South Coast Championships

 

Controversy blighted the winning veteran Totnes crew at the South Coast Championships held, this year, in Dartmouth. After an excellent race the crew of Ian Andrews, Colin Souch, Pete Atkinson, Ray Davis and coxed by Louis van Diggell beat Folkstone to the line to win by three quarters of a length in the veteran championship. However, friendly conversation with the Folkstone crew after the race revealed the Totnes crew had broken an almost unknown rule for the championship. The rule dictates that qualifying crews must have raced together in their respective regions in at  least three events. At most Totnes had completed two. Folkstone complained to the umpires and it was upheld.

 

That was an unfortunate end to an otherwise encouraging Totnes participation in the South Coast Championships which takes the top two winning crews from each category to compete against similar crews from the Central South and South East amateur rowing associations. In the veteran category participants must be over 40 and a Totnes win was even more significant with half the crew closer to 60 and the average age of the whole crew well over 50. It was a difficult ruling for the umpires who took the decision by a vote, but the result ended in disqualification for the winning Totnes crew and the trophy going to a triumphant Folkstone.

 

Another Totnes entry came second in their event at senior C. They were Owen Small, Simon French, Henry Wallace, Nick Lovering coxed by Steve Grimes and they yielded just one length to Itchen Imperial over the 2000 metre course. As usual rowing conditions at Dartmouth were choppy and sometimes difficult with boat wash, but both Totnes crews coped well.

 

 

 

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