Sunday saw Dover Rowing Club in action on the River Medway in the Maidstone Autumn Head. Dover entered 4 scullers in the competition, Chris Price, Robin McCorkell, Nick Bailey and Jo Johnston. With Dover rowing in their shorter, heavier coastal sculls it was always going to be a challenge racing against the sleeker river boats, but as Price and McCorkell lined up in consecutive places in the Men’s Novice event they were determined to give coastal rowing a good showing. Price started first in the race’s time trial format and started hunting down the rower ahead of him. By the first bridge he had closed on the Gravesend sculler ahead of him and had stretched away from McCorkell. The diminutive Price showed his experience as he passed both the Gravesend and the Globe rowers ahead of him by the 2nd bridge where he easily dealt with the challenging dog leg before laying down the power to finish in 10 min 34 sec. McCorkell in his first outing on the Medway was a little more tentative but caught the Gravesend rower and was closing on the Globe rower who started three time slots ahead of him to finish in 10 min 49 sec. Price’s time was good enough to place 3rd with McCorkell 4th in a competitive division. Had Price been in a river scull it is likely he would have been competing for the win.

Veteran rower Bailey was entered into the Masters F1 category and found himself in the same division as Johnston the sole entrant in the Ladies Novice. Bailey was two time slots behind Johnston and he tried to chase his younger teammate down. Johnston pushed hard to maintain her lead over the wily veteran and by the second bridge it was clear that Johnston was holding her own with Bailey only managing to close the gap slightly. By the end of the course Bailey had moved to 2nd in his category with a time of 11 min 35 sec and Johnston, the defacto winner of her category, finished in 11 min 45 sec; 3rd amongst the adult women rowers beating a number of intermediate rowers on the day.

Saturday saw Dover Rowing Club in competition at the 60th annual South Coast Rowing Championship held at Herne Bay. Dover mustered four crews in the open competitions with the Ladies Junior 4’s in action first. The crew of Emily Harvey, Lizzie Foley, Maria West-Burrows, Petra Matthews-Crow coxed by Jo Johnston were drawn in the 2nd semi-final. Rowing in good conditions they found the Itchen Imperial and Shoreham crews too strong on the straight 2km course leaving the Dover Ladies towards the back of the field. Despite their best efforts they were unable to improve on 5th place.
In the Men’s Open Junior race Dover had three Novice DGSB rowers rowing up a division, Cameron Mackintosh, Austin Mills, Tom Stothart, with Junior Chris Hall coxed by Megan Barter. An excellent start was ruined after another crew was called for a false start. The re-start didn’t go Dover’s way leaving them in the back of the field in their semi final. Working hard the young crew kept in touch but were unable to run down the four crews ahead of them who crossed the line in a blanket finish.
With the first two crews failing to reach the finals it fell to the Men’s Novice of Michael Scales, Mills, Stothart, Mackintosh coxed by Hall to put in Dover’s best performance. A tight start saw the novices in the mix for the first 700m when Stothart developed a problem with his footplate. Despite the problem the crew kept fighting to stay with the leaders coming in 4th overall.
In Dover’s last race the Veteran 40+ Open Final saw a late name change bring West-Burrows into the bow position with Paul Scrivener, Nick Bailey, Tony Burrows coxed by Barter. The Dover crew found themselves at the back of the field a situation that wasn’t helped by the safety boat accidentally swamping young Barter. The veteran crew put together a solid performance as they trailed in a little off the pace in 4th.

Sunday saw Dover Rowing Club in action at Folkestone Regatta. The day started in perfect conditions with Dover having 5 competitors in the Novice Sculls heats. Tom Stothart and Paul Scrivener qualified comfortably whilst Cameron Mackintosh narrowly missed out finishing in 5th. Harry Platts and Tony Burrows were further back after poor starts. The final was a very different affair raced in challenging conditions with a heavy wave taking out Stothart. Scrivener fought hard but was overhauled in the last 500m and dropped to 4th place.

The Ladies Double Sculls event saw Dover entering two crews with Jo Johnston and Mary Newcombe racing Maria West-Burrows and Megan Barter. Johnston/Newcombe got off to the better start and were competing with the leading crews whilst West-Burrows/Barter fought for the lower points places. From the turn Johnson/Newcombe fell away from the leaders finishing in 4th with West-Burrows/Barter missing out on points in 8th.

The Senior Men’s Four race saw Dover racing for the 1st time this season; Scrivener, Nick Bailey, Guy Hadfield, Tony Burrows with Chrissy Purvis coxing. Dover’s crew fell behind in a very competitive field and were unable to close down the field after the turn, coming home 8th. The Ladies Junior Four saw Jen Jordan, West-Burrows, Purvis, Petra Matthews-Crow coxed by Johnston jump to a great start finding them in 2nd as they approached the buoy turn. On the return leg the Southsea crew on the outside stormed past leaving the Dover crew in 3rd position which they held despite a late charge from Folkestone.

