Rowing training is well underway, and with it comes the first few competitions of the season. Rowers took part in the Reading Small Boats competition on Saturday 1 October. Boat clubs and schools from around the local area headed to Reading in order to compete in the racing. The senior rowers did exceptionally well, proving that they will be a force to be reckoned with as we edge nearer to prestigious races.
Shiplake rowers were out in force, proving that they are every bit as determined and committed as their rivals. Having spent the season so far training in mostly small boats, the Reading Small Boats race was the ideal opportunity to test their skills and dedication. Each race was 3,700 metres downstream, and crews were split into three divisions. The Shiplake crews raced in Division One, against crews from local rivals such as Sir William Borlase, Reading Blue Coat School, St Pauls School and Pangbourne College.
The Shiplake crews raced brilliantly, winning four of their races. In the IM3 4x- the crew of Fred Peck, Alistair Holbrough, Tom Mottram and Ben Pogmore won. Henry Blois-Brooke, Tom Scott, Will Dolin and Marcus Colao won the J18A 4-, and the crew of Austin Burnand, Oliver Newton, Joe Zolkwer and Jamie Pond won the IM1 4+. Seb Newman and Charlie Rollet-Manus were just pipped to the post in the J18A 2x, finishing in a very strong second position. Other notable performances were from Ethan Caldeira, Dom Brown, Morgan Taylor and Marcus Brown, who all rowed exceptionally well. Director of Rowing Mr David Currie commented: ‘the boys rowed brilliantly; this is a great indication of what we can expect over the coming year of racing. There were some very serious rivals and the Shiplake crews did not disappoint. They are very committed to training, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results of this in more races.’