GB U23s show strongly at Essen International Regatta

Great Britain’s U23 squad competed recently in this year’s Essen International Regatta and returned with eight wins from a very competitive international field.  The Essen event offers two separate regattas over three days of racing.

GB’s women, in particular, were successful.  The women’s pair of Olivia Whitlam and Heather Stanning dominated their field on both days of competition to record two wins, whilst  the women’s four of Vikki Bryant, Maria Larsen, Kirsty Myles and Rachael Jeffries were second on Saturday but took first place on Sunday.

Both GB single scullers were in the top three.  Tina Stiller took second on Day 1 of the regatta ahead of third-placed Ruth Walczak but on Sunday Walzcak turned the tables taking an early lead and winning the final outright with Stiller in third.  

The women’s double of Lauren Fisher and Jacqui Round did not race on the first day but produced a strong fourth place on Sunday.

Men’s sculling has never been so strong in this age group with a clutch of rowers from the ARA’s World Class Start Programme,  sponsored by Siemens,  showing real promise for the future.

The men’s double of Bill Lucas and Charles Cousins had an accident on the way to their start on Saturday, damaging their boat so could not race.  But on Sunday they had a great performance to win by nine seconds over France.

In the men’s single, Brendan Crean achieved a strong third place with Dan Ritchie in fourth, great results for World Class Start rowers in their first year of competition.

On Sunday  Lucas raced the single as well as the double , dominating that, too, to record an emphatic win, with Ritchie and Crean in fifth and sixth places respectively.

The men’s pair of Wilkinson and Burkett won on Saturday but were not so strong on Sunday finishing fourth whilst the men’s four of Moore, Sbihi, Nichol and Reilly-O’Donnell moved the other way with a fourth place on Day 1 and a strong win on Sunday.  The men’s eight were second and fifth across the two days.

Full results:  http://www.huegelregatta.de