Racing Start - Saturday Morning Rowing Course
We will be running an introductory course to rowing and sculling. The course will be from 10am until 12pm starting on the 11th of September. The first two sessions where the basics will be explained and there will be
opportunities to to try boats on the river are free.
For those who would like to progress, a further six coaching session will be arranged at a cost of 5 pounds per session, this includes the use of the clubs equipment and
experienced coaches. At the end of the last session a fun day will be arranged where newly aquired skills can be demonstrated. For those who continue with the six
sessions the 30 pounds paid will be set off against the first years subscription of 60 pounds.
Before the first session it will be necessary to complete a Membership form which must be signed by a parent or guardian. Please note that the ability to swim is essential.
Wear tracksuit bottoms and a light top. No one should fall in but please bring dry clothes to change into just in case.
St Neots Regatta
Beccles Rowing Club travelled down the A11 to Cambridgeshire last weekend to compete on the Great Ouse in St Neots Regatta and Sprint.
This is one of the most popular regattas in the country with crews attending from as far afield as London in the south to Leeds and
Newcastle in north.
Saturdays races were rowed over 1000 metres on a perfect British summer day. Beccles sculler John Cowan teamed up with Lowestoft’s
Rick Warne in one of the first races of the day, the opening heat of the IM2 double sculls. After being challenged hard for the
first half of the race the experienced Beccles / Lowestoft team used their extra stamina to pull away from a young Broxbourne crew to
win by a length. Through a quirk of the draw the semi final was scheduled almost immediately afterwards and Rick and John were well
beaten by an accomplished and much fitter crew from the Isle of Ely who went on to win the final. Rick later teamed up with Nigel
Lyman to win the Masters B doubles sculls for Lowestoft Rowing Club, while John was beaten in the first round of the IM3 single sculls.
After a good result reaching the semi-final at Bedford Regatta Beccles sculler Tom Mee hoped to improve in the IM3 single sculls.
He cruised through the heat, quarters and semis before being pushed all the way in the final by a strong opponent from Lincoln.
Entering the last 200 metres half a length down, Tom used all his strength and skill in an unstoppable surge for the line that brought
him triumph by a canvas.
Sunday’s races were rowed over the shorter distance of 500 metres. These short races are much more closely fought affairs and the
slightest mistake can lead to defeat.
Tom Mee, perhaps wearied by his heroics from Saturday, was beaten in the first round of the IM3 single sculls by a strong opponent
from Trent Rowing Club. James Gilbert, fresh from the day off on Saturday, sailed through his heat in the same event, only to be narrowly
beaten in the quarter-final. James fared better in the Novice Sculls. He easily beat his opposition from Thames Tradesmen
in the first round, before falling to the eventual winner from Erith Rowing Club (based on the Thames near Dartford) by a length in the semi-final.
Tom Mee regained the winning habit in the IM2 single sculls. He won through to the final beating scullers from Trent and Lincoln on the way.
Unfortunately after a hard weekend of racing and despite his trademark surge for the line he didn’t have the power in his legs, to get past a
sculler from Doncaster and lost the final by half a length.
Bedford Regatta
Two scullers from Beccles Rowing Club travelled to Bedford last Sunday to compete in the Bedford Quarts Sprint Regatta which was raced
over 600 metres in near perfect but very warm conditions.
First up was Tom Mee competing for Beccles for the first time and in his first ever race in a single scull, Tom had an extremely hard and
competitive race in the IM2 category against his opponent from Catabrigian Rowing Club but came up just short and lost by one length,
however his second race in the IM3 category was much comfortable in which he managed to beat a local sculler from Bedford School by 1 1/2
lengths to reach the semi final of this event.
Meanwhile James Gilbert, the other Beccles sculler was also having a mixed day. He lost his race in the novice single sculls by a canvas
to the eventual winner from The Bedford Star Club. After this disappointment James won his next race in the IM3 category putting him into the
semi final. There were hopes of having the two Beccles scullers battling it out in the final, however this was not to be, in his race Tom was
beaten by one foot by a sculler from Broxbourne, James faired better in his semi final against Guildford RC winning by one length. In the final
James had a gutsy scull but the superior strength of the Broxbourne sculler proved to be the difference beating James by one length.
both scullers were satisfied with their day in Bedford and are looking forward to competing at St Neots in just over a week.
Beccles Rowing Club used their visit to Bedford to take delivery of a new coxed quad scull built by Burgashell and funded by Sport England.This
type of boat is particularly suitable for juniors and beginners.
Old News
