Macrae & Dick Eights and Small Boats Head - Saturday 19th February 2011

posted by Roy Sinclair - 20 Feb 2011, 1:17 p.m.

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Despite the difficult road conditions encountered by clubs, umpires and officials who travelled up the A9 early on Saturday morning 19th February, a significant entry of over 60 crews took part in the Macrae & Dick Eights and Small Boats Head with improving weather conditions on the superb rowing waters of the Caledonian Canal in Inverness. Much excellent racing was witnessed over the 4.5 kilometre course in an exciting day of competition which included crews from all over Scotland.

The Mens Open Eights was won by a Clydesdale ARC crew in an excellent time of 15 minutes 7.5 seconds, almost 14 seconds ahead of the second placed crew from Glasgow University BC whilst the fastest time in Womens Open Eights was recorded by another Glasgow University BC crew in 17 minutes 46.1 seconds.

Clydesdale ARC won the Mens R2 Eights whilst Aberdeen University BC won both the Mens R1 Eights and Mixed R2 Eights. In the Womens R2 Eights, the Aberdeen University BC students just pipped the Inverness crew of veteran and junior oarswomen by a mere 0.4 seconds to win this event category. Glasgow University BC won the Mens Novice Eights and Womens R1 Eights whilst an emerging crew from Glasgow RC won the Womens Novice Eights. In the veteran events Aberdeen BC mens crew just held off the crew from Inverness RC to win this event.

In the small boats events, a dead heat was recorded in the Womens R1 Single Sculls by Iona Riley and Judith Herbert (both Aberdeen BC) whilst the very experienced veteran scullers from Castle Semple RC won both the Mens Veteran and Open Double Sculls events.

The Inverness club thanks all clubs, umpires, officials, supporters and event sponsor Macrae & Dick for their invaluable contributions to such a successful day's event.

Winning/fastest crews are listed as follows:-

Men

Division 1
Open Eights - Clydesdale ARC (Barton) --- 15.07.5
R2 Eights - Clydesdale ARC (Donoghue) --- 16.33.0
Veteran Double Sculls - Castle Semple RC (Holmes) --- 17.25.5
Veteran Eights - Aberdeen BC (McGarva) --- 16.38.3 with handicap adjustment
Open Coxless Pairs - Aberdeen BC (Wilson) --- 18.12.3
Novice Single Sculls - St Andrew BC (Badger) --- 23.59.1

Division 2
R1 Eights - Aberdeen University BC (Scholz) --- 15.34.0
Open double Sculls - Castle Semple RC (Holmes) --- 17.15.3
Novice Eights - Glasgow University BC (Lees) --- 17.44.2
R2 Double Sculls - Aberdeen BC (Hills) --- 18.26.2
R1 Single Sculls - Aberdeen BC (MacIntyre) --- 18.29.7
Veteran Single Sculls - Clydesdale ARC (McConnell) --- 18.46.0
Open Junior 18 Single Sculls _ Bradford GS (Arthur) --- 20.03.3

Women

Division 1
R1 Eights - Glasgow University BC (Finlay) --- 17.34.2
Novice - Glasgow RC (Davison) --- 19.27.3
R2 Double sculls - St Andrew BC (Home) --- 20.47.9
R1 Single Sculls - Aberdeen BC (Riley)/Herbert) - dead heat --- 21.12.9
Veteran Single Sculls - Inverness RC (Clouston) --- 23.35.5 with handicap adjustment

Division 2
Open Eights - Glasgow University BC (Findlay) --- 17.46.1
R2 Eights - Aberdeen University BC (Foster) - 18.48.4
Open Coxless Pairs - Aberdeen BC/Aberdeen University BC (Herbert) --- 20.19.0
Junior 18 Double Sculls - St Andrew BC (Home) --- 22.29.7
Junior 16 Single Sculls - St Andrew BC (Simmonds) --- 22.51.0

Mixed
Division 1
R2 Eights - Aberdeen University BC (Scholz) --- 16.44.1

Some pictures of Division 2 action and the presentation of prizes to winning crews have been posted in 'The gallery' of the club's website :)