Durham Autumn Small Boats Head (ASBH) went ahead on Saturday, November 11th, a week later than planned, thanks to sterling efforts to clear debris blocking the passage through Elvet Bridge in the wake of Storm Ciaran.
Indeed, the double header of the ASBH and the final round of the Northern Rowing Council’s Long Distance Sculling (LDS) Series was among the few rowing competitions to survive the effects of heavy rainfall impacting the UK over recent weeks. The Fours Head scheduled for the Tideway on November 5th was one of those less fortunate.
The late change of date led to a reduction in entries, with numbers being further depleted as the fast stream and challenging conditions led to scratchings on the day.
Long Distance Sculls
The day started with the LDS race, the third of six scheduled rounds to survive the weather, in which 82 competing crews, including 16 representing Durham ARC, made their way down river for the 9.30am start of the time trial over 1800 metres.
Victory in the fastest time of the day went to the J18 coxless quad from Tees Rowing Club in 6.28.4, one of only three crews to complete the course in under 7 minutes. The highest placed finish for Durham ARC went to the J17 4x- in 7.44.2, while the fastest Women’s senior quad in the LDS was DARC’s WMasB 4x- in 8.05.4.
Six further wins for DARC came from Nick Baird in the Open single scull in 7.58.9, Luke Davison in the J18 1x in 8.09.9, the DARC/Durham School J15 double sculls combination of Jason Wrack and Harrison Glasper in 8.16.3, Quinn Mosley in the J15 1x in 8.17.8, Andy Jaggard in the MasH 1x in 8.49.3, and the J14 girls coxed quad in 9.05.8.
List of LDS wins for DARC –
- J17 4x- Kennedy-Wharton
- WMasB 4x- Ashton (and fastest Women’s 4x-)
- Open 1x Baird
- J18 1x Davison
- J15 2x (Durham School/Durham ARC) Wrack
- J15 1x Mosley
- MasH 1x Jaggard
- WJ14 4x+ Anderson
The J18 girls 4x- was 2nd to Tyne ARC, Matthew Flatters was 3rd in the J18 1x, Elizabeth Belsey was 2nd to Cambois in the WJ14 1x, Joyce Collett was unopposed in the WMasH 1x, Amelie Jones was 3rd to Talkin Tarn in the WJ15 1x, and Aled Auyeung was unopposed in the J13 1x.
Durham LDS results can be found here.
The LDS features a Victor Ludorum competition between clubs, based on points scored in each round. The outcome will be determined once performances from the previously completed rounds at Tees and South Hylton have been taken into consideration, with positions due to be announced at the Northern Rowing Council’s AGM on November 20th.
Luke Davison J18 1x
Autumn Small Boats Head
Boating for the first of two divisions of the Autumn Small Boats Head got underway at 11.05am, following an impeccably observed 2-minute silence at 11am for Remembrance Day, with 100 crews making their way downstream ready for a 12 noon start.
The second ASBH division started at 2.30pm and included a further 89 entries, results from the two divisions being combined to decide the winners in the 45 contested events.
Andy Jaggard Mas H 1x Durham ASBH
Nineteen entries from DARC produced wins in seven events.
Although the J17 boys, this time competing in the J18 4x-, couldn’t quite match the winners from Durham School who posted 6.48.3, their 11th place finish in a time of 7.36.9 was the highest for any DARC crew. Victories came from Tom Pfetscher and Finley Scott in the Open pair in 7.46.8, the J18 girls coxless quad in 8.05.2, the Women’s coxed quad in 9.38.2 and Joyce Collett in the Women’s Masters H 1x in 10.39.6, while three others recorded their second success of the day – Nick Baird in the Open 1x in 8.05.4, Andy Jaggard in the MasH 1x in 8.46.9, and the J14 girls coxed quad in 9.39.4.
Joyce Collett WMasH 1x Durham ASBH
List of ASBH wins for DARC –
- Open 2- Scott
- WJ18 4x- Maddison
- Open 1x Baird
- MasH 1x Jaggard
- W 4x+ Doyle
- WJ14 4x+ Terry
- WMasH 1x Collett
J14 girls 4x+ at Durham ASBH
Luke Davison was 2nd to Tees in the J18 1x, Dan Baker and Jake Wilkes were 3rd to Hexham in the J18 2x, the Open 4x- was 3rd to QEHS, Quinn Mosley and Harrison Glasper were 2nd to Lambton in the J15 2x, Louisa Scott and Emily Rodgers were 2nd to Chester-le-Street in the WJ18 2x, Izzy Maddison and Sophie Hancill were 2nd to QEHS in the WJ16 2x, the WMasF 4x was 2nd to Hexham, the WMasF 2x was 2nd to Hexham/Berwick in the WMasBCDF 2x handicap, the Women’s 2x was 2nd to Tyne ARC, and Olivia Terry was 4th against Talkin Tarn in band 2 of the WJ15 1x.
