There were celebrations for Dover Rowing Club at Herne Bay Regatta as the Woman’s Junior Four secured the Coast Amateur Rowing Association Championship for their division with their sixth win of the season. Dover entered two crews; the A crew of Ella Cook, Nikki Leggatt, Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey with Vanessa Ware as cox; the B crew of Alex Henchy, Lucy Castree, Zara White, Rhiannon Castree coxed by Lee Stampton. The race saw Dover A facing off against Herne Bay’s lead crew who were on the better inside lane. Herne Bay had the better start edging out to a slight lead as both crews pulled ahead of the pack. Into the turns it remained close with Ware moving her boat more inshore. As the push for home developed Dover A moved through and away from Herne Bay to open a length and a half lead through the finish line and spark celebrations amongst the crew and supporters. Stampton’s crew would finish eighth.

Open Senior Fours saw Dover enter two crews, Will Coleman, David Powell, Tommie Were, Tom Stothart coxed by Ware, and Oliver White, Jack Castree, Henry Cox, Sonny Varnes-Stone coxed by Stampton. Herne Bay’s crew had a flying start pulling out to over a length lead with Ware’s crew in hot pursuit. Heading into the turn Herne Bay had maintained their lead and entered first but a sharp turn by Ware largely neutralised their advantage. The run home was neck and neck until, with 300m to go, Ware’s crew broke free and started to move away to take the win with over a two length lead. Stampton’s crew secured a points finish in fifth. This win combined other Senior Category results secured the events Senior Aggregate prize for Dover. They also received a trophy for first Kent Senior crew.
In the Open Novice Four O White, Powell, H Cox, Jon Castree coxed by Stampton got a good start with Herne Bay and Deal competing initially. Heading into the second half of the outward run it became a two horse race with Herne Bay. Through the turns there was no clear leader and it wasn’t until 500m to go that Dover pushed ahead, only for Herne Bay to push back as they neared the finishing line. Dover’s crew held their nerve and took the win by half a length. O White and H Cox progress to Junior level with this win.
Open Senior Sculls saw Coleman and Stothart competing. They both started well and soon found themselves in pursuit of Shoreham’s sculler. Coleman had the better turn and moved ahead of Stothart and into second. Unable to catch Shoreham, Coleman took second place and Stothart finished third.
Woman’s Senior Four had Rachel Bailey, Charlotte Cox, Ashleigh Stevenson, Lily Stafford-Edwards coxed by Ware start well and quickly enter a three way fight with Shoreham and Herne Bay crews. Tight through the turn, Shoreham started to ease ahead leaving Dover to fight Herne Bay for second. Despite a hard fight Dover fell to third at the line by half a length.
Coleman and Stothart entered the Open Senior Pair and started well but couldn’t hold onto the leading two crews. Through the turn they consolidated their third place and pushed on in pursuit of the two leading boats. They were unable to improve on third at the finish.
Woman’s J16 Quad saw two crews competing Holly Young, Hollie Castree, R Castree, Poppy Worthington-Taylor coxed by E Cook and Holly Dunham, Elizabeth Strong, Ella McQueen (Shoreham), Jess Clements coxed by Stampton. The sprint race quickly developed into a battle for third and fourth with Cook’s crew pulling ahead of Stampton before the line.
In the Mixed J14 Quad Dunham, O White, Worthington-Taylor, Riley Danko coxed by E Cook competed well fighting hard for third place at the line.
Leggatt and Z White raced in the Woman’s Novice Sculls. Leggatt had the better start and was in the leading three as the scullers headed towards the turns, Z White was sculling well in sixth. The run home saw Leggatt drop back to third at the finish with Z White coming home in sixth.
Nick Bailey would get a brace of third places rowing in a Folkestone composite in the Masters 40+ and the Masters 50+.
Woman’s Novice Four saw two crews competing; Young, Charlotte Barnes, Strong, Worthington-Taylor coxed by Ware faced off with H Castree, Michelle Meakin, Hayley Crocker, Alex Tilley coxed by Stampton. It was the Ware crew who had the better race moving through to third place through the turns and consolidating their position on the run home with Stampton’s crew seventh.
Stevenson and C Cox competed in the Woman’s Senior Pair finishing fourth in a hard fought race. Woman’s Junior Pairs saw three crews competing; E Cook, Harvey finished fourth, Leggatt, Hannington finished sixth and Z White, R Castree came home in eighth place.
Open Junior Pairs saw Varnes-Stone, Jack Castree finish fourth and Ollie and Harley Scrivener finish tenth. These two crews would unite in the Open Junior Four coxed by Ware finishing fourth.
Open J16 Quad saw a mixed crew of Young, H Cox, O White, R Castree coxed by E Cook compete, finishing fifth.
Open Double Sculls saw Stothart, Danko finish sixth and Jon Cook, Toby Cook finish ninth. In the Woman’s Double Sculls Harvey, Worthington-Taylor finished ninth and Young, E Cook come home tenth.
Open Novice Sculls: Were finished fifth, Varnes-Stone eighth and Jack Castree ninth in their respective heats.

