ISLAND rowers travelled to the iconic venue of Henley last weekend for the Henley Small Boats Head.

The Shanklin and Sandown Rowing Club took several crews to face top competition from around the country and enjoyed some excellent results.

Ethan Walters, 14, bagged third place in the singles event for his age group, while his partner, Riley Horrix, 15, came fourth in his round.

It was when the pair, both part of the IW Council and Wightlink’s Talented Athletes Programme, rowed together that they recorded an emphatic victory in the J15 Doubles event, with a winning margin of over 30 seconds for the 3km course — a great achievement considering they were fresh from the single races.

The club’s women’s junior development squad also put in encouraging performances, with some experiencing this type of event for the first time.

Up and coming duo, Rachael Debenham and Scarlett Phelan, finished just outside the top ten in the girls’ J15 doubles, while Sophie Atkin gained valuable experience and beat several crews rowing in a higher age category.

In the the doubles, Sophie also performed well with partner Mia Phelan.

Lottie Tapsell and Yasmin Wright sculled well in the J15 Double and made a great debut at a river Head race.

This serves as great preparation for when the club travel to Burway for their next race next month.