Paignton officials represent at the annual rowing champs

The 2024 South Coast Rowing Championships were held on Southampton Water and based at the Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley, Southampton.

The event attracted 194 entries from the clubs of the three member Associations; Hants & Dorset ARA; Coast ARA (Kent and Sussex); and the West of England ARA (Devon, Cornwall and Somerset). The Championship events were made up of Championship winners and runners-up of their respective Association.

The regatta started with calm conditions over the 1800 metre course but, as the day progressed and the tide turned, the water roughened but not enough to affect the class of rowing boat used by the home Association. As planned, at the end of the programme the course was shortened to 900 metres for the Junior events.

The Men’s Senior coxed fours, which always is the supreme event as crews race for the magnificent Bideford Bowl, was indeed outstanding with an extremely close finish with just two or three lengths separating winners Deal and Lymington and Southampton Coalporters.

Whilst there was no crew representation from the two Torbay clubs, Paignton did provide two officials with both Jane Perry and Shelly Atkins taking major umpiring duties and acting as mid-course umpires afloat.

The trophies and medals were presented to the winners by Matt Aldridge who started rowing with Christchurch Rowing Club progressing to the GB rowing squad. At the recent Paris Olympics, Matt was a member of the Men’s four that won Olympic Bronze.

South Coast Rowing Championships results:

Championship events:

Men’s Senior Championship coxed fours 1 Deal 2 Lymington 3 Southampton Coalporters 4 Bideford Reds A 5 Bideford Reds B

Ladies Senior Championship coxed fours 1 BTC Southampton 2 Shoreham 3 Lymington

Men’s Junior Senior Championship coxed fours 1 Southampton 2 Itchen Imperial 3 Shoreham 4 Bideford Reds 5 Herne Bay

Men’s Junior Championship coxed fours 1 Shanklin 2 Itchen Imperial 3 Bexhill 4 Bideford Reds 5 Folkestone

Ladies Junior Championship coxed fours 1 Itchen Imperial 2 Shoreham A 3 Lymington 4 Shoreham B 5 Greenbank Falmouth

Masters 40 Championship coxed fours 1 BTC Southampton 2 Lymington 3 Eastbourne 4 Deal

Open events:

Men’s Senior coxed fours 1 Itchen Imperial B 2 BTC Southampton A 3 Poole A

Ladies Senior coxed fours 1 Southampton Coalporters A 2 Southsea A 3 Herne Bay A

Men’s Junior Senior coxed fours 1 Ryde A 2 Southampton A 3 Dover A

Men’s Junior coxed fours 1 Southampton A 2 Ryde A 3 BTC Southampton A

Ladies Junior coxed fours 1 BTC Southampton A 2 Poole A 3 Christchurch

Men’s Novice coxed fours 1 Southsea 2 Southampton Coalporters 3 Ryde

Ladies Novice coxed fours 1 Poole B 2 Poole A 3 Shanklin A

Masters 40 coxed fours 1 Bexhill A 2 Southampton Coalporters A 3 Herne Bay A

Men’s Masters 50 coxed fours 1 Christchurch 2 BTC Southampton 3 Southampton

Ladies Masters coxed fours 1 BTC Southampton 2 Poole 3 Southampton Coalporters

Junior events:

Boys Under 14 coxed quadruple sculls 1 Shanklin 2 Ryde 3 Lymington

Girls Under 14 coxed quadruple sculls 1 Shanklin A 2 Lymington A 3 Christchurch A

Girls Under 16 coxed quadruple sculls 1 Shoreham 2 Christchurch 3 Southampton Coalporters

Boys Under 16 coxed quadruple sculls 1 Lymington 2 Shanklin 3 Shoreham