29/07/2024
Dover Rowing Club Press Release - David Newman
Dover Rowing Club were in action at Deal regatta on Saturday in unusually calm conditions. Tom Stothart was the first on the water in the Men’s Senior Sculls. A good start saw Stothart move into the top three moving into a clear second out of the first turn and chasing hard. A good second turn allowed him to maintain pressure on the lead boat but he wasn’t able to improve his position. Stothart’s efforts helped Dover to come second in the Senior Men’s Aggregate competition. Stothart also coxed short-handed Worthing crews in the Novice and Junior Men’s 4’s to victories.
The Novice Woman’s 4 of Marie Cockerell, Janice Bradford, Ella Cook, Emily Harvey coxed by Will Coleman had a strong start and were a clear second out of the first turn. They worked hard to hold off the chasing crews as they moved to the second turn. Jumping clear from the turn, Dover secured second place.
The Men’s Junior Sculls saw three boats entered, Jasper Mallet, Will Coleman and Cameron Mackintosh. The start favoured the inside lanes with Dover crews slightly slower away. Mallet quickly found his form and started to close down the leading group with Coleman not far behind. Out of the first turn Mallet had moved to fifth and was working towards the inside of the course, Coleman was fighting for points in seventh and Mackintosh was a little further back. Heading for the second turn Mallet moved up to third, Coleman still fighting for sixth and Mackintosh had moved to eighth. At the line Mallet secured third, Coleman seventh and Mackintosh eighth.
Dover entered two crews in the Junior Woman’s 4; Nikki Leggatt, Cook, Holly Hannington, Harvey coxed by Coleman, and Bradford, Evie Holland, Cockerell, Ella Day coxed by Nick Bailey. Coleman’s crew got the better start moving to a battle for fourth, whilst Bailey’s crew was a little behind in a packed field. Though the middle of the course Coleman’s crew had secured fourth and were working to improve, whilst Bailey’s crew started moving up the field. Through the line Coleman’s crew secured fourth and Bailey’s moved up to ninth.
In the Ladies Double Sculls Dover had two crews Harvey and Cook, and Day and Holland, a new pairing. Harvey and Cook had the better start and moved to the inside after the turn. Day and Holland focused on technique and safe turns. On the race to turn two Harvey and Cook found some real speed to close down second and third crews but where unable to hold on through the turn. They finished in fourth. Day and Holland came home in eighth.
Men’s Senior Pairs of Mallet and Coleman had to work hard off the line to get into the points contention. Working through the first turn they moved to fourth and were focusing on chasing the leading crews. They were unable to progress to the higher places closing out in fourth.
Bailey raced in a composite Folkestone crew coming home in fourth place.
In the Woman’s Novice Sculls Dover had two scullers; Leggatt making her sculling debut against the more experienced Harvey. Harvey got off to a great start but had an issue at the first buoy, whilst Leggatt made steady progress through the turn. Leggatt lengthened her stroke as she gained confidence easing into a points position, moving through the second turn to fifth and comfortably maintaining this to the line. Harvey finished ninth.
The Men’s Junior Senior 4 had Mackintosh, Eddie Briggs, Mallet, Coleman with Harvey as cox. A solid start saw the crew pushing for a points finish. Through the turn they pushed into contention for fourth. Coming out of the second turn Mackintosh suffered a back spasm weaking the crew’s push to the line, where they finished in fifth.
