Over consecutive recent weekends St Neots Rowing Club has seen a remarkable chain of success with wins for both juniors and seniors.

The junior squad had a very successful time at the National Schools Regatta in Nottingham at the end of May.

Eight crews were entered, although two did not race due to a broken boat and the atrocious weather conditions on the Friday when racing was abandoned for the day. However, of the remaining six crews, four got to the semi finals, and two to the finals with one crew winning GOLD medal as well as the Tristan Hewins Commemorative Cup.

Voirrey Taylor and Zoe Adamson had previously won gold medal in their double scull at the national inter-regional competition, but the National Schools Regatta is considered to be the highest level junior competition in the UK, and so winning GOLD confirmed them as the top crew in their category in the UK currently.

These results are a remarkable achievement for a small provincial club like St Neots with limited resources, competing against the very wealthy schools and prestigious rowing clubs such as Henley, Walton, Eton and their like.

Peterborough was the next event for both  junior and senior squads, with a well deserved win for John Knights in his masters G/H single sculls event. 

Fergus Mitchell and Josh won their composite J16 double and Olivia Hooper had her first win in a composite W J15 double.

Other crews competing were the men’s masters B novice coxed 4 who came a very close second by 1.5 seconds in their first race, most of the crew having only started rowing last year.

Mia Hartwell and Natasha Wilson came second in the women’s IM3 pair, having only recently taken up racing in a pair.  Club captain Alistair Mackie came third in his heat of the novice single sculls, having put in a good race sitting in second for the most part.

And last weekend saw a smaller contingent of juniors and seniors race at Star Rowing Club’s Regatta over a 1200m two lane course in Bedford.  Molly Tackley and Kate Lyster easily won in their J14 double heat and by 1.5 lengths  in the final, whilst Alison Brown and Helen Knowles recorded an emphatic win in the Masters E double category. The women’s masters D coxed 4 put up a good race with a strong finish but ran out of water and lost by one length.

Club Captain Alistair Mackie said:

“The club has been well represented over recent weeks at various events with the juniors doing particularly well.  They are certainly getting noticed and bringing home the Commemorative Cup from Nottingham was a real coup.  The commitment and training is certainly paying off and well done to all the winners.” 

Pictures above:

Voirrey Taylor and Zoe Adamson / Molly Tackley and Kate Lyster