Optimism for rowers after double-header

June 9, 2009
Natasha Tranter and Leigh Clarke

The University of York Boat Club experienced mixed fortunes this weekend at the Peterborough Regatta, where they were unable to win any categories outright but did manage to achieve two podium finishes. On Saturday, two York teams found themselves pitted against each other in the women’s eights heat. The “white crew”, coxed by Ngaio Simpson, were the better of the two – coming second in the race – but this was insufficient to earn progress through their semi-final. The novice men’s fours, however, were able to advance to the final, winning their heat by three lengths. Returning to the water the following day, the crew came second in the semi-final with a time of one minute 45 seconds. They were three seconds quicker in the final, thus achieving the same position and York’s best result of the weekend.

In the day’s other races, the women’s quads crew progressed to the final, where they came third, but both the women’s fours and the men’s eights narrowly missed out on qualification. There was additional disappointment for the men’s fours, who finished third in their heat, ending their interest in the competition.

York had more success in last month’s Doncaster regatta, where they dominated the opposition to win four of the five categories. An excellent display from the senior men’s fours, using their new WinTech 4 boat bought with money from the York Alumni Fund, saw them beat Hull in the semi-final to set up a race with Cambois Rowing Club. The crew – consisting of Jack Savage, Dan Steele, Will Lawrence and Ben Coverdale – saw their intense training regimes pay off as they won the final by two lengths.

The senior men’s eights were also successful, beating Hull in their final with a time of one minute 43 seconds – the fastest time of the day. The women’s teams also performed excellently, with the novice eights beating Sheffield Hallam University comfortably – at one stage in the race pulling three lengths ahead.
The senior eights beat also Sheffield Boat Club in their final, with the always consistent Lara Wainwright performing particularly impressively. There was disappointment, however, for the women’s novice fours in their race against York St John as mistakes in the boat meant that they lost a close race by half a length. The result meant York were unable to achieve their aim of winning in all five of the categories, a rare blemish in a hugely successful weekend.
Cox Ngaio Simpson said that she was pleased that York were able to “entirely dominate the weekend” at Doncaster and added that the club would enter their next event with “a lot more confidence.” This regatta, combined with the club’s Roses success, cap a largely successful term for York rowing.

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