Well, we have made a start on our racing season! We had 5 crews at the Simon Mepham mixed doubles marathon at TVSC last Sunday. On a bright but windy day, it was hard work, and we were just outdone by our friends from Dittons and Valley.

Janet Mehers and Steve Hanscomb, coxed magnificently by our senior cox Heather Bateman, put in the best Skiff Club performance of the day (despite Steve having missed the whole of last season's racing thanks to the medics!). They were the second fastest of 4 JS crews, only beaten by Flint and Adams from TVSC - beating both Dittons crews. Well done.

Both our Junior crews had misfortunes: the gentlemen had both made plucky decisions to compete despite recurrent injuries from which they had not fully recovered. Hamish Gaunt and Lea Hodgkins, with their 'own' cox, the elfin Toni Weekes, were overhauling the opposition up the Desborough Cut when Hamish's arm / shoulder failed him, and they had to withdraw. Mary Booth and Richard Davies, with Heather gallantly doubling up as their cox, were nearing halfway when Richard's old arm-seizure problem flared up; Heather took over, and took them the next third of the course, before Richard swopped back in - but they were of course ineligible. Better luck both next time.

In Novices, Kim Burridge and I, very well steered by Lilli, had a row with which we were reasonably happy - and certainly gave it our all - but were beaten by the two Dittons crews; we were pleased to hold off the second one despite their closing on us repeatedly. Jenny Juriansz and Paul Gregory with Judge John Previte steering brought up the rear, a noble effort from our oldest racing member and good to see Jenny back racing after a year or so off !