Durham Autumn Sprint Regatta 2015
The prospectus for Durham Autumn Sprint Regatta 2015 is now available.
River Wear Tour 2015
On Saturday August 8th thirteen members of the daytime and masters squads took part in the inaugural River Wear Tour, organised by City of Sunderland Rowing Club and the Northern Rowing Council. This was a 20km paddle along the Wear through Sunderland, with 11 crews, representing 7 clubs from the northern region, setting off upstream[…]
End to end cycle ride underway
Four members of Durham Amateur Rowing Club are undertaking a 1000 mile cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in memory of former Club member and coach Bill Grant who died in February 2015 as a result of a medical episode which led to him falling from his bicycle into the River Wear. Elliot[…]
Medals at British Junior Championships
Durham ARC achieved notable successes at the 2015 British Rowing National Junior Championships which took place on the 2km 6-lane course at Strathclyde Park over the weekend of July 18th/19th. The Championships are the climax to the season for under-18 rowers with successful competitors having to qualify through a time trial followed by semi-finals and[…]
Explorers visit to Yarm
On July 14th new ground was broken when, at the invitation of Tees Rowing Club, a group of 14 daytime and masters rowers from Durham ARC joined Tees RC to row the 18 mile round trip along the River Tees from Stockton to Yarm and back, a venture first proposed in 2011. Along with other[…]
Wins at Henley Masters Regatta 2015
There was a win at Henley Masters Regatta on July 11th for Durham ARC scullers Helen McMillan and Gill Prescott in the Women’s Masters D 4x- in a composite crew with Eva Rankin of Loch Lomond and Joy Skipper of Upper Thames. Gill also had success in the Women’s Masters E 4x- with Eva, Ailie[…]
Allcomers Regatta hailed a great success
This year’s Allcomers Regatta, an event for those with no previous rowing experience, was hailed as one of the best for many years, with hundreds of spectators turning out to enjoy the sunshine and refreshments, and watch some close racing between the 14 teams entered, raising around £3000 for club funds. Sponsors Workwear Express entered[…]
New umpires appointed
The Northern Rowing Council recently put out an appeal for more umpires, with Durham Regatta offering added incentives. Three members took up the challenge and passed their final exams in June to become qualified umpires. The new recruits, Peter Stavers, Brenda Middlemiss (soon to become Mrs Stavers) and Steve Farrow officiated for the first time[…]
Senior Women recruitment
DARC’s Senior Women’s Squad is seeking new members. It’s Summer and Debbie has just sent out her e-mail giving exit routes from Learn to Row courses, others are moving into the region from elsewhere and some who are eligible may be considering moving squads. Please don’t delay if thinking of joining us, we use the[…]
Record entry for Hexham Sunday League
The third round of the Northern Rowing Sunday League attracted a record entry of 20 teams to Hexham at the weekend, including 5 from Lakeland RC, their first venture into the competition. Aided by some expert coxing from John Lyons the DARC crews came away with 7 wins between them, 3 for DARC Demons (Margaret[…]
Talkin Tarn Regatta
The final regatta of the Northern season took place on Saturday at Talkin Tarn. The club juniors continued their winning form with a number of new combinations. Hope Cessford won WJ16 singles, and women’s novice doubles went to Laura Phillips and Georgia McMillan. Mixed Elite 4x- went to Jessica Harris, Katy McDaid Richard Matthewson and[…]
Unbeaten year for Masters (s)quad
Members of DARC’s Men’s Masters quad recently passed the milestone of going over 12 months unbeaten, having won at Durham Regatta in both 2014 and 2015 and at all the events they have entered in between! The squad is: John Watkinson, John Lyons, Julian Ringer, Paul Sowerby, Paul Rutter, Richard Court … plus Tim Morris[…]
Durham Regatta re-enactment
There was cause for special celebration at this year’s Durham Regatta, the second oldest regatta in the country, staged for the 182nd time on June 13th and 14th 2015 and coinciding with the bi-centenary of the Battle of Waterloo. The Regatta owes its origin to the annual procession of boats, organised by the Sheriff of[…]
Juniors take the honours at Durham Regatta
Held over the weekend of June 13th/14th Durham Regatta was a high point in the season for the club’s Juniors, winning five events on Saturday and following up with a further three on Sunday. Saturday saw early wins in Long course events for MJ18 double Richard Matthewson and Robbie Lyons and WJ18 quad Jessica Harris,[…]
10 medals for DARC at British Rowing Masters
Durham ARC enjoyed considerable success at the British Rowing Masters Championships, which took place on a 1km 6-lane course at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham over 2 days on June 13th/14th, the same weekend as Durham Regatta. It rained steadily all day on Saturday making for miserable outdoor conditions. Sunday was much drier but[…]
Scullers ready for re-enactment
