Alec Hodges Summer Sculling Courses: 23-27 July and 6-10 August
Registration now open
Safety notice: UH Bumps
The United Hospitals Bumps will take place in the evenings of 18th, 19th and 20th May. Click here for the timetable of races.
From the Notice to Mariners U7 of 2012:
The races will be held between the Syon Pavilion and Chiswick Bridge, in the navigational channel in the direction of the tide. The river will remain open at all times. Competitors will break from the rowing code in the following manner:
- The rowing crossing point at Syon will be moved to a temporary position off Brentford Lock
- As and when it is safe to do so competitors may overtake in the restricted zones
- As and when it is safe to do so competitors may follow the racing line
The Editor
Wallingford
A large TSS contingent raced at Wallingford, the first multi-lane regatta of the season, and claimed three trophies: the Lamb Arcade Cup for Senior coxed fours; the Douglas Norris Memorial Salver for IM1 doubles; and a decisive victory by nearly eight seconds secured the Portcullis Cup for women's J15 coxed quads.
Tom Wheeler reports on the coxed four's race:
As the big race of the day, Wallingford bigwigs naturally decided to schedule the Senior 4+ straight final for the high-profile 17:42 slot, affording the the untested Scullers combination of Adam Lodygowski, Matt Moorhouse, Tom Wheeler, Ben Ellison and Zoe Davies a rare, and very well deserved, morning off duty.
So it was refreshed and raring to go that the crew arrived at Dorney Lake, only to find all their careful preparations thrown into complete disarray. Having carefully tailored their pre-race training programme to deal with the usual Wallingford high winds and white horses, they found the lake a very picture of serenity. Unperturbed, the crew went professionally about the business of preparing themselves and their boat for the unexpected challenges that lay ahead and not more than two hours later (following actually rather few and only very minor rigging meltdowns) the five-person combo found themselves lining up on the start.
The race itself exceeded even the bigwigs' expectations: it was widely regarded as the day's most thrilling encounter. Ultimately the Scullers crew prevailed, but they left the arena with mixed emotions, pleased to get a win (not to mention the rather natty goblet-shaped tankard) under the belts but with a feeling that there was still plenty of work to do if they are to carry on their winning ways deeper into the regatta season.
Chiswick Amateur
Jacqui Johnston was the club's sole winner at Chiswick Amateur. In a closely fought final of WIM3 singles, Jacqui finished just two feet up on the second-placed UL sculler, with third-placed Guildford half a length back.
Borne @ Chiswick Bridge
The summer campaign began on the home stretch at Borne @ Chiswick Bridge regatta.
Issy, Sophie, Charlie, Imogen and Gabi, racing up a year, won WJ14 coxed quads.
Junior Men - report from Andrew Eames
The first side-by-side of the season produced a couple of valuable lessons for the group. The J17 quad - Adam, Alex, Ollie and Ollie - raced ASL and were disqualified for bad steering within sight of the finish line. However, it transpired that due to a clerical error ASL had inadvertently boated the wrong crew and so the result was reversed. Ollie M was also victorious in J17 singles - his first race in asingle. Alex put in hard work in Novice singles, winning through two rounds against strong competition, but the missed the final due to an administrative oversight. (Note to all - read the draw carefully!) Adam had a tough battle in J18 singles, losing out to a sculler from ASL.
Senior Women
In WIM3 doubles, Miranda McLaughlin and Zoe Gullen rowed over, the opposition for their straight final having scratched.
Masters Women
Ann-Isabel Walker and Felicity Smith won WMD doubles over Mortlake, while Jo Al-Janabi and Kasia Lawrence took WME over a TSS/Walbrook composite. WME singles was always going to be a win for the club as both entrants were TSS scullers. Rosemary Thom rowed over as, having broken her wrist, Liz Tofts withdrew.
JIRR
Following their successful performances over the winter, five TSS crews and one TSS/Walbrook composite were selected to represent Thames Downriver at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta in Nottingham.
The journey to the East Midlands started at 5.15 on Saturday morning, and was accompanied by lashing rain up the M1, which delayed the trailer's arrival and caused the first racers some anxious moments. However, all arrived safely and the trailer parked up under the finishing tower - a particular bonus given its proximity to the cafe.
Unusually for Nottingham. the wind was a direct racing tailwind, and we thought this was good!
First on the water was Ellie H, in WJ15 1x, and she crossed the line just a fraction of a second behind the first-placed sculler in conditions that were already quite like the sea. The pontoons at the end of the course were submerged and the ducks were being washed off the water by the waves channelling down the course.
In WJ15 2x, Ella and Saskia, professional as always. produced a substantial winning result in their heat despite the ever-increasing waves.
Into the storm headed the J15 4x+ - Ben, Ollie, Jack and Lucas R, coxed by Alex W (at his first-ever regatta). They fought the conditions and finished second.
The wind strenghtened, and several crews returned to the landing stages only to be washed onto the shore and their boats holed or the fins bent. At this point, as Alex and Lucas D approached the boating pontoon, the organisers suspended racing.
The old and experienced told us that would be it for the day, but the young and inexperience hoped for a resumption, and they seemed to get their wish when organisers announced a revised racing order and a new start time.
Alex and Lucas D, David and his Walbrook partner Matthew, and the WJ16 8+ stepped back from the gymnastics of the two-hour 'rest' in the Sports Hall to re-set their minds to racing. Everyone was fired up in the knowledge that it would now be a one-chance race, with medals decided by heat times.
Chris taped up the riggers to prevent too much splash, the crews prepared themselves ...
... and then it was cancelled.
Medals were awarded by heat times to those who had raced, so all three TSS crews found themselves on the podium: gold for Ella and Saskia, bronze for Ellie H and bronze for Ben, Ollie, Jack, Lucas R and Alex.
Congratulations to the medal winners, and to those who did not make it on to the water: thank you for your cheerfulness and character. In a sport that takes place in the open air, we are always at the whim of the elements, and it was just not our day.
There was one small consolation prize for some of the J16 girls, as Thames Downriver won the Girls' trophy and the overall Victor Ludorum, and being so enthusiastic at the awards ceremony for everyone else, they were invited to receive the trophies on behalf of the region.
Now bring on the sunshine - please! JB
Pictures to follow ...