Dover Rowing Club were in action at both Worthing and Shoreham Regattas where Dover secured 3 wins and a raft of second places. The Woman’s Junior Four saw two crews at Worthing, Ella Cook, Nikki Leggatt, Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey coxed by Vanessa Ware competed against Elizabeth Strong, Evie Holland, Evie Jones, Rhiannon Castree coxed by Lee Stampton. Ware’s crew started strongly and steadily pulled away from the field. Through the turn their lead started to stretch and they were able to stay clear to the line. Stampton’s crew would finish ninth. At Shoreham only Ware’s crew competed in what would be a straight line race after issues with the buoys at the turns. Ware’s crew dominated the race pulling clear in the first ten strokes and building the lead steadily through the course to a establish a significant lead of over four lengths and take their fifth win of the season.

Cook and Harvey entered the Woman’s Junior Pair at Worthing which saw them battle hard in a restarted race. Fighting with the leaders at the turns they were pushing hard but the inside crew had the advantage and they finished fourth. At Shoreham, Cook and Harvey were joined by Hannington and Leggatt. They started strongly and established a lead with Shoreham in close order. Hannington and Leggatt were initially in fifth but moved to fourth by the half way point. With Cook and Harvey moving clear to take a comfortable win their team mates were moving quickly to third, and chasing hard for second, but the line came too soon on the shortened course.
The Open Senior Four of Jasper Mallet, Will Coleman, Tommie Were, Tom Stothart coxed by Ware were fighting Shoreham and Bexhill off the line. Through the turns Dover were second with pressure from Bexhill as they both chased Shoreham. In the last quarter of the course Dover moved away from Bexhill to secure second. At Shoreham the same crew were quickly into second with Shoreham moving clear of the field. Pushing hard down the course Dover couldn’t close down Shoreham and they secured second at the line.
In the Woman’s J16 Quad Sculls a Worthing sculler, Holly Young, Elizabeth Strong, Poppy Worthington-Taylor coxed by Cook had a good race keeping with Shoreham and Herne Bay crews, and coming home fourth. At Shoreham Strong was replaced by Evie Cane from Herne Bay and Castree came into the crew. All crews were lined up outside the buoys leaving them almost in the yacht lane. A fantastic start saw Cook’s crew storm to a good lead on what was an unusually long course for the quad’s race. At the three quarter point, which would normally be the finish, Dover were still leading but were passed short of the line by Shoreham. This was a excellent performance in unusual circumstances.
Leggatt competed in the Woman’s Novice Sculls at Worthing and Shoreham. The Worthing race saw Leggatt battle with the top four scullers through the turns coming out fourth, the position she held to the finish. At Shoreham Leggatt got a stronger start and was in second by the turns chasing Shoreham. On the run home Leggatt came under pressure form Worthing and they found themselves going stroke for stroke with Leggatt holding off her opponent to take second.
Open Senior Pairs saw Stothart and Were racing Mallet and Coleman. In Worthing Mallet and Coleman got the upper hand and were second through the turn with Stothart and Were in fourth. On the run home Bexhill, as the inside crew, managed to move into second leaving Mallet and Coleman third and Stothart and Were fourth. At Shoreham Coleman and Mallet pulled away into second and were able to stay clear in that position all the way to the line. Stothart and Were came home fifth.
Woman’s Senior Pair saw two crews at Worthing; Castree and Charlotte Cox, and Ware and Rachel Bailey. They raced well competing for a points finish and coming home fifth and sixth respectively. At Shoreham Cox and Bailey combined as Dover’s sole entry. A better start saw the crew fighting for the top spot before dropping into a hard fought battle for second and finishing third on the day.
Coleman entered the Open Junior Sculls at Worthing where he fought his way to fourth. At Shoreham Cameron Mackintosh also entered. Coleman was pushing for second on the run in closing hard on Shoreham’s second sculler but was unable to improve from third, with Mackintosh in eighth.
The Woman’s Senior Four saw Castree move up two levels joining Cox, Bailey and Ware coxed by Mallett. A good start saw Dover turning in second with Worthing pushing hard in third. Through the last 300m Worthing, taking the inshore run, came through for second with Dover third. The same crew with Coleman as cox would finish fourth at Shoreham.
In the Open Junior Sculls Stothart and Mallet competed. The results from both regattas bore the same result; Stothart in third and Mallett in fourth.
Woman’s Novice Four at Worthing, Young, Strong, Evie Holland, Worthington-Taylor coxed by Ware finished second in the heat and fourth in the final. Lucy Castree, a short notice replacement for Shoreham, reached the final and finished fifth, whilst Evie Jones raced to seventh in a composite. At Shoreham Young, Evie Holland, Worthington-Taylor joined by a Southsea rower and coxed by Stampton qualified in fourth place. In the final, the young crew battled through to fifth.
At Worthing the Open Junior Four of Henry Cox, Mackintosh, Jack Castree, Sonny Varnes-Stone coxed by Stampton finished fourth. Mackintosh and Varnes-Stone raced J Castree and H Cox in the Open Junior Pairs finishing fifth and eighth respectively. Varnes-Stones and J Castree failed to progress from the Open Novice Sculls heats finishing eighth and seventh respectively.
Woman’s Double Sculls of Young and Cook finished eleventh and Holland and Jones finished twelfth at Worthing. In the worst conditions of the day at Shoreham Young and Cook fought to fifth just missing fourth and Castree, Worthington-Taylor finished eighth.
At Shoreham regatta Dover rowing club took second in each of the Junior, Senior and Overall Aggregate competitions.