Strathclyde Park Regatta - 22nd/23rd April 2006
posted by Roy R Sinclair - 25 Apr 2006
Inverness Rowing Club achieved success and many good performances at the two
day Strathclyde Park Regatta in Hamilton last weekend in variable weather
conditions in winning four events, - Womens Veteran Coxed Fours, Womens
Veteran Double Sculls, Mens Veteran Coxed Fours and Mens Veteran Single
Sculls.
In the difficult windy conditions on Saturday, a number of fine performances
were achieved by Inverness crews in both mens and womens events. Although
not achieving first places, Ken Sinclair and Ken Andrews sculled well in
their veteran sculling events as did Colin Sinclair in his junior 16 and
junior 18 single sculling events. Hazel Geddes and Carole Wells qualified in
third place in their semi-final in novice double sculls and went on to
achieve a fine third place in the final of this event. The composite womens
restricted 2 eights Inverness/Strathclyde Park RC crew had a fine row in the
final of this event to be narrowly beaten into third place by two university
crews. The Inverness/St Andrew BC composite crew of Carolyn Ward, Hazel
Smith, Mandy Towrie and Alison Hulme (St Andrew BC) was just pipped on the
line by a Strathclyde Park RC crew in the veteran quad sculls final.
Inverness wins were achieved in the fairer conditions on the Sunday when the
womens veteran coxed four of Carolyn Ward, Hazel Smith, Susanne
Standish-Hunter, Mandy Towrie and Laurence Edwards (cox) had a fine one
length win over a Strathclyde Park RC crew. Hazel Smith and Ailie Ord
(Strathclyde Park RC) combined strongly to win the womens veteran double
sculls by half a length from an experienced Durham ARC combination.
The Inverness mens veteran crews also performed well on the Sunday with the
veteran coxed four of Alastair Duff, Neil Wallace, Ken Sinclair, Tom Baker
and Adam Geddes (cox) winning this event by almost three lengths from crews
representing Aberdeen BC and St Leonards.
In Single sculls, Tom Baker went on to win the veteran E event.
Alastair Duff and Ken Sinclair came second and third
respsectively in the veteran C event and Ken Andrews achieved third place in
the Veteran F category.
Duff and Sinclair later combined to achieve a satisfactory third place in the
final of the veteran double sculls event.
Inverness women scullers took part in a variety of sculling events on Sunday
with the Hazel Geddes / Carole Wells and Carolyn Ward/ Bridget Senior
combinations qualifying for the final of the restricted 2 double sculls in
which the Geddes/Wells crew finished just ahead of the Ward/Senior crew but
just outside the medal positions. Geddes, Senior and Mary Clouston also took
part in novice and veteran single sculls events achieving fourth, third and
second places respectively.
The Inverness younger junior squad members Meghan Hunter, Rachael Wells,
Adam Geddes and Shaun Hunter excelled in an extremely close race in the
final of the junior 12 coxed quad sculls just losing out by three feet to an
all male crew from Stirling RC.
Meghan and Rachael also took part in junior 12 single and double sculling
events with commendable performances in both events.
Inverness member Alan Sinclair (now rowing for Aberdeen University and
Aberdeen Boat Club) won Scottish Universities Championship Single Sculls and
was a member of the Aberdeen BC crew which achieved wins in mens restricted
1 and open coxed fours and open coxless fours.
The next main season regatta at which Inverness athletes will be competing
will be the Clydesdale ARC regatta in Glasgow on 6th May followed by the
North Eastern Regatta which takes place on the River Dee in Aberdeen on 13th
and 14th May.