River Teign Rowing Club's gig squad turned out in force at the end of May for the friendly regatta at Mountbatten in Plymouth, hosted by Cattewater gig club.The ladies' A race started the programme and Teign's crew in Morgan looked good from the moment they left the pontoon.Kerrie Potter, Kelly Inness, Lucy Barczok, Sarah Free, Ali Bland, Kate Barczok and cox Andy Forte rapidly took up a position at the front of the fleet.Caradon led out of the first mark, but Teign stayed with them and held on around the rest of the 15-minute course, keeping ahead of Roseland, Fowey and the home crew, finishing second.The men's A race followed, and Teign's Graham Hill, Rich Wickenden, Simon Putt, Simon Hounsell, Jake Laxton, Rupert Holliday and cox Andy Forte, in Morgan, got a fair start and pulled hard around the course staying close to the home crew, keeping off the challenges of Rock to clear the final mark in sixth place, which they kept to the line.Teign had no junior crew, so their next race was the ladies' C.Grace Pimlott, Anne Holliday, Sharon Sanger, Jane Avery, Sue Thulborn, Kate Barczok and cox Rachel Holgate got Morgan off to a flying start and stayed at the head of the group to the first mark, chasing Paignton and Dart.Strong and determined rowing from the crew saw them continue to pull through and, on the third leg of the course, rowed through both of these crews to finish second behind Caradon.Teign had two crews in the men's B race – Ian Donoghue, Ben Forte, Kevin Mason, Harry Oliver, Joe Lang, Ed Smiddy and cox Kate Barczok in Morgan, and Bob Higgs, John Holgate, Graham Hill, Rich Wickenden, Jake Laxton, Mike Izzard and cox Rachel Holgate in Double Dutch.They rowed side-by-side up to the first mark, then a poor turn by the Weymouth gig took Morgan wide, giving Double Dutch a chance to get ahead.Both crews rowed hard to the next two marks and pulled through others to gain places, but Morgan was kept wide and Double Dutch maintained her advantage.Double Dutch crossed the line in sixth, just behind Rame, with Morgan ninth.The ladies' B race saw Teign's Jayne Collins, Jane Bourne, Rachel Holgate, Catherine Lovell, Jo Haydon, Donna Bell and cox Kate Barczok drive hard off the start.They saw Salcombe pass them, but chased hard and kept Rame off around the course. They made repeated pushes to get through the gigs ahead, but Salcombe always had an answer and the final result was Salcombe seventh, Teign eighth and Rame ninth.The veterans' race had both Teign gigs on the start line.The men's crew of Bob Higgs, Mike Izzard, Kevin Mason, Simon Hounsell, Graham Hill, Rupert Holliday and cox Andy Forte rowed Double Dutch, quickly establishing a forward position and challenging Caradon around the course, holding off the chasing crews to finish second. The ladies in Morgan – Jayne Collins, Anne Holliday, Rachel Holgate, Jane Bourne, Lisa Pash, Donna Bell and cox Ali Bland – struggled to perform, with only two relatively fresh rowers changing in after the ladies' B race, but worked hard until the third leg of the course got the better of them and they dropped back to finish 14th.The mixed race concluded the day's programme.Teign again had two crews – Rachel Holgate, Ed Smiddy, Simon Putt, Harry Oliver, Sarah Free, Ali Bland and cox Andy Forte in Morgan, and Ian Donoghue, Jane Avery, Lucy Barczok, Rich Wickenden, Lisa Pash, John Holgate and cox Kate Barczok in Double Dutch.Both crews had a good races, with Morgan finishing fifth and Double Dutch sixth.The prize-giving concluded a great day's racing with Caradon taking most of the senior trophies, and Fowey carrying off the junior and mixed prizes.
Teign Ladies A in good form at Mountbatten
Thursday 11th June 2009 10:00 pm
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