Stourport Come Good at End of Season ... 1974

Despite some wicked luck during the season in which the Boat Club lost 23 finals, Stourport gained its 11th trophy of the season by winning the Senior B Fours event at Trentham Regatta. With more suuccessful oarsmen at the club than for many years previously, the season can be looked back upon with some pride.
Trentham Gardens were bathed in sunshine last Saturday as Stourport led away from the start in the final of Senior B Coxed Fours. By 300 metres their opponents from Nottingham Boat Club were 3/4 length down, much to the delight of the supporters on the bank. However complacency was premature for Nottingham began to fight back and by 700 metres the crews were level. Here Stourport halted their advance and a hard finish saw Stourport take the tape by a canvas owing to the stagger. The crew consisting of Mick Edmonds, Phil Downes, Pete Lashford, stroke Eddie Mol and cox Mark Cook have won three trophies at the last 5 regattas attended, a very impressive record for newcomers to the Senior B status. They now start next season alongside the Senior A Four, which shows a healthy progression for a club which could never produce oarsmen of higher than Senior C status.
Stourport also fielded two Novice Scullers at Trentham, Keith Barwise and Richard Lloyd, and at one time it looked as though both would make the final. Keith won an exciting first heat fro Northwich and Stratford, while Richard defeated John O'Gaunt. In their semi-finals, Keith could not hold off a powerful Bedford sculler who therefore progressed to the final, while Richard desposed of Nottingham and Union, and Northwich. The third finalist came from Stratford, but he rapidly dropped back after the start. Richard led for 3/4 of the course, at one time with clear water, but the Bedford sculler looked dangerous throughout, finally coming through to win in the last 150 metres.
The Novice Four were unlucky to meet an outstanding crew from Abingdon in their first heat, and were never really in contention with these, the eventual winners of the event. A repechage matched them with Derby but an unhappy row saw Stourport trail by some 2 lengths at the finish; crew names - P.Bettis, M.Bishop, G.Handley, J.Timmins, cox M.Reeley. Tom Edwards raced hard in Senior B Sculls, but lack of sculling training saw him marginally outclassed by Worcester and Cambridge '99 in his first heat. Racing Quintin in the repechage, Tom led at 500 metres but had crossed into the wrong lane, manoeuvring out of which cost him his slender lead.
John Timmins and Phil Bettis became the first Stourport scullers for many years to attempt the 32 mile Boston Marathon, finishing the course ahead of two eights in a time of 5 hours 40 minutes. 9th in the double sculls division is a note-worthy performance by these novice scullers.
With Trentham being the last event of the Sprint Season, Stourport Boat Club members start a winter training in October, preparing for the longer head races which take place during the close season. Anyone who is interested in trying rowing should come down to the club on any Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning when all prospective oarsmen and women are very welcome.
R. Lloyd Report August 1974