Two course records tumbled to Dart-Totnes rowing club when they competed in the Gloucester Head race on a freezing cold canal course. They came late in the day after heavy snow nearly tempted competitors to return home before even reaching Gloucester and they came from Totnes crews entering unchallenged in their category.

 

Totnes womens veteran C coxed four crew of Jess Carter, Jan Woodruff, Kate Purver, Emily Palmer and coxed by Louis Van Diggele rowed over with no expectations of a trophy in their class, only to be surprised by gaining the course record which won them their medals. This came in the third and last division of the day after the morning contest had put them a credible 22 seconds behind winners Stourport by just 22 seconds over the 4000 metre course in womens senior 2 coxed fours. Nick Price and Mick Rolley also expected to come away unrewarded from their unchallenged veteran C double scull row over only to be pleasantly surprised by their course record and a trophy. Their effortless rowing style promises good times to come in serious competition at Henley later this year.

 

Good news, too, for womens junior 14 girls Clare Gardner and Christie Rhys-Brown, also without competition but managed to out perform two boys crews of the same age in the second division.

 

In the first division there was serious competition for the mens veteran D crew of Nick Price, Mick Rolley, Alan Langmaid, Steve Lamkin and coxed by Steve Grimes rowing down in veteran C coxed fours. With Stourport, Bewdley and Hereford ranged against them it looked like the challenge would be worth defying the snow. In the event it was the heavy Hereford crew boasting ex-international rowers who covered the course the quickest a full 30 seconds ahead of Totnes who managed to overtake Bewdley also beating Stourport by 15 seconds.

 

The veteran coxed four were out again as a lone vet D entry in the third division changing their bow pair for Simon Gifford-Mead and Mumbles rower Andrew Williams freeing Nick and Mick to impress with their record breaking. Andrew and Simon returned the favour in the first division by rowing another single entry category of veteran D double scull.

 

 

Alan Langmaid, vice-chairman and PR, Dart-Totnes ARC.