MORE than a dozen talented young oarsmen and women from the Isle of Wight were selected to represent the Wessex region in the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta — one of the biggest of its kind in the country — in Nottingham last weekend.


Six rowers apiece representing Shanklin and Sandown Rowing Club (SSRC) and Ryde Rowing Club (RRC) took part in a series of races on a 1,500m course at the National Water Sports Centre. 


The Island rowers rubbed shoulders with many of the sport’s top young athletes, of the country’s 11 rowing regions, to continue their proud tradition of regional representation. 


Thanks to the efforts of the new Wessex region manager, Islander Garry Walters, the team comprised clubs from the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Dorset, East and West Sussex and Kent.


The crew he fielded took part in every event for the first time.
In all events the fastest six crews went through to either an A or B final. 


Having given an outstanding performance in the J14 heats, SSRC’s Ethan Walters and Riley Horrix, part of the Isle of Wight Council’s talented athletes programme, were among the fastest 2x A final qualifiers and won a bronze medal — the best result of the day.


In the final, the boys, both Year 9 students — Ethan at Sandown Bay Academy and Riley, at the Island Free School, Ventnor — broke away early and battled it out with the leading pack, up against strong teams from Exeter and Hereford. 


Having rowed together since 2015, they built on their success of last year, where they won the regatta's B final and have shown they are competent scullers with success at the recent Burway Small Boats Head regatta, as well as podium finishes at both the Walton and Henley Sculls Head races.


The SSRC women’s J16 coxless four of Sophie Atkin, Emily Faithfull, Lottie Tapsell and Mia Phelan, came fourth in their B final, while Owen Denness, rowing with the Herne Bay J14 quad, took the runners up spot in the B final. 


Rachael Debenham, again rowing in a composite, finished a creditable fourth in the WJ15 fours B final. 


Newport Rowing Club’s Beth Walpole-Davies also represented the region in the WJ16 8+ in a composite crew with members of the Ryde, Coalporters and Christchurch clubs.


Five of RRC’s Wightlink-sponsored juniors — Tye Cameron, Ben Sanderson, Austin Smith and Tom Starkey, coxed by Danny Sanderson — provided the region’s boys’ J16 coxed four.
Freya Drage was part of the girls’ J16 eights.


They all achieved above expectations, with the four finishing their first race in 5min 55sec to come fourth and just miss out on the A Final, but improved by two seconds, to finish a creditable third in the B final.


The Wessex J16 eight, with Freya racing at three in the crew, finished their first race in sixth.


The juniors’ performances helped the Wessex region achieve a 93-point total in the regatta.


There was plenty of camaraderie between the three clubs, with NRC and RRC assisting SSRC with their training and the use of their boats.