25/11/07
On Tuesday of this week I had an email from a Shrewsbury School coach inviting us to participate in a head race for J14/15 quads or octuples this (Saturday 24th November) afternoon (only 4 days notice). I saw a few J14/J15s on Thursday and was able to find five willing to take part and at even shorter notice a further three offered themselves this morning.
Despite only finishing their morning practice at 11.50 by boating time at just after 1.00pm a Pengwern Quad comprising Charlotte Fathers, Camillla Gill, and Natasha Marshall with Sam Shaw at stroke and coxed by Chris O'Neill was ready to set off for the first division. The course was from Greyfriars Bridge to Porthill Bridge with a return sprint fron Porthill to Kingsland Bridge.
However disaster struck on the way to the start when the rudder string broke . So whilst the first leg of division 1 raced past Ian Turner, the Schools boatman did a running repair which let our crew join on the end and take part in the sprint. They acquitted themselves very well despite the girls all having only started to row this September and were well together. They came 3rd out of the 6 Quads entered beating 2 quads of Shrewsbury school boys and 1 from King's Chester in the sprint with a time of three minutes five seconds.
Division 2 saw Sam and Chris again in the stroke and coxes seats this time joined by Chris Moss, Chris Jones and Harrriet McCay. Again they held their own against the boys from the schools and boys and girls from Kings coming 7th out of 9 crews (4th out of 5 quads) but even beating one of the Kings octuples. Their time for Greyfriars to Porthill was 7.01, for the sprint 2.48 - 9.49 over all.
Pengwern can be proud of all the youngsters taking part in these (very) scratch crews who, until today had never rowed together as a crew.
Thanks are due to RSSBC for organising the event and for the welcome provision of hot drinks, soup,rolls and mince pies which were much enjoyed by all!
Janette Shepherd, Junior Co-ordinator