St Neots Rowing Club’s Junior Squad made a strong showing in the Eastern Region Regatta on March 16, writes Adrian Vuylsteke.

The Eastern Region Junior Inter-Regional Regatta qualifying event took place at Peterborough Rowing Lake.

For the first time in over a decade, the club entered multiple junior crews, all competing for the chance to represent the Eastern Region on the national stage later this year. The day began with an impressive performance from the J16 boys’ quad—Sam, Josh, Ethan and Alex—who finished second in their heat. In their first race together as a crew, they narrowly missed out on the A Final and a shot at qualification by just a few seconds.

A flurry of individual races followed, with Millie, Layla, Miriam and Poppy competing in the J16 and J15 single sculls events. Layla and Poppy came agonisingly close to reaching the Finals, missing out by a single place.

However, Millie and Miriam battled their way into the J16 and J15 B Finals, determined to prove their potential. Both rowers stepped up in their finals, delivering standout performances that signalled their intent as rising contenders in the Eastern Region ahead of the summer regatta season.

The highlight of the day came in the J14 double sculls, where St Neots junior Harry, partnered with a Bedford sculler, dominated from start to finish. Their commanding row secured Harry’s qualification for the Eastern Region squad, making him the first St Neots junior to earn a place at the Inter-Regional Regatta since 2014. He will now head to Nottingham in April to compete against the country’s best young rowers, with hopes of bringing home a national title.

These results reaffirm the strength of the St Neots junior squad and its ambition to establish itself as a leading club for developing young rowing talent.

St Neots Rowing Club put in a strong showing at the Henley Sculls event.

On Saturday, November 2, seniors and juniors from St Neots Rowing Club competed in the Henley Sculls, a 3,000m time trial race along the River Thames. The course includes a stretch of the famous Henley Royal Regatta course.

Junior competitors Millie and Molly finished 13th in the girls J16 doubles, setting an impressive time and outperforming local rivals. In the same category, Molly and Layla secured the 16th and 17th spots, respectively.

St Neots Rowing Club competes in prestigious event (Image: Submitted)

Ethan, a previous summer victor, competed in the open J16 singles, facing tough junior competition. Ethan and Sam, in Sam’s first head race, finished seventh in the open J16 doubles, outperforming some of the open men’s doubles. Senior rowers Louise Shorten, Huw Jarman, Jaione Echeveste, and Adrian Vuylsteke claimed victory in the mixed quad category, winning by a 10-second margin. Matthew Wigmore delivered a strong performance in the open men’s single sculls.

The event marked a strong start to the season for the club, enhancing its national reputation.

St Neots Rowing Club made a strong showing at the Peterborough Spring Regatta, sending crews from all squads to compete over the challenging one-kilometre, four-lane course.

The competition kicked off with our junior rowers taking on the single sculls. Despite facing a very competitive field, they delivered strong performances. Following the juniors, it was time for our senior men’s and women’s squads to take to the water. The women’s quad, which included two junior girls, put in a solid effort to reach the final.

Both of our men’s fours won their heats with impressive rows. In the men’s doubles, the duo of Wigmore and Willies narrowly made it to the final, while the new pairing of Rooney and Sparrow gained valuable experience from their first race together.

Winning men’s pair Huw Jarman and Adrian Vuylsteke. (Image: Dominic Chapman)

 

In the finals, the women’s quad showcased significant improvement, securing second place.

The men’s double also improved their performance, earning an excellent second place by defeating two crews that had beaten them in the heats. The men’s four, featuring men’s captain Rob Stirling, faced tough competition in their final and ultimately finished second. The first win for St Neots came from the men’s coxed four in the top-level race. With expert coxing by Laura Haden-Smith, the crew dominated the competition, securing a decisive victory. The afternoon saw further success with Jarman and Vuylsteke leading from start to finish to claim their second win of the day in the men’s coxless pair. The junior squad continued to show great commitment and progress in their races. Although the men’s eight put in a valiant effort, they unfortunately did not make it to the final.

 

Sunday’s Highlights

Sunday saw the senior squads return to action, joined by the masters rowers.

The masters women’s quad, featuring St Neots rowers Dixon and Echveste, performed brilliantly in the open category, finishing second behind Leeds University. Dixon and Echveste then teamed up with Olivia Corner and Laura Haden-Smith in the women’s coxless fours event, missing second place by less than half a second.

The Women’s Squad. (Image: Dominic Chapman)

 

The women’s masters coxed-four delivered a thrilling performance in their final. With a strong start, they maintained their lead throughout the race, thanks to excellent coxing by Ali Brown.

The crew of Tackley, Logan, Leatham, and Maltarova held on for the win. The men’s masters eight, despite a last-minute change of cox, took charge of their race from the start. Under the guidance of cox Mitchell-Dwelly, the crew of Chapman, Neil, Williams, Copperwheat, Stead, Zwetsloot, Rickwood, and Korolev secured the final win for the club. Marlene Taylor, the club’s masters captain, praised the squad’s performance: “It was a fantastic weekend for the masters squad, marked by two impressive victories from crews who had been working hard in the months leading up to the event.

“Both teams took control of their races, demonstrating immense grit and determination to secure their wins.”

Overall, it was a weekend of great results across the entire club. The focus now shifts to the Huntingdon Regatta and the Cambridge Bumps.

St Neots rowing club showcased their prowess on the renowned Thames championship course, used for the annual Oxford Cambridge boat race, writes Dominic Chapman

Kicking off the action, the men’s squad faced a challenging lead-up to the race, contending with frequent flooding of the St Neots river since Christmas. Despite the adversity, the crew delivered a strong performance despite this being the first time most had rowed on the Thames, surging an impressive 39 places and clinching an admirable eleventh position in the small club category. Happy with their achievement, the entire crew had a great day competing on the Thames.

The following day saw the masters E women’s team take to the same course, joining forces with Bedford and St Ives.

Composite Master’s C crew. (Image: Ben Rodford Photography)

 

Guided by the experienced hand of Coxswain Ali Brown, a stalwart member of St Neots, the crew navigated a formidable row, securing a commendable fifth place in their category.

Rounding off with a stellar row, the masters C women’s team teamed up with rowers from across the country, delivering a great row that earned them a remarkable third place in their category and the eighth fastest women’s crew overall. Delighted with their performance, especially considering it was their first row together, the crew credited Coxswain Matt Wigmore for expertly steering a course that maximised their potential with the strong tidal current. Buoyed by their successes, the club now sets its sights on a summer filled with side-by-side racing, aiming to secure further impressive results and solidify their standing as a force to be reckoned with in the rowing community.