|
The regional trials were held at Dorney Lake with a view to selecting the fastest crew in each event to go ahead to represent the region at the Inter Regional Championships at The National Watersports Centre, Nottingham in April. Maidenhead entered 13 crews in 11 events and had six first places and 5 selections. Some of the entries were literally last minutes as other crews dropped out.
The racing was processional and over 1500m, divided into three divisions. Conditions were good, the sunshine and heat from Saturday stayed away (sadly for the spectators), it was dry with a mild wind.
Summary of the 6 Winning crews - which resulted in 5 selections due to some events being too close to allow doubling up at the Inter Regional Championships finals planned in April:
WJ16 1x Louise Entwistle - Won the WJ16 single trials.
WJ15 1x Ally Brooks - Won WJ15 single trials.
WJ14 1x Carmel Bevan - Achieved selection, read details below.
MJ14 1x Robert Ashburner - Won J14 single trials.
WJ16 2x Louise Entwistle & Ally Brooks Won WJ16 double trials.
WJ14 2x Rebekah Kerns & Alice Ancora Won WJ14 double trials.
WJ15 4x+ Katie Lion, Rebekah Kerns, Alice Ancora, Aimee Campbell with
cox Lizzy Gerrard. Won WJ15 quad trials.
The first division was for quads and fours. Maidenhead had two entries, WJ15 4x+ and WJ14 4x+.
The WJ15 winning crew was Aimee Campbell, Alice Ancora, Rebekah Kerns and Katie Lion, coxed by Lizzie Gerrard. Two members of this crew (Campbell and Ancora) were part of the WJ16 4x Schools HOR winners and the WJ15 4x+ Schools HOR winners. They had a good outing and were winners of their event and achieved selected. Their time was 6 minutes 14; Molesey were a close 2nd with 6 minutes 18.
The WJ14 4x+ crew was one of the last minute entries, made on Friday night/Saturday morning. It is a very new combination, this being only the second time the girls have rowed together, the first time they won at Weybridge. The crew includes two WJ13s, an experienced WJ14 and a novice WJ14, Anna Campbell, Carmel Bevan, Maddie Reynolds, Aimee Broadbent and cox Fifi Bevan. The girls were in a borrowed boat and the cox found it a little strange to steer. Nonetheless they had a good row, and finished a good second with a time of 6 minutes 45 just 5 seconds behind an established Marlow crew who won with 6 minutes 40.
Division two was the doubles and pairs’ division.
Our first boat was Max Gerrard and Matt Best in the MJ16 2x. They were a very close 3rd just 7 seconds behind the winners Molesey. Molesey recorded 5 minutes 51 and Maidenhead recorded 5 minutes 58.
The next boys to come down were Matt Reeve and Sam Prosser in the MJ15 2x event. Again it was a very close result but Maidenhead just lost out to Walton by 4 ½ seconds! Walton recorded 5 minutes 57 and Maidenhead finished with 6 minutes 2.
The girls also had two doubles. Louise Entwistle and Ally Brooks were entered as the WJ16 2x, with Ally rowing up a year. The girls had a very clear victory with a margin of 44 seconds.. This was the second Maidenhead crew to be selected.
The next girls’ double was the WJ14s of Rebekah Kerns and Alice Ancora. They finished winners with a time of 6 minutes 52, a sizeable margin of 29 seconds over Sir Wm Perkins in 2nd place. Even though both girls had already been selected for the WJ15 4x+ they were allowed to double up and were selected for this event too. This was the third Maidenhead selection.
The third and final division was devoted to the single Scullers and Maidenhead had 7 entries.
Philip Clapp came 3rd in a very close MJ15 1x event. The winner was Hockley from Marlow with 6 minutes 20, followed, in second place, by Towne of Windsor Boys with 6 minutes 23 dead, and then Phil came third with 6 minutes 23.8.
Rob Ashburner won the MJ14 1x event with a lead of 8 seconds over Jordan of Walton. Rob’s time was 6 minutes 57. Rob was the fourth Maidenhead entry that was selected to go onto the finals.
Although Louise Entwistle won her WJ16 1x by a comfortable 30 seconds, the selection went to Arnold of Henley because Louise had already been selected for the WJ16 2x and she and Ally decided they would rather concentrate on the double..
It was a similar story for Ally Brooks in the WJ15 1x event. She won by by 3 seconds with 6 minutes 59 but because she too was already selected for the WJ16 2x the event selection passed to the second place girl, Delaney from Wallingford.
Our last event was the WJ14 1x. There really was a last minute entry for this as Rebekah Kerns filled an empty slot just 10 minutes before the race. Our other entries were Katy Lion, Maddie Reynolds and WJ13 Carmel Bevan. The race was won convincingly by Wedlake from Walton, who is also a WJ13. She had a time of 7 minutes 17. But as she had already been selected for the WJ15 2x the selection passed down to 2nd place, Rebekah Kerns 7 minutes 20. However Rebekah was already selected for the WJ14 2x. So selection passed to third place, Katy Lion 7 minutes 22. But Katy is selected for the WJ15 4x+ so the selection passed down to the 4th place, Carmel Bevan 7 minutes 36.
Maddie Reynolds finished 5th with 7 minutes 43, Maddie had lost some time due to being boxed in by a slower sculler ahead who wouldn’t pull over and a faster sculler behind who had already pulled out to overtake. This was our fifth event with a Maidenhead selection.
Our thanks, as always go to the trailer drivers, Billy and Roy. Thanks to Marilyn who was busy filling out the last minute entry forms at the side of the Lake. Also thanks to Dorney boat club who lent us one of their quads.
Thanks to Maggie for providing the write up.
Billy Brooks
Captain Juniors |
