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• Neil Wallace

On Saturday 21st February, a significant entry of over 90 crews took part in the JBT Inverness Eights and Small Boats Head in fine but blustery weather conditions on the superb rowing waters of the Caledonian Canal in Inverness. Much excellent racing was witnessed over the 4.4 kilometre course in an exciting day of competition which included crews from all over Scotland.

The Open R2 Eights was won by an Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA) crew in a fine time of 14 minutes 54.18 seconds, whilst the fastest time in women’s Eights was also recorded by an ASRA crew in 17 minutes 25.53 seconds in the Women’s R1 event.

ASRA also won the Open R1 and Open Novice eights events whilst Clydesdale ARC won the Women’s Novice eights event. The Mixed Eights event was won by Aberdeen University BC whilst the Open Veteran Eights event was won by a composite Aberdeen BC/Inverness RC crew. Another composite crew from Robert Gordon University BC/Aberdeen University BC won the Women’s R2 Eights with victory in the Women’s Veteran Eights event going to Aberdeen BC.

In the small boats events, single scullers from Aberdeen BC won the Open, R2, Women’s R1 and R2 events whilst single scullers from Clydesdale ARC won both the Open Novice and Women’s Novice events. Aberdeen University won the Open R1 single sculls, whilst Strathclyde Park RC won both the Open Junior 18 and Women’s Junior 18 single sculls. St Andrew BC won both the Open Junior 16 and Women’s Junior 16 single sculls. The Open Junior 14 single sculls was won by ASRA.

Double scullers from Aberdeen BC won both the Open and Open Novice events, with Clydesdale ARC winning the Open R2, Women’s R2 and Women’s Novice events. Strathclyde Park RC won the Open Veteran, Women’s Veteran, Open Junior 18 and Women’s Junior 16 events with a composite Strathclyde Park/St Andrew BC crew winning the Open Junior 16 event. ASRA won the Women’s Junior 14 event whilst Inverness RC won the Women’s Junior 18 event.

Winners of coxless pairs in were ASRA in the Women’s Junior 18 event, Clydesdale ARC won the Open Junior 18 event with Aberdeen University BC winning the Women’s R2 event.

Other Inverness members performed well in each division, just missing out on medal positions.