Sculling success at Southampton Regattas

Shanklin Sandown Rowing club travelled to Weston Shore, Southampton for back-to-back regattas last weekend. As the season reached its halfway point, the club secured their first Hants and Dorset championship of the season.

Bass Andre took the first of five wins for the club over the weekend by winning the Ladies novice Sculls race, the club’s third successive victory in this event, whilst the club’s domination of the event continued at Woolston on Sunday, when Yas Wright, who led from the start, took the club’s fourth win from four races, and with it the Ladies Novice sculls championship for the club.

In their other potential championship race, Daisy Faithfull and Bass Andre had another convincing win in the Ladies Senior pair, leading from the start to give them their second victory of the season, and the pair secured a third championship point with another dominant performance over virtually the same course on Sunday.

Kayleigh Batchelor secured her first win in the Ladies Junior sculls, after gaining promotion to this status last week, this after finishing third at BTC on Saturday. Ben Smith is growing in confidence in his sculling events, claiming second spot in the J16 race at Woolston, and just missing out on a place in the Novice Men’s finals with two superb fifth place finishes over the two regattas.

The Men’s Master 50’s boat of Kev Faithfull, Paul Gamble, Gary Burch, Andrew Tapsell & Daisy Faithfull (Cox), finished second behind a very experienced Poole crew on their first outing of the season, whilst the Junior Ladies four of Roxy Browne, Sophie Atkin, Kayleigh Batchelor, Yas Wright & Ben Smith (Cox), again produced two improved performances, finishing strongly to finish just outside the podium positions at both regattas.

The club return to Southampton next week for Itchen regatta.