the turn he was in third but was able to chase down the Herne Bay Sculler to secure second place.
Holly Young, Oliver White, Henry Cox, R Castree coxed by Lee had a head to head battle with Herne Bay in the Open J16 Quad Sculls. It was a really tight race with Dover’s mixed crew giving a fighting performance coming home second by a length.
Open Junior Pairs saw Mackintosh with Jack Castree facing off against H Cox and Sonny Varnes-Stone. Eastbourne got the better start with Mackintosh’s boat in second and they would turn in that order with Cox’s boat in fourth. These positions remained unchanged at the line.
Open Novice Four saw Dover enter three crews H Cox, J Castree, O White, Varnes-Stone coxed by Ware; Harley Scrivener, Alex Sutherland, Ollie Scrivener, Jon Castree coxed by Purvis and Paul Scholes, Nick Walby, Chris Wong, Damion Napier coxed by Stampton. It was Ware’s crew that had the better race with a good start putting them in a three horse race with Bexhill and Herne Bay. A great turn put Ware’s crew in second as they chased Bexhill to the finishing line. Purvis’ crew finished fifth and Stampton’s seventh. Mackintosh joined H Cox, J Castree, Varnes-Stone coxed by Coleman coming third in the Open Junior Fours.
Woman’s Double Scull saw three crews competing, Ella Cook and Evie Holland; Emily Harvey and Holly Young; R Castree and Lucy Castree. A messy start saw Harvey’s crew impeded off the line whilst Cook and the Castree boat got away clear. Cook’s crew were in a three way tie for second place at the turns but rowed away from Eastbourne and were stroke for stroke to the line with Folkestone taking second place by a canvas. Harvey’s crew would finish seventh and Castree’s tenth.
In the Open Double Sculls Stothart and Danko finished third. Open Master’s Fours 40+ saw Jon Cook, Scholes, Wong, Napier coxed by Stampton third. Women’s Senior Pairs Stevenson and C Cox were third and R Bailey and Ware were fourth. Woman’s J16 Quad Sculls saw Young, Hollie Castree, Poppy Worthington-Taylor, R Castree coxed Coleman come third and Holly Dunham, Jess Clements, Zara Meakins, Elizabeth Strong coxed Mallet fourth. J14 Mixed Quad Sculls Izzy Vickers, H Castree, O White, Riley Danko coxed Stampton finished third. Open Masters Fours 50+ P Scrivener, Steve Woods, Stampton, Nick Bailey coxed Ware finished fourth. Woman’s Novice Four of Strong, Holland, Young, Worthington-Taylor coxed by Coleman came home in fifth, Louise Fitzsimmons, Antya Markin, Rosie Mikler, Fiona O’Neil coxed by Purvis finished sixth, Aine Baines, Meakin, Hayley Crocker, Alex Tilly coxed by Stampton were eighth and Thomas, Amy Wren, Anna Gordon, L Castree, coxed by Neil Scrivener eleventh. Open Senior Four J Cook, Coleman, Bexhill substitute for Mallet, Stothart coxed by Ware were fifth. Open Novice Sculls J Castree finished in sixth place.