Men’s Junior Sculls again saw heats with Chris Price in the first race failing to qualify. Chris Hall and Robin McCorkell comfortably qualified for the final with McCorkell crossing in 2nd. The later final saw McCorkell capsize on the outward leg and Hall narrowly avoiding him in the water thanks to a warning from another racer. Hall worked hard to recover from the disrupted start to take the buoy in 4th place but was unable to improve his position.

The Ladies Senior Pairs featured West-Burrows and Johnston. The race settled out into a battle for 3rd for the Dover crew as West-Burrows with her knee heavily strapped began to struggle from the turn, but the pair determinedly held off the chasing Deal boat to maintain 3rd place.

The Novice Men’s Four saw the DGSB boys crew of Michael Scales, Austin Mills, Stothart, Mackintosh coxed by Newcombe on the water. The crew was 2nd off the line and were close on the heels of the lead boat until it executed a brilliant turn taking the Dover boat out of contention. On the home run Southsea on the outside again found a faster run leaving Dover battling Folkestone at the end for 3rd with the Dover boys just holding on.

McCorkell and Hall were Dover’s entrants in the Men’s Junior Pairs. The normally reliable crew had a terrible start and things got worse at the turn as Hall’s blade caught under the buoy leaving them trailing home in 8th.

The open Veteran 50+ Fours saw Scrivener, Dixon (Shoreham), Bailey, Johnston coxed by Purvis give a battling performance. The scratch crew performed well coming home 4th.
The Men’s Junior Senior Four saw Price, McCorkell, Hadfield, Hall coxed by Newcombe get off to a good start level with the leading crews in choppy conditions. The experience of the other crews showed over the new Dover combination as they eased away heading for the turns. Dover secured the 4th spot out of the turns and held off Herne Bay on the return run.

Newcombe and Barter entered the Ladies Junior Pairs as the conditions worsened. The Astor girls struggled as they were thrown around in the rough seas and were unable to hold off the Deal crew in the last 200m leaving them in 4th.

The Men’s Junior Four of Platts, Stothart, Hadfield, Hall coxed by Mackintosh competed in one of the largest fields of the day. With spray flying from the blades all the crews battled the conditions from the start. The Dover boys fought their way through the field to contend for the higher points finish coming out of the turns in 4th but were unable to close down the 3rd placed crew on the run to the line.

The final race of the day was the Veteran 40+ Fours featuring Scrivener, Burrows, Bailey and Victor Evans coxed by Purvis. A solid performance saw the older crew finish out Dover’s day with another 4th.

Dover Rowing Club were in action at Herne Bay at the weekend. The early conditions were far from ideal as the Junior Scullers took to the water. Dover was represented by Chris Hall, Chris Price and Robin McCorkell. The conditions took their toll with 3 capsizes and an abandonment but the Dover scullers coped well. Hall reached the buoy turn in joint 3rd with McCorkell and Price not far behind. Unfortunately Hall had to move to avoid kayaks that had entered the course to assist a capsized opponent leaving him in finishing 4th with McCorkell 6th and Price in 8th.
The Vet 40+ Fours race saw Chrissy Purvis, Maria West-Burrows, Tony Burrows, Jo Johnston with Saffron Walmsley-Preece at cox. The start saw Dover’s boat along with the two inside them having their bows bucked high and clear of the water by an unexpected wave. The experienced crew brushed off the difficult start and pursued the field but were a little behind at the turn and, try as they might, they could not progress into a points place finishing in 7th. Antonia Reed subbed into Herne Bay crews in both the Ladies J16 Quads and Novice Fours finishing 3rd and 7th respectively.
The Novice Men’s Sculls saw Tony Burrows, Tom Stothart, Cameron Mackintosh and Harry Platts entering the heats. With conditions still poor neither Burrows nor Stothart qualified from the 1st heat and, with Mackintosh narrowly missing a 4th place spot in heat 2, it fell to Platts to qualify in 3rd place. In the final Platts, who has only recently returned to rowing after his 1st year at UCL, put in an excellent performance from the outside lane and worked hard in the improved conditions to finish 4th.
The Men’s Novice Four saw Michael Scales, Stothart, Guy Hadfield, Mackintosh with Hall as cox. It was obvious from the start that Bexhill had two strong boats leaving Dover’s crew battling for 3rd at the turn chasing Worthing and holding off Eastbourne. Despite a hard push 4th was the best Dover could manage as Worthing held on.
Dover Junior Ladies Four were on the water next with Lizzie Foley, Purvis, Jen Jordan, West-Burrows with Johnson coxing. This crew combination had little practice in preparation for the event with West-Burrows in stroke for the first time. A brilliant start saw Dover’s ladies in contention on the outward leg turning in 3rd. They worked hard together down the return leg gaining clear water in securing 3rd.
The Men’s Junior Pair of McCorkell and Hall saw them in midfield in the first 200m before they moved steadily through the field and by the turn they were 2nd. The Dover boys moved wide to get a clearer run at the Shoreham crew whilst holding off the fast charging Bexhill crew on the inside. McCorkell and Hall were unable to catch Shoreham but were able to secure 2nd by a couple of lengths.
Ladies Doubles Sculls saw Dover enter two crews Johnston and Walmsley-Preece / West-Burrows and Reed. Johnston and Walmsley-Preece took an initial lead in their outside lane but were chased down by Shoreham by the turn. An unexpectedly strong performance from the Worthing double saw them push past the leading Dover crew leaving them to take 3rd. West-Burrows and Reed were unable to hold onto the last points place finishing in 7th.
The last race saw a new combination of Platts, Chris Husk, Hadfield, Hall coxed by Mackintosh entering the Men’s Junior Fours. The crew were left at the start as they were unable to hear the ‘go’. Driving hard they ate up the metres by the turn coming out 4th behind a Bexhill crew. Young Mackintosh then drove them forward drawing neck and neck with Bexhill with 500m to go. It remained tight to the line as Bexhill took it by less than a canvas with Dover in 4th.

