Summer Racing
With the big Varsity and BUCS Regatta races behind us the club looked to enjoy their time at some local regattas during the exam season. Firstly we visited Monmouth Regatta in search of some silverware for Swansea.
After BUCS Regatta it was decided by Novice and Senior Men's Captain Tom King and Jack Gibson to merge the two squads to give the Novices vital experience rowing in boats with the Seniors ahead of the following season in hope to gain a competitive advantage heading into the 2019/20 season. Jack has described Monmouth's racing in his own words "This year we were able to enter three crew boats including a Senior Men's 4+, an ex-Novice Men's 4+ and a mix of the two crews in an 8+. The senior men's four raced well, making it to the final of their division before being knocked out by a very strong four from Bath University. The eight also raced well, defying all expectations to push another strong Bath University boat all the way, in the end losing by just under a length, a great and gutsy performance from the boys. However the highlight of the day came from the Novice Men's 4+, who having lost star man Eden Pindoria to a hand injury, subbed in Senior Women's Captain Lucy Swithenbank. Nobody knew what to expect from this new combination, but few could have predicted the romp to victory that followed. Thanks to the excellent strokewomanship of Lucy they were able to win their division, including a final victory over a Cardiff University crew who were so stunned by the speed of the Swansea boat that they were unable to stay out of the bank (this was later blamed on a 'steering problem'). A cracking days racing for the squad, a lot learned and some great results on the board."
Unlike the men the Senior Women turned their heads to Henley Women's Regatta and were hoping Monmouth Regatta was a good stepping stone towards their goal of qualification to HWR. The 8+ managed to win all their races and beat multiple Cardiff University Crews to claim the "Ladies Plate". Senior Women's Captain Lucy Swithenbank was very pleased with the performance and proud of her girls stating "Monmouth was a great mid exam regatta that really lifted the girls spirits and showed them their hard work was paying off." There was also two doubles who took to the water at Monmouth but unfortunately they couldn't come home with any silverware.
The Club also attended Hereford RC Regatta and for some it was the last time this year they'd be racing in Swansea colours and they wanted to make the most of it.
A Novice Women 4+ filled with women racing their first ever race for Swansea took to the water at Hereford. They raced hard but unfortunately they were beaten by a stronger crew. They weren't disappointed with their performance and had an enjoyable day at the regatta supporting other Swansea crews. On the other hand new Senior Men's Captain for 2019/20 Guy Elder had this to say on the regatta, “Hereford was a fun way for the men’s squad to end our season and another good opportunity for our novice men to prove themselves alongside the seniors. I was pleased that we took 3 wins in the 4-, 2- and 1x, especially for the boys that won their very first race and I can only apologies to the crew I ended up coxing. The ability for the Novice Men to step up is a credit to the novice system we have at Swansea and gives us great encouragement for next year."
On the whole the clubs adventures to these local regattas were a great success with each squad taking positives from the events they took part in. For some these races were there last for the club and we hope they have enjoyed their time with us and we hope to see them soon at some of our social events next year. It has been a wonderful year for the club and hopefully we can move on to next season in better shape than ever. Now on to Henley Women's Regatta where the Senior Women hope to qualify.
