A large entry of over 500 enjoyed some exciting racing in pleasant conditions at Durham City Regatta over the weekend of May 4th and 5th. The drier weather and lower river level made the shallow water near the start line more obvious but competitors in the main were able to avoid the buoyed off area and coped well with few incidents.
Entries from the club were down a little on previous years on a Bank Holiday weekend when competitions around the country went into overdrive, but there was good support from Durham Colleges and local clubs and schools, with a large team travelling from Leeds Rowing Club on Saturday and a contingent from Doncaster Schools and Lakeland Rowing Club attending on Sunday.
Durham ARC achieved victories in 5 events over the 700 metre course on Saturday and 7 over 500 metres on Sunday.
Marking the shallow water
Saturday
Division 1
Juniors were well represented among the 47 DARC entries over the two days. In division 1 on Saturday morning Harrison Glasper and Patrick Lakey lost to Hexham in the final of the J16 boys 2x, before Quinn Mosley who had come through two rounds of the J15 1x renewed acquaintances from the Junior Inter Regional Regatta two weeks earlier with Hexham’s Ethan Thompson. Ethan got the verdict by half a length in a close race.
The Open Senior 8+ was a contest between Durham ARC and four Durham Colleges, with DARC overcoming one Collingwood eight in the semi-final before losing narrowly against another in the final.
The Women’s Masters F double of Gabrielle Moore and Angela Lund reached the final but lost against Talkin Tarn, while Nick Baird also lost in the final of the Open single sculls against Chester-le-Street.
Livvy Terry got a bye into the semi-final of the J14 girls 1x but lost to Cambois RC, and Izzy Maddison in a J15 girls 2x composite with Olivia Tute of Durham School went out in the semi-final of the J15 girls 2x band 1 against the eventual winners from Leeds Rowing Club.
Spectators lining the riverbank
Division 2
Victories were to follow in division 2, firstly the Open J13 4x+ who won against Berwick/Lambton, and then Louisa Scott, Grace Beattie, Charlotte Foster and Emily Rodgers who beat Tees RC by 4 lengths in the final of the WJ18 4x-.
After overcoming Durham School in the semi-final Tom Pfetscher and Finley Scott lost in the final of the Open pair band 2 against Butler College.
Chris Merchant, Vaughan Gordon, Colin Lawson and Dave Green won the first round of the MasFGH 4x- against Tyne ARC but went out to a Hexham/Cambois combination in the semi-final. The same crew then got the better of the other DARC MasH 4x- of John Appleby, Derek Gordon, Gabrielle Moore and David Heppell in the final.
Andy Jaggard lost by half a length against Duncan Ferguson of Tyne United in the MasH single sculls final, the Women’s Masters C 4x- lost against Hexham in their final, and Tyne United were given the verdict over Sam English, Gabrielle Moore, Angela Lund and Helen McMillan in the WMasFG 4x- final.
Gary McCarthy, Dave Murray, George Peattie and Peter Robinson in the MasE 4x- lost against Talkin Tarn in the semi-final of the MasCDE 4x-.
The Women’s 2x lost in the semi-final against Durham School. Gem Anderson and Scarlett Nicholson beat Durham School in the first round but went out to Lambton in the semi-final of the WJ14 2x.
The J13 4x+ crew on their way to victory
Division 3
Division 3 brought three more wins in the last half hour of racing on Saturday.
Andy Jaggard and Richard Court won the MasG 2x against Tyne United, and Stephen Kay, Vaughan Gordon, Ryan Hickox, Alastair Edge, Tom Dower, Darren Wrack, Arthur Glasfeld, Peter Matthews and cox Matthew Watson in the Masters E 8+ won by 3 lengths against the Tyne ARC MasF 8+ in the final of the MasEF 8+.
DARC had 2 entries in the J18 1x. Luke Davison in band 1 went out against Tees RC in the quarter final, but Will Terry secured the final win of the day by overcoming Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham to win the band 2 final.
Grey v Collingwood in Novice eights
Eights and octuple races were only contested on Saturday, Collingwood College adding the Women’s band 1 8+ to their win in the Open 8+, Trevelyan College won the Women’s 8+ band 2, and Grey College overcame Collingwood to win the Open Novice 8+. Leeds Rowing Club beat Queen Elizabeth High School and a Cambois/Lambton composite to win the J14 girls Octuple.
Leeds Rowing Club had a very successful day with wins in 12 events.
Sunday
Division 1
The J13 girls overcame Lambton and a Lambton/Tees composite to win the WJ13 4x+.
Two DARC scullers were making their debut appearance in the final of the J12 single sculls with James Westwood getting the verdict over Kori Black by 1 and a half lengths.
The Women’s coxless quad lost to Hexham in the final.
DARC had three entries in the J14 girls single sculling event. Livvy Terry beat Elizabeth Belsey in the quarter final, and Iris Mitchell overcame Doncaster in another quarter final before winning against Chester-le-Street in the semi final. Livvy Terry went out in her semi final against Cambois who went on to beat Iris Mitchell in the final by one and a quarter lengths.
In the Open single sculls Luke Davison went out against Tees RC in the quarter final, while Nick Baird progressed from his quarter final after getting the better of St John’s College, but then went out to Durham School in the semi final.
The Women’s Masters C 4x- lost against Tees RC in the final.
Women’s Masters F in a close race against Tyne United on Saturday
Division 2
Two more successes came in division 2. Tees, Durham ARC, Durham School, Lambton, Chester-le-Street and Hexham contested the J15 boys double sculls, in which DARC was represented by Harrison Glasper and Quinn Mosley who got a bye into the semi final before overcoming first Durham School and then Hexham to take the accolades.
Louisa Scott overcome Chester-le-Street and Tees to win the WJ18 1x.
Aidan Lawlor started in a field of 13 entries for the J14 1x and progressed through 2 rounds against Tees and Berwick before losing to another Berwick sculler in the final.
Chester-le-Street defeated DARC by 3 feet in the final of the J13 4x+.
dragonboating on Sunday
Division 3
Division 3 produced three victories. DARC’s Georgia Curry, Elizabeth Belsey, Iris Mitchell, Gem Anderson and cox Scarlett Nicholson beat Lambton by 4 and a half lengths to win the WJ14 4x+.
Grace Beattie, Louisa Scott, Charlotte Foster and Emily Rodgers beat Hexham to win the WJ18 4x-.
The MasG 4x- of Ian Boyd, Derek Gordon, Gabrielle Moore and David Heppell beat the MasH 4x- of Colin Lawson, Vaughan Gordon, Steve Auster and Dave Green to win the MasGH 4x-.
The Open Coxed Four overcame South College in the semi final but succumbed to Grey College in the Open 4+ band 1 final.
The J13 girls 2x beat Lambton in the semi final before losing against Tees in the final.
Amelie Jones entered band 1 of the Women’s Sculling event but went out to Tees RC in the quarter final.
List of wins for Durham ARC –
- J12 1x Westwood
- J13 4x+
- WJ13 4x+
- WJ14 4x+
- J15 2x
- WJ16 4x-
- J18 1x band 2 Terry
- WJ18 1x Scott
- WJ18 4x-
- MasE 8+
- MasG 2x
- MasH 4x- Appleby
Full results are available for Saturday and Sunday.
Photos from Sunday have been provided by SI Events.
Good organization allowed the regatta to keep to schedule throughout both days, even allowing time for dragonboating, for which we are very grateful to the volunteers who gave their time to ensure everything ran smoothly. We look forward to Durham Regatta on June 8th and 9th.
