St Edward's Chronicle Summer 2018

36 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Rowing By John Wiggins, Master i/c Rowing

This issue of the Boat Club report happily recounts a return to medal-winning at the National Schools’ Regatta, a further 28  wins at open regattas, success in match racing in schools’ fixtures – and big hopes for the future. As ever, the Boat Club was pleased to see the return of many who had performed well in 2017 but also the arrival of new blood – particularly Saskia Ward in the Fourth Form. Having developed many skills and considerable resilience on the London Tideway, she looked forward to working with our talismanic Olympian, coach and English teacher, Katie Greves. Individually, Saskia was selected for the Thames Upriver team and went on to win the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta in the J15 single and, ultimately, though held

back by recent illness, won the B final at the British Rowing Junior Championships (BRJC). Saskia was also part of a tough team of girls that has grown in strength and character over the year, winning Gold in a re-rowed National Schools’ Regatta final – our first since 2003. The crew of India Courage, Daisy Speir, Saskia Ward, Jessica McPhail and cox, Abi Drennan, also had wins at Birmingham, Thames Ditton and Bedford Star Regattas. Along with Saskia at the BRJC was another hugely promising sculler, Isabel Llabres Diaz - a Shell starting her rowing from scratch but finishing the year with a fifth place at BRJC in the A final of the year above - there being no event for J14 singles. Isabel (and Saskia) won gold at the National Indoor Rowing Championships

(where Charlie Crisp also picked up silver in the J15 section) as well as winning her first singles event at the Star Regatta and again at Kingston Regatta. The J14 girls had much Summer Term success with a squad of around a dozen all winning something in quads at Birmingham, Bedford, Thames Ditton, Star and Reading Town regattas. We wish well to our departing senior rowers and female role models, Maddie Luke and girls’ Captain, Matilda Mann, who have been consistently at the forefront of their years from Shell to Upper Sixth. Their finale was not as they would have liked, just missing qualification for Henley Royal in the quad, but they can be very proud of how they have set the tone for the years below. Victory for that quad (with Saskia Ward and Issy Degroot) at Star Regatta provided a positive

Hamish Roots

The 1st VIII at Marlow: Valentin Peiker, George Hayter, Alexander Gowans, Thibby Mulot, Campbell Nelson, Max Thompson, Barnaby Singfield, Nicola dei Rossi and cox Sam Shuker.