Totnes Mini Head 2005

Huge numbers of entries ventured to Totnes for the Mini Head when Dart-Totnes rowing club hosted their annual event over the 3000 metre course from Broken Steamer to the Turning Bay. Bright, fine but cold weather greeted intrepid rowers for this processional race, rowed against the clock and divided into three divisions allowing for multiple category participation.

 

For the first time in many years the ten minute barrier was broken in the first division by Exeter mens senior A coxed four crew in a time of 9 minutes, 59 seconds making them the fastest crew overall. The Totnes mens senior A double scull with world class start athletes Bill Lucas and Rob Wilson were second home in an equally impressive time of 10 minutes, 16 seconds. Totnes also came home in the next three places with two veteran C coxed four crews duelling for third place and a class win. The scratch crew of Pete Atkinson, John Harris, Gary Cairns, Ray Davis and coxed by Suzanne Hutchings just clinched it in a time of 10:29 ahead of the established crew of Nick Price, Mick Rolley, Alan Langmaid, Steve Lamkin and coxed by Steve Grimes by two seconds. The mens senior A coxed four of Matt Grace, Rob Smith, Simon French, Ed Pettinger, coxed by Louis Van Diggel finished two seconds after that in 10:33.

 

Another class win and an excellent time went to the mens junior 18 coxed four of Adrian Roodenburg, Peter Kerswell-Jenson, Henry Wallace, Nick Lovering and coxed by Owen Small in 10:55. Totnes World Class Start rower Luke Allen won the mens novice single scull class in 11:32. The ladies completed the wins for Totnes in division one when the A crew of the womens senior C coxed four of Rosie Taylor, Tash Prior, Jess Carter, Lucy Fowler and coxed by Gill Pedrick finished in a time of 12:03.

 

In the second division Totnes took four of the first six places starting with fastest crew in the mens senior C coxless quad of Peter Kerswell-Jenson, Tom Aindon, Owen Small and Henry Wallace in a time of 10:50. Bill Lucas came next in a time of 11:24 in the mens senior A single sculls beating nearest rival Andy Van de Boeck by a massive 41 seconds. Andy in turn beat Pete Atkinson by 31 seconds. A Plymouth mens novice coxed four were third followed by the Totnes mens senior B coxed four of Adrian Roodenburg, Steve Wilson, Matt Grace, Ed Pettinger and coxed by Tash Prior for the class win beating the Exeter crew in the same class by just three seconds in 11:38. Veteran double scullers Colin Souch and John Harris were also class winners and just one second slower at 11:42. Ember Lagden won the junior 14 single sculls for Totnes in a time of 14:34.

 

By the last division the tide was turning to go out and it started to get colder. Totnes took three of the top four times, the winners being the mens senior C quad of Peter Kerswell-Jenson, Tom Aindon, Luke Allen and Rob Wilson. Plymouth mens senior C coxed four came second. Totnes Veterans Nick Price, Simon Gifford-Mead, Alan Langmaid, Steve Lamkin and coxed by Steve Grimes came third in a time of 12:18 and ahead of the Bideford Blues vet B crew and a Paignton/Torquay composite vet C crew, but no class win as there were no other veteran competitors and no handicap system in force. Gary Cairns won the veteran C single sculls for Totnes in a time of 12:47, eighteen seconds ahead of club rival Pete Atkinson. John Harris won the veteran E single sculls 20 seconds ahead of fellow club sculler Hugh Tubbs in the same category in a time of 13:40 with vet C sculler Mick Rolley trailing a sedate 2 seconds behindin 14:02.

 

This last division saw no fewer than three ladies coxed fours crews, two veteran and one senior A all well into the top half of the finish times. There were also numerous double and single scull entries from Totnes ladies.

 

In all, a very strong performance from Totnes in a large and very competitve entry and fielding large numbers of veterans of both sexes. It was a pleasure to see Ray Davis back in local competition with the winning mens crew in division one with the two veteran crews showing close enough times to make a viable veteran eight feasible for next year's regatta season. The ladies also show great promise for the future in both veteran and senior guises along with a large junior squad, while the senior men contuinue apace with an eye to future Olympics and the World Class Start athletes currently training at Totnes.

 

 

Alan Langmaid, vice-captain and PR for Dart-Totnes ARC.