Ladies Win at Ross ... 1974

On bank holiday Monday, a day which swung between brilliant sunshine and heavy thunder storms, the Stourport ladies crew won Novice Fours after three races.
In their first heat, this scratch crew came up against a ypung, but efficient Hereford crew, and raced them well to beat them by 1 length. The semi-final matched them against a local Bewdley Four and after an exciting race, the Stourport girls came through to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
With very little time to recover between each of these races, the ladies then had to go up to race a completely fresh crew from the host club, and there was some speculation as to whether they could maintain the standard they had set for themselves in the first two races. After 200 metres the crews were still level, but suddenly Stourport seemed to forge ahead and as they came into the enclosures were a comfortable 2 lengths ahead. They were duly thrown into the river by the many male supporters before receiving handsome pewter goblets from the regatta organisers. This is the first women's crew to win for some years, and the club congratulates Jane Smith, Sandra Birtill, Marilyn Bettis, Anne Roberts and cox Martin Reeley for their fine efforts.
Another club crew to perform well over the rowing weekend was the Senior B Eight who were unlucky to meet Bessel, from Germany on both Saturday, at Gloucester, and Monday at Ross in their second race, Bessel going on to win the trophy both days.
The Stourport crew were involved in a collision with a four before the start of their first race, and had to return to the landing stage for extensive repairs to the bows. This completed, they duly despatched Reading in fine style, leading comfortably from halfway to the finish. However, they then had to return immediately to the start to race Bessel, and were a length down by 500 metres. Stourport counter attacked and were whittling down Bessel's lead convincingly before the strokeman lost his blade, allowing their opponents a final verdict of one length at the finish.
At Ross Regatta, the crew, after a change of bowman raced and beat a Boston/Christchurch combination eight. A slow start put Stourport some 1/4 length behind but a concerted effort brought them through to win. This matched them with Bessel for a second time, and a discussion on tactics produced the desired effect at the beginning of the race. Stourport led away from the stake boats and held onto this for over half the 700 metre course until finally Bessel's superior fitness saw them pull through to win by 1/2 length. For a crew so new to this class of racing, it is good to see Stourport running the outright winners so close on two occasions.
Also racing last weekend was the club's Senior A Four, Colin Barber substituting for Paul Graetz. Using the same blades and cox as the eight on Saturday meant they were held up owing to the collision and when they finally got to the start found themselves disqualified. Ross Regatta was not much happier when they lost first heat to a mediocre Derby four, an unhappy end to a potless season.
John Timmins fared well in his novice sculling, despite losing first heat to Northwich on Saturday and Kingston on Monday, both being good scullers.
Crew names: Senior B Eight - C.Barber, F.Caswill, C.Munn, K.Barwise, M.Edmonds, P.Lashford, E.Mol, P.Downes, cox C.Reeley.
Senior A Four - P.Lloyd, C.Barber, T.Edwards, R.Lloyd, cox K.Phipps.
R. Lloyd Report August 1974