Dover Rowing Club were in action at the 69th South Coast Championship at Deal. Over a straight 2 km course going under the pier, Dover competed against crews from the three south coast associations in the annual season finale. After coming second in both the Coast Amateur Rowing Association aggregates for points and wins, Dover had qualified three crews to the Championship races in Open Senior Four, Woman’s Senior Four and Junior Woman’s Four. There were also crews racing in the supporting competitions.

The First Championship crew on the water was the Woman’s Senior Four of Rachel Bailey, Lily Stafford-Edwards, Ashleigh Stevenson, Charlotte Cox, coxed by Paul Scrivener, competing for the Bournemouth Regatta Challenge Cup. From the start Shoreham A and Itchen Imperial began pulling clear, with Dover and the remaining crews in pursuit. Shoreham A were first through the pier with Dover in a battle for fifth with Shoreham B. As the crews went past the clubhouse, Shoreham A maintained the lead and took the win, whilst Dover maintained their battle with Shoreham B, ultimately finishing sixth.
In the Open Senior Four Championship Jasper Mallet, Will Coleman, Tommie Were, Tom Stothart, coxed Vanessa Ware, started well in the inside lane, but conditions were favouring the outside lanes. Dover soon came under pressure from the Bexhill crew who set their boat on a route across Dovers bow, forcing Ware to hard steer the boat to avoid a collision. With Bexhill pushing Dover inshore, the outside crews were able to pull away. Shoreham and Poole were the first two crews through the pier and would battle for the Bideford Bowl. It was only as they neared the pier that Dover were able to control their line, leaving them to fight Bexhill and BTC to the finish. Dover steadily cleared BTC and would eventually shake off Bexhill as they went past Deal’s clubhouse to secure fourth place.
Championship Woman’s Junior Four of Ella Cook, Nikki Leggatt, Holly Hannington, Emily Harvey, coxed Ware, started well as they sought to add to their CARA Championship. Through the first quarter of the race BTC, Itchen and Lymington started to gain separation from Dover who had clear water over Herne Bay. Through the pier BTC made a decisive move pulling clear from the chasing crews. Dover would battle to close down the second and third place crews going past the Dover roar on the beach. At the line they finished fourth.
The age group races started the day with Open J14 Quad Sculls Toby Cook, Oliver White, Alex Cane (Herne Bay), Riley Danko, coxed Jaynali Patel (Southsea). The young composite crew performed well in their straight 1 km race coming home in fourth.
Girls J14 Quad Sculls featuring Holly Dunham, Izzy Vickers, Hollie Castree, Poppy Worthington-Taylor, coxed E Cook, had a clean row to finish fifth.
Girls J16 Quad Sculls Holly Dunham, Jess Clements, H Castree, Zara Meakin, coxed Evie Jones, competed against Holly Young, Rhiannon Castree, Elizabeth Strong, Worthington-Taylor, coxed E Cook. It was Cook’s crew that had the better race despite catching a crab. Staying calm they battled through to fifth, a little behind Shoreham, with Jones’ crew coming home ninth.
Dover had three crews in the Woman’s Novice Four which was split into three heats. Heat one saw Holly Young, Evie Holland, Elizabeth Strong, Poppy Worthington-Taylor coxed Coleman and Dee Murphy, Lucy Castree, Tilly Bingham, Jones coxed P Scrivener. Coleman’s crew had the better start and were nicely lined up for the pier when a late steering change from Worthing forced them to hard steer to the next span to avoid a collision. Exiting the pier in second the young crew would comfortably qualify in third place. Scrivener’s crew fought hard to finish sixth. In Heat three Aine Baines, Michelle Meakin, Hayley Crocker, Alex Tilley, coxed Lee Stampton, raced well and were fighting for a qualifying place with Bexhill and Deal B as they came through the pier but missed out at the line coming home in fourth. In the final Young, Holland, Strong, Worthington-Taylor coxed by Coleman, found it hard maintain contact with the leading crews coming through the pier in eighth and falling to ninth at the finish line.
Open Junior Four, Cameron Mackintosh, Ollie Scrivener, Henry Cox, Sonny Varnes-Stone coxed by Stevenson and Rhiannon Oliver White, Nick Warby, Jack Castree coxed by Stampton competed in the same heat. Stevenson’s crew were fighting for the lead with BTC through the pier and comfortably qualified for the final. Stampton’s crew went through in fourth chasing Southsea but were unable to secure the final qualifying spot. In the final, Mackintosh, O Scrivener, Cox, Varnes-Stone coxed by Stevenson, were unable to live with the Hants and Dorset crews which dominated the final. They battled their way to eighth.
Open Junior Senior Four saw Junior rowers H Cox, O Scrivener, J Castree, Varnes-Stone coxed by Ware competing. A good race saw them still in the mix for a top three position coming through the pier but they were unable to row through Newport, finishing fourth.
Women’s Junior Four Janice Bradford, Lucy Castree, Alex Henchy, R Castree coxed by E Cook were unable to progress from the heats finishing seventh.
Open Masters 40+ had P Scrivener, Nick Bailey, Jon Cook, Lee Stampton, coxed by C Cox came hard off the start and maintain contact with the leaders approaching the pier. They couldn’t hold on through the second part of the race finishing fifth. Three of this crew also raced in the Masters 50+ with Steve Woods replacing Cook. A good row saw them come home seventh in a competitive race.
Woman’s Masters 40+ Antya Makin, Fiona Oniel, Camelia Hunga, Janice Bradford coxed Chrissy Purvis enjoyed the row in a large field, coming home eighth.