Wraysbury & Old Windsor Regatta report 2011

Hi All

Now I know that The Skiff Club has been a mighty force to reckon with in the past but it's been a long while since we've been in the running at the top ....... oh yes, I repeat, the top of the Ormiston League, but that's where we reside after today's racing. And what's more we're doing well in the Vets Pennant as well.

I may have been a happy Captain last week but this week I'm delirious.  There's an awful lot of racing to come this year so we can't afford to back off at all, especially with holidays upon us & we know that we'll loose out in the Championship (Senior) Races, which are double pointed races, at the Henley Skiff Champs. But let's just revel in the glory of the moment for a while at what was the 80th Wraysbury & Old Windsor Regatta.

So how did we do it? Well it was a day reminiscent of last year's Sunbury Regatta when it absolutely tipped it down. Unfortunately the weather men got it right with light rain until 10 am, followed by it getting heavier & heavier through to the afternoon. Great credit goes to all that raced & coxed in these horrible conditions, made bearable by the fact that we kept winning. That's a lovely word ...... winning!

First to inspire the squad came our very own President, Keith Shore, partnered by Amanda Leach making her Mixed Vets debut due to a late substitution, & ably coxed by the First Lady, Hilary Shore, who crossed the line 2 lengths up on their WSPC opposition in a time of 1 min & 57 sec.

I must point out that this was the first of 10 out of a possible 13 finals that we reached on the day, 2 of which categories we hadn't entered, so that in itself was an astonishing achievement. So it was great to see our President leading the charge from the front.

Next came our Gents Novice Restricted singles contestants. Chris Coveney achieved a masterful semi-final win being calm & collective in maintaining a cracking racing line as his opposition careered off the course, which as we know is a regular occurrence on this tricky course. So many congratulations to Chris in reaching the final against Dave (Stretch) Strassburg, who in the end had a convincing win in 2 min 10 sec, despite the Jaggermeister hangover.

Swiftly following this race was Alex Farrell & Sangeetha Iengar, coxed by Valeria Tretyak with their first win of the season ..... sweet. Great to see them getting their just reward for their hard work & training in the Mixed Novice Restricted doubles, even if it was at the expense of beating another Skiff Club crew in 1 min 59 sec by 1 length.

Thick & fast, no that's not a description of our next winners, the wins were now coming thick & fast. What a lovely way to celebrate your birthday, as birthday girl Lesley Russell, partnered by Caroline Matthews & coxed by Hilary Shore, creamed their WSPC opposition in 2 min & 4 secs, the verdict 'Easy' in the Ladies Novice Doubles.

Last 2 races of the day & by this time who cared about the rain.

A new partnership of Brind Waldron & Russell Guy, required the experienced hand of Heather Bateman to get a winning performance out of them to the delight of Russell's family on the bank. They certainly had to work at it against a strong, young WSPC crew, who they beat by 1 length in 2 min 4 sec in the Gents Mixed Novice Restricted Doubles. The delight on their faces was only equalled by mine as I knew that this made us equal at the top of the Ormiston league table.

So could we pull ahead in the last race of the day? You would have thought that the powerhouse crew of Stretch & Caroline Matthews would be an easy match for the Swinglehurst family from WSPC. Not the case, they were pushed all the way by their opposition & screamed at to perform from their cox Amanda Leach, as well as by their supporters from the bank. This was their forth race in the Mixed Novice Doubles category, so they brought it to a nail biting finish in 1 min 52 sec & by just 1/2 a length. These crews just love to worry their rapidly aging Captain!

Where to from here?

Well where else, to the bar of course, we are after all The Skiff Club & we do have standards to maintain.

Thoroughly well done to all of our team to date who have bought us to this point of being top of the Ormiston league.

No complacency though, onwards & upwards to Hampton Court & Dittons next week.

Cheers

Roger