St John’s College BC winners of Women’s 4+ band 2
The Small Boats Head always attracts much competition between the College Boat Club coxed fours. This time there were 35 entries from 12 Colleges with Collingwood leading the way with 8 entries, winning bands 1 and 3 of the Open fours and band 1 of the Women’s. Grey College won band 2 of the Open event and Queen Elizabeth High School won band 4. St John’s College won band 2 of the Women’s fours and Van Mildert won band 3.
ASBH results can be found here. A summary of event winners is shown below
| Event | Winner | Award | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open 4+ band 1 | Collingwood College BC | 6.58.6 | |
| Open 4+ band 2 | Grey College BC | 7.26.3 | |
| Open 4+ band 3 | Collingwood College BC | 7.27.8 | |
| Open 4+ band 4 | QEHS | 7.53.2 | |
| Women’s 4+ band 1 | Collingwood College BC | 8.13.5 | |
| Women’s 4+ band 2 | St John’s College | 9.02.3 | |
| Women’s 4+ band 3 | Van Mildert BC | 8.56.9 | |
| Op 4x+ | Durham School BC | 8.19.1 | |
| J15 4x+ | QEHS | 8.11.6 | |
| J14 4x+ | Lambton RC | 9.39.8 | |
| Women’s 4x+ | Durham ARC | 9.38.2 | |
| WJ15 4x+ | QEHS | 9.07.0 | |
| WJ14 4x+ | Durham ARC | 9.39.4 | |
| Open 4x- | QEHS | 7.43.3 | |
| J18 4x- | Durham School BC | Fastest Open 4x- | 6.48.3 |
| WJ18 4x- | Durham ARC | 8.05.2 | |
| WMasC 4x- | Hexham RC | Fastest Women’s 4x- | 7.59.0 |
| Open 2- | Durham ARC | 7.46.8 | |
| Open 2x | Lambton RC | 8.44.6 | |
| J18 2x | Hexham RC | Fastest Open 2x | 7.23.2 |
| J16 2x | QEHS | 8.29.7 | |
| J15 2x | Lambton RC | 8.05.4 | |
| MasF 2x | Talkin Tarn ARC | 8.57.6 | |
| Women’s 2x | Tyne ARC | 9.01.8 | |
| WJ18 2x | Chester-le-Street ARC | Fastest Women’s 2x | 8.29.2 |
| WJ16 2x | QEHS | 8.29.8 | |
| WJ15 2x band 1 | Hexham RC | 8.57.4 | |
| WJ15 2x band 2 | Durham School BC | 9.32.0 | |
| WMasD 2x | Berwick/Hexham | 8.42.0 | |
| Open 1x | Durham ARC | Fastest Open 1x | 8.05.4 |
| J18 1x band 1 | Tees RC | 8.07.3 | |
| J18 1x band 2 | Hexham RC | 8.20.7 | |
| J16 1x | Hexham RC | 8.33.3 | |
| J15 1x | Hexham RC | 8.27.7 | |
| MasC 1x | York St John’s Univ | 8.53.1 | |
| MasH 1x | Durham ARC | 8.46.9 | |
| WJ18 1x | Chester-le-Street ARC | Fastest Women’s 1x | 8.56.3 |
| WJ16 1x band 1 | Hexham RC | 9.19.7 | |
| WJ16 1x band 2 | Tees RC | 9.22.6 | |
| WJ15 1x band 1 | Lambton RC | 9.48.0 | |
| WJ15 1x band 2 | Talkin Tarn ARC | 10.12.0 | |
| WMasH 1x | Durham ARC | 10.39.6 | |
Delaying by a week proved to be a worthwhile decision in what is one of the club’s major events in the racing calendar.
Durham LDS 2023
The next Small Boats Head in Durham will be on February 3rd 2024. For those who can’t wait until then York Small Boats Head is on November 19th.
Bigger boats get involved at Rutherford Head on the River Tyne on December 2nd.