Dear Everybody,
Well, Lincoln Head...beyond the realms of fantasy. Here are the numbers: On the trailer-12 boats (on a trailer designed to take 9 – don’t ask), 14 sets of sculling blades, and 4 sweep oars (32 total). 17 entries in 15 events (in 2 divisions, so many people raced twice) and....wait for it.....12 wins, yielding 21 medals, split among 16 members (including the two from Derby RC, rowing as composite). You. Must. Be. Kidding. Here are the events, names, and times (Underlining indicates winners):
Division One
JSch.1x - James Doleman – 14:04
Mxd.IM3.2x - William Abbott & Milly Payne – 14:53
Mxd.MasE.2x - Gillian Lockhart & Stuart Grant – 14:42
IM3.1x - Robert Thornton – 14:57
MasF.1x - Lewis Hancock – 15:17
J14.2x - Ethan Campbell & O’Connor & Will Doleman – 15:18
J13.1x - Joshua Rhodes – 15:56
W.JSch.1x - Kate Doleman – 16:43
W.J14.1x – Lucy James – 18:31
Division Two
Mxd.Eli.2x - James Doleman & Kate Doleman – 13:42
MasF.2x - Graham Dean (Derby RC) & Lewis Hancock – 14:06
MasD.4+ - Paul Newbury (Derby RC), Andrew Newton, Daniel Levy, Stuart Grant & William Abbott (cox) – 14:38
J14.1x - William Doleman – 15:33
W.Nov.2x - Sian Venables & Madeline Hobbs – 15:50
J14.1x – Ethan Campbell-O’Connor – 16:05
W.IM2.1x – Sophie Payne – 17:04
W.J16.1x - Milly Payne – 17:35
The Conditions were ideal, sunny and cold with a slight tail wind, which got stronger for the second division, so the times aren’t directly comparable. So not surpring that it was in the second division the Sister/Brother pairing of Kate and James Doleman produced our fastest crew of the day by a margin of twenty-two seconds (the next being James in his single, with Graham and I two seconds behind that). Most winning margins were pretty wide, but not all. Kate won her single’s race by only one second (this over a course that measured 3.5 k), and I won mine by a mere two (I was lucky, and drew a starting spot ahead of my oppposition, so I could keep an eye on him), and the men’s four held off continual challenges to win by eleven seconds. It is worth noting that this is their first victory in the newly acquired and re-named coxed four - ‘Snowy’ Vickers. Hopefully the first of many.
Of the five losing crews: two were second to other Derwent crews (Ethan in his single to Will, and Gillian and Stuart in the mixed double to the Doleman duo), Sophie has missed a lot of training due to her ongoing knee problem, Lucy was racing a year above her age, and Milly was just plain tired after winning in the mixed double with Will in the first division. A big win like this is wonderful, but it can make those unlucky enough not to be taking home a gong feel their losses more keenly. They deserve our sympathy and support.
Yours,
Lewis