Torquay and Paignton rowers win in Falmouth

Falmouth Regatta attracted 99 entries from around the region for the fifth regatta in the West of England Amateur Rowing Association’s ten regatta Championship series.

Held on Stithians Lake near Redruth over a 1000-metre sprint course, the entries necessitated 37 events, although there were several late withdrawals.

With the expected storm and wall of showers due to spread across Devon and Cornwall, Greenbank Falmouth took the initiative the previous day to delay the start of the regatta by two hours. The gamble paid off as the mist cleared to provide a window of dry weather and little wind and superb rowing conditions.

The two Bay clubs, Torquay and Paignton, boated depleted squads mustering just four scullers, all of whom achieved success on the day.

Sophie Evans of Torquay won the Championship Ladies Under 14 single sculls; she teamed up with clubmate Isla Canning to win the Ladies Under 14 double sculls; Harrison Green of Torquay took second place in the Championship Open Under 18 single sculls; and Josh Bradley of Paignton won the Championship Open Under 16 single sculls.

Next regatta in the Championship series is Appledore & Instow Regatta on Sunday, July 28.

Falmouth Regatta results:

Championship events:

Open Senior A coxed fours 1 Bideford Reds A 2 Falmouth

Open Senior B coxed fours 1 Bideford Reds A 2 Bideford Reds B

Open Senior C coxed fours 1 Bideford Reds 2 Exeter 3 Bideford Reds

Open Masters coxed fours 1 Falmouth (F) 2 Bideford Reds (E)

Ladies Senior C coxed fours 1 Falmouth 2 Exeter

Ladies Novice coxed fours 1 Exeter 2 Dart Totnes

Ladies Masters coxed fours 1 Falmouth/Wimbleball (E) 2 Dart Totnes (F)

Open Senior B single sculls 1= O Burrows – Wimbleball 1= R Bennett – Bideford Reds

Open Senior C single sculls 1 O Burrows – Wimbleball 2 M Turner – Falmouth 3 T Kier - Exeter

Open Under 18 single sculls 1 N Middlewick – Falmouth 2 H Green – Torquay

Open Under 16 single sculls 1 J Bradley – Paignton 2 N Middlewick – Falmouth

Ladies Novice single sculls 1 D Laurence – Falmouth 2 D Copping – Bideford Reds 3 E Birchell – Dart Totnes

Ladies Under 18 single sculls 1 I Ormesher – Exeter 2 D Laurence – Falmouth

Ladies Under 16 single sculls 1 A Hawkins – Dart Totnes 2 E Cope – Dart Totnes

Ladies Under 14 single sculls 1 S Evans – Torquay 2 A Pascall – Wimbleball 3 M Colwill – Bideford Reds

Non-Championship events:

Open Senior A double sculls 1 Falmouth 2 Bideford Reds

Open Senior C double sculls 1 Dart Totnes 2 Falmouth

Open Novice double sculls 1 Dart Totnes 2 Falmouth 3 Dart Totnes

Open Under 18 double sculls 1 Falmouth 2 Dart Totnes

Open Masters E double sculls 1 Falmouth 2 Roadford

Ladies Senior C double sculls 1 Exeter 2 Wimbleball/Falmouth

Ladies Under 18 double sculls 1 Falmouth 2 Exeter 3 Exeter

Ladies Under 16 double sculls 1 Dart Totnes 2 Dart Totnes

Ladies Under 14 double sculls 1 Torquay 2 Bideford Reds

Mixed Senior C double sculls 1 Exeter 2 Falmouth

Mixed Novice double sculls 1 Falmouth 2 Exeter 3 Exeter

Mixed Masters G double sculls 1 Dart Totnes 2 Falmouth

Open Masters D/E single sculls 1 L Clarke (D) – Falmouth 2 T Keir (E) - Exeter

Open Masters single sculls 1 N Price – Dart Totnes 2 M Kerr - Falmouth

Ladies Under 13 single sculls 1 A Pascall – Wimbleball 2 M Colwill – Bideford Reds

Ladies Masters F/G single sculls 1 C Thorp (G) – Dart Totnes 2 C Almond (G) – Falmouth 3 L Wills (G) – Falmouth

The World’s Toughest Row - Pacific 2024 race left Monterey Harbor on June 8 embarking an epic 2800-mile journey towards Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii. Nine crews from seven different countries chose different strategies in terms of direction.

After seven weeks at sea, the British crew ‘Team Salty Sappers’, a crew of four serving engineers arrived in the beautiful scenery of Hanalei Bay, Kauai. They completed their row in 36 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes.

A big crowd, including family, gathered at the famous Hanalei Pier to witness Adam, Joshua, Richard and Adam light up their flares, marking the official finish of their epic Pacific journey that tested them to their physical and mental limits.

Stepping onto the podium, the team received a traditional blessing and were adorned with leis in a true Hawaiian way. They were then presented with the World’s Toughest Row winning trophy, celebrating their remarkable victory in the 2024 Pacific edition of the event, followed by gift bags from a local hotel.

When asked about the biggest challenges out there, Adam Sedgwick answered, “Probably the two storms that we tackled on our way down. We tackled the first one and decided we would go for a second one just for a bit of fun! That was definitely the hardest thing - to go through that second one. It basically made it very real for me that we were tackling the ocean and not just a little lake.”

When asked about advice for future rowers as winners of WTR Pacific 2024, Devon’s Joshua Warne said, “Don´t take no for an answer. People will tell you that it can’t be done and it’s on you to prove that it can.”

Finishing positions:

1 Salty Sappers GB Four 36d 6h 49m 0s

2 Wild Waves GB Pair 37d 11h 43m

3 Liz and Lena AU Pair 37d 16h 33m 0s

4 Pacific Triow GB Trio 38d 1h 34m 0s

5 Full Foarce US Four 38d 9h 3m 0s

6 Hericane Rowing US Four 40d 22h 14m 0

7 Human Powered Potential US Four 41d 1h 57m 0s

8 United Row US Pair (Predicted 49d 12h 1m 32)

9 Rowing Oceans 4 Women US Trio Retired