Durham ARC scullers took time out for a photo-call prior to re-enactment races, which will take place at this year’s Durham Regatta between 1.30 and 2.30pm on June 13th. The re-enactment will take the form of a 9-abreast sculling race in skiffs, giving a flavour of what the regatta was like in its early years.[…]
DARC women ready for coal trimmers race
The senior women’s squad have been making final preparations for Saturday’s re-enactment of the Wear Scurry, a feature of the early years of Durham Regatta. This and other re-enactments will take place between 1.30 and 2.30pm in a break between the scheduled races at this year’s Durham Regatta, alongside the Racecourse on the River Wear[…]
Chester-le-Street Sunday League
Following the postponement of 2 of the 3 previously scheduled rounds due to unsuitable weather the Sunday League resumed at Chester-le-Street on June 7th with a good turnout of 15 teams from Tyne, Durham, Tees, Hexham, Talkin Tarn and Chester-le-Street Rowing Clubs. As Chester-le-Street don’t have stable boats it was the turn of DARC, along[…]
Hexham Regatta
Saturday June 6th saw the roadshow off to Hexham for the latest round of the local regatta season for what is one of the largest events in the northern calendar. Falling near the end of term and the week before Durham Regatta Hexham Regatta attracts a large entry from both club and college rowers, with[…]
World rowing expert launches book about Tyne Champions
A world-renowned expert on rowing will be coming to the north-east to promote his new book about Tyneside rowers as part of the 170th anniversary celebrations of Geordie hero Harry Clasper and his brothers bringing the world championship to the region for the first time. Christopher Dodd, who is a freelance journalist, editor, author and[…]
DARC rowers prepare for re-enactment races
As well as the usual packed programme of competitive racing over the weekend of 13th/14th June this year’s Durham Regatta will include special events to celebrate the bi-centenary of victory at the Battle of Waterloo and its links to the Regatta. These will include a 1 hour celebration between 1.30 and 2.30pm on Saturday 13th[…]
National Schools’ Regatta results
There were some very creditable performances from the DARC Juniors at last weekend’s National Schools’ Regatta in Nottingham, the best coming from Aiden Rushforth and Hope Cessford in reaching the finals of the J16 and girls J16 single sculls. The Championship 4+, girls Championship 8+, girls Championship 4x- and girls J16 double sculls crews all[…]
Descendants of Harry Clasper wanted
A reunion of the Clasper family is planned for Saturday, May 30, from Noon until 2pm at South Shields Library in Georg Square (South Shields Town Centre). Relatives of Harry Clasper, the famous Geordie rower, are being invited to a family re-union in South Shields to celebrate a play that commemorates the 170th anniversary of[…]
National Schools’ Regatta 2015
The 2015 National Schools’ Regatta takes place at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham over the weekend of May 22nd to 24th. It is the largest regatta for juniors in Great Britain. Held annually the regatta offers events for Junior rowers between J14 and J18. It was first raced in 1947, and has since grown[…]
Land’s End to John O’Groats Charity Cycle Challenge
On the morning of Saturday 28th February 2015, Bill Grant, an active member of Durham Amateur Rowing Club (DARC), suffered a medical episode resulting in him falling off his bike and into the River Wear. With help from members of the public paramedics began medical procedures on the river bank, until the Great North Air[…]
Blustery conditions for Tees Regatta
Durham ARC entered 15 crews in this year’s Tees Regatta on Saturday May 16th, comparable with the 17 entries at Chester-le-Street on April 18th but well down on the 49 entered for last week’s cancelled day at Durham City Regatta. Tees is the third of the scheduled annual regattas in the Northern region and takes[…]
Entries open for Allcomers Regatta 2015
If you’ve never rowed before but want to give it a try then Durham ARC’s annual Allcomers Regatta is the ideal opportunity. This year’s Allcomers, sponsored by Workwear Express, is on Sunday July 12th so you have about 2 months to prepare. All you need is a team of 4 people. Full details and entry[…]
Remembering Bill at Durham City Regatta
With 350 entries and 272 races scheduled over 11 hours for the Saturday of this year’s Durham City Regatta there was huge disappointment when the weather once again chose to be unkind and heavy rainfall the previous day led to the cancellation of the entire first day’s programme on safety grounds. The yo-yo nature of[…]
Durham City Regatta Sunday
Durham City Regatta Sunday Update The scratch regatta will go ahead this morning. The river is still above normal level so wellies will be needed (although there are plenty here). Anyone wishing to take part needs to register in the marquee behind the boathouse between 9am and 9.30am, we will then draw the crews at[…]
Cancelled – Durham City Regatta
We have unfortunately made the very difficult decision to cancel Durham City Regatta today. This is probably the closest call we have ever had to make and had the rainfall last night been 12 hours earlier or 12 hours later we would most likely have been OK, it just appears to be very bad luck.