SHANKLIN Sandown Rowing Club took five crews to Southampton for the final head race of the winter. 

                                             SOUTHAMPTON HEAD OF THE RIVER

The time trial event, on a 5km course on the River Itchen, saw the men’s novice four secure their first win.

The crew of Carter Horrix, Paul Gamble, Louis Sheasby and Fred Giemza-Pipe, put in an impressive performance to secure a superb victory by a 30-second margin.

The ladies' junior four finished a creditable fifth, while a changed line-up in the the men’s junior fours crew, saw them produce a competitive row to finish inside the top ten.

The girls' J14 quad of Annabelle Steward, Evie Crew, Layla Katirewa, Immy Burfitt and Esme Walters (cox), rowed up a couple of age groups in the J16 event, showed excellent timing and technique to put in another good performance, in tough conditions, to finish second behind Poole.

Isle of Wight County Press: Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club's novice men's fours in action. Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club's novice men's fours in action. (Image: Abi Swinscoe)

The club’s mixed masters crew of Stella Gamble, Andrew Tapsell, John Langborne and Gary Burch secured a podium place, with an excellent third place finish.

In the rough and blustery conditions, Ryde Rowing Club continued their preparation for the 2023 Hants & Dorset ARA regatta season competed in two divisions — coastal coxed fours and quads and coxless pairs and doubles, for men and women.

The club had a men’s coastal junior four and a ladies' coastal junior coxless pair racing in the first division, and a men's coastal novice four and men's coxless coastal junior pair, racing in the second division.

Isle of Wight County Press: Ryde Rowing Club's novice men's fours. Ryde Rowing Club's novice men's fours. (Image: Ryde Rowing Club)

The men's coastal junior four of Matt Chalmers, Alfie Scott, Will Hall and Paddy Kearney, with Mai Mackay coxing, had a very encouraging row, finishing second in their section behind host club, Southampton, in 21mins 13secs. 

The coastal junior ladies' coxless pair of Niamh Hope and Chloe Hughes, racing above their status in difficult conditions, came fourth in their section in 33.00. 

Club coxswain, Jo Bird, also coxed a Southsea coastal junior senior four in the first division, who finished second in their section.

In the second division, where conditions were marginally better, the men’s coastal junior coxless pair of Paddy Kearney and Will Hall finished third in their section in 22.20, while the men’s novice coastal four of Dan Sanderson, Isaac Gibson, Charlie Watts and Lars Groothuis, with Jo Bird coxing, continued to progress, finishing third in their section in 21.11.