BTC ROWING CLUB

Itchen Imperial Senior Four, drawn to face London RC “A” in the first round of this year’s Henley Royal Regatta World Challenge Cup after successfully qualifying on Friday, put in another measured performance as they rounded their turning buoys level with BTC and Christchurch at Swanage on Saturday, BTC must have thought they were in with a chance of regaining past glory as they moved one length ahead but, with 200 mtrs remaining, Itchen raised their rate to come level and neither BTC nor Christchurch could stay with them as they eased away  to win by 2 lengths, with BTC in second place just a canvas ahead of Christchurch.

With 153 crews and Scullers competing the full 40 race 6 ½  hours programme of Hants and Dorset Championship racing there were few upsets. Itchen Imperial Senior Ladies added another point to their total to move ahead of Christchurch 4 – 3 and BTC with Michelle Muscroft, Rosie Upsill – Goddard, Anna Wardlaw, Sophie Maxwell (Stk) Chloe Weaver (Cox) secured the Ladies Junior Fours title with a well timed finish, crossing the line a canvas ahead of Coalporters who had let a 2 lengths lead slip away. Ladies Veteran +40 racing was introduced as a trial event and with the ladies seemingly not worried about disclosing their age attracted a full entry of six crews in a closely fought race that saw Southampton, Christchurch and BTC/Southampton composite well matched as they turn their buoys together ahead of Poole, Coalporters and Westover, but it wasn’t until the last 300 mtrs that the BTC/Southampton composite crew Jackie Hitchins, Jackie Rose, Elaine Nichols, Kaye Hume (Stk) proved the stronger, moving 2 lengths ahead of Christchurch and Southampton as they crossed the line.

In the small boats Itchen Imperial’s Tom Foad continued to dominate the Junior Sculls Championship as he notched up his sixth win of the season and Chris Schreiber of Lymington closed the gap on Richard Hume of BTC to make it 3-4 with three regattas remaining in the Men’s Senior Sculls Championship after Hume got tangled with a mooring buoy. In the Men’s Junior Pairs L Darlow and A Esinduy of Westover remained the only crew unbeaten with an emphatic 4 lengths victory over Lymington and Southampton’s Andria Davies and Ann Beastal moved ahead of Itchen Imperial in the Championship to make it 3-2 in the Ladies Senior Pairs with a 4 lengths win over Poole and Christchurch.