St Neots crew row on the Olympic course

Three St Neots crews had a taste of Olympic fever when they took to the water last Sunday. With just seven weeks until the world’s sporting focus is firmly on the London 2012 Olympic Games, Dorney Lake, Eton, the venue for canoeing and rowing events, hosted the Marlow Regatta over the two days. This gives athletes and spectators alike a unique opportunity to race and visit the facility, before it becomes the backdrop to an exciting two weeks of Olympic competition.

Two women’s crews and a men’s single took part in the 1,000 metre race on Sunday, when conditions had thankfully calmed down from the previous day. Club Captain, Alistair Mackie, was the first to race in a heat for the Intermediate 3 single sculls category, coming in fifth.  Next to race was the women’s Masters D coxed four with Helen Knowles at stroke, Lynne Taylor, Sarah Davies and Ali Brown at bow, coxed by Rachel Tackley, in a straight final. The ladies had a strong sprint start and finished in third place, just 11 seconds behind the winning crew. The women’s Novice coxed four were next to race in a straight final with four other crews, with Rachel Tackley at stroke, Lynne Taylor, Louise Rushworth and Ali Young, coxed by Ali Brown. The ladies again had a strong start and finished fourth, having pulled back strongly against the leading crews, and well ahead of the last crew.

Club Captain Alistair Mackie said:

It was a relief that the conditions were calmer and we were all able to enjoy competing on the Olympic course in the Olympic year. We could all dream that we were Olympians for a short while!  It was great to see the work going on in preparation for an amazing spectacle. And all this starts just one week after St Neots Rowing Club’s own version”