The Scottish Rowing Championships always seem to creep up on you. But this time at least a number of crews had formed some time in advance, even if the entry system did its best to scupper long laid plans. With 41 crews (16 senior and 25 junior) entered over the two days it was looking like a packed program for IRC, but hopefully an opportunity to watch some great racing also.
It is always with trepidation that weather forecasts are checked as the weekend of competition approaches. Strathclyde Park can lose any appeal when the wind picks up. Patchy rain held no demons and the wind, although coming and going, never kicked up the water as we know it can.
A really composed, and quick (3:40) run down the 1 km masters course brought the first gold of the weekend in the very first race of the championships for Tim Lathan and Adrian Hopkins in the Masters C/E 2-, winning by over 8 seconds. It was the seniors to the fore once more in the women’s Int 4x with Emily Richens stroking their quad to bronze, only 1.6 seconds off from gold and beating what might have been the more fancied Inverness crew. Medals kept on coming as the day moved on, with only occasional torrential downpours slightly dampening spirits. The men’s masters randomised 8 stroked by Robert Gordon, who provided a lively rhythm, overcame masters time handicaps of up to 15 seconds to reel in ABC and St Andrew BC but could not quite get back on terms with Castle Semple and so had to settle for silver. This was the first medal for an Inverness men’s eight at the Scottish Championships for more years than most could remember. The masters double of Steven Andrews and Ciarán McManus then surprised themselves to sneak a silver in the B/C final beating ABC by 0.3 seconds: ‘pretty fast in a straight line, but didn’t spend much time going in a straight line!’, all those outings (2) paying off.
Strong performances by the juniors throughout the day, demonstrating some marked improvements, were capped off with a silver for Shay Hammock and Robin Roxburgh in the J 15 2x final. The seniors were back to the fore, after being caught in a downpour, with another silver forthcoming for the women’s Int 8+, again stroked by Emily Richens. And to bookend the day with gold Heather Gordon, rowing in a composite 2x with Vesta RC, took a solid win in the open women’s double.
Sunday dawned warm and fortunately the threat of increasing windspeeds never materialised. Those that avoided police incidents in their accommodation woke refreshed for another busy day of racing. Robert Gordon was back in the stroke seat to take the Masters B/D/E 4+ to the first medal of the day taking silver. The women then added to their tally with Emily Richens again stroking, taking bronze in the Int 4+. One of the highlights of the weekend was saved for last with the Novice 4+ stroked by Tim Latham who took gold with a winning margin of over 5 seconds and in doing so lost their novice status, a feat not to be achieved for a number of years by IRC. The juniors again put in a number of strong performances throughout the day but we were unfortunate to miss out on medals.
Hopefully we can now build on these strong performances into what remains of the regatta season and onward into the head season, and reap the rewards of settled crews for rower development and improvement.