The weekend saw a hard core of Dover rowers competing at the Southsea Regatta, the traditional contest featuring clubs from CARA and Hants & Dorset divisions. Chris Hall was the 1st on the water in the qualifying for the Men’s Junior Sculls. In lane one Hall started well keeping a long steady stroke. He reached the turns in a convoy of the four leading boats taking the inside buoy and turning in 4th place, the last qualifying spot. Although seemingly under pressure in the last 300 m from the 5th placed rower, Hall responded indicating that he had plenty in reserve. In the final Hall was drawn in the unfavoured outside lane. Seeking better water he battled to a more central position at the turn. Coming out of the turn the in 4th Hall worked hard to hold off the inside Bexhill rower but the inshore water proved better leaving Hall finishing in 5th overall and 4th from CARA.
Cameron Mackintosh and Tom Stothart went head to head in neighbouring lanes in heat 1 of the Men’s Novice Sculls. The two rowers came close to making contact from the start, with Mackintosh opting to take evasive action to open space for Stothart. They found themselves towards the back of the field at the turn but fought each other on the return leg with Stothart taking 7th and Mackintosh in 8th. Hall and Stothart formed a new partnership in the Men’s Junior Pairs. A solid start saw the crew in the middle of the field in their heat coming out of the turn but they dropped to 7th at the finish.
The Ladies Double Sculls saw two Dover crews take to the water, Jo Johnston and Mary Newcombe / Maria West-Burrows and Megan Barter. West-Burrows and Barter got a excellent start with Johnston and Newcombe moving steadily through the field. By the turns Johnston and Newcombe had moved into 2nd place looking to hunt down the leading Shoreham crew. West-Burrows and Barter who started in the outside lanes turned in the middle of the pack whilst steadily working to the inside. With Dover’s leading crew unable to catch Shoreham leaving them in a comfortable 2nd place, West-Burrows and Barter held their own in the points battle taking 6th in the race and 5th in CARA.
Johnston and West-Burrows combined in the Ladies Senior Pairs. After a bad start, where Dover’s crew were behind the line as the racing commenced, the ladies worked hard to catch the field. The experienced rowers gradually improved their position reaching 7th in the overall leaving them 5th in the CARA points standings. Newcombe and Barter, another new pairing, performed well in their first race together. Their solid start allowed the Astor girls to remain competitive racing out of lane one. Working in harmony the inexperienced duo maintained contact with the leading crews to the turns where they were hit by another boat. Newcombe and Barter worked hard to find themselves amongst the points taking 6th place overall and 4th amongst CARA crews.
Johnston renewed her rivalry with Worthing’s unbeaten sculler in the Ladies Novice Sculls. The race followed the familiar pattern with the Worthing sculler establishing an early lead leaving Johnston in a fight for 2nd place. At the turn a Southampton sculler was neck and neck with Johnston and it was only in the last quarter that Johnston’s challenge fell away leaving her in 3rd overall and second in CARA.
The Open Double Sculls, which is only raced at Southsea, saw DGSB pairing of Hall and Stothart racing against the ladies crew of Johnston and West-Burrows. The boys crew got off to an strong start placing them in the leading crews whilst Johnston and West-Burrows quickly found themselves in a battle with the other ladies crews in the race. On the return leg Hall and Stothart were battling for 3rd eventually losing to the inside Bexhill crew but kept their focus in holding off the late charging Shoreham boat to secure 4th overall and 3rd amongst the CARA crews. Johnston and West-Burrows came in 10th securing the top position for a ladies crew.
Dover Rowing Club would like to thank Deal and Herne Bay Rowing Clubs for assistance in taking boats and equipment to Southsea.