Annual regatta is a fantastic success

2:25pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

LAST weekend's annual regatta proved a fantastic success that was much welcomed by Evesham Rowing Club officials after last year's floods and the possibility of this year's event being cancelled due to high river levels.

Sponsors Karndean International must have been relieved when the sun shone through on Saturday but, rain throughout last week, meant that the opening day's 1,000m course had to be shortened to the 500m course.

The morning division proved to be a good hunting ground for pots among home rowers and Yasmin Tredell was the first Evesham competitor to claim a pot as she got the better of local rival Camilla Hadland in the women's J15 single sculls.

The next race of the day was one of the most exciting between Evesham duo Tash Symonds and Stacey Allen in a bid to lose their novice status.

It was Symonds who reigned victorious pushing ahead to win by a length and a half.

As the afternoon came around, she was back on the water, this time joined by Colleen and Abi Penrose and Emma Corless from Staines to win the women's novice coxed fours event, coxed by Johnny Pollen, also of Staines.

A win for Chloe Bryan and Ruth Whyman in the WJ16 doubles event was closely followed by a win for the J15 girls' quad who got the better of a Llandaff crew by half-a-length.

It was soon the turn of J16 sculler Jordan Bunyan to prove himself in the men's novice sculls, which he duly did - beating his Llandaff opposition easily.

This trend was followed by the J14 boys' double in their final against Hinksey.

Impressive Chris Sumner made an impressive comeback to rowing with Evesham - winning the senior III3 sculls event against Cardiff before pairing up with James Gardner to dominate senior III double sculls.

J14 single sculler Lewis Giles showed promise as he rowed through his local opponent from Stratford in good style.

Tegan Parsons took to the single scull in the WJ13 singles event and proved herself a promising athlete as she crui-sed to victory.

The women's J12 quad came up against Staines and took a convincing lead to cross the line three lengths clear.

Squad mate Frank Syvret took on a Staines sculler in a stra-ight final and came out on top winning his J12 singles by three-quarters of a length to claim a handsome half-pint tankard.

Bunyan was in action again, this time in the hotly contested J16 sculls. Having sailed through the rounds, he came up against a Llandaff sculler in the final and it was obvious that it would be a close call - too close and a re-row was ordered.

This time the Evesham ace was out to win and took his opponent from the start finishing with two lengths to spare.

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