Rowing: Rowers ready for 2011 Chester Regatta

May 5 2011 by Paul Wheelock, Chester Chronicle

THE highlight of the city’s rowing calendar takes place on Saturday when rowers from across the country descend on the River Dee to compete in the Chester Regatta.

The historic annual event, which is now in its 278th year, will get under way at 9am from the Red House at the Sandy Lane boating area.

The racing will include eights, coxed fours, coxless pairs, double sculls, coxed quad sculls, coxless quad sculls and single sculls, ranging from elite standard to novice in all age categories.

There will also be mixed eights and mixed fours races.

Novice winners will be given pint pewter tankards, with other winners receiving specially-struck Chester Regatta medals.

Senior and junior Victor Ludora engraved trophies will be awarded to the club, school or university that accumulates the most points during the day.

Three local teenagers covered themselves in glory at a leading European race.

Runcorn Rowing Club trip Alistair Young, of Helsby, George Patrick, of Norley, and Tom Ford, of Hartford, joined forces with Merseysider Phil Beattie to complete a hat-trick of honours at the two-day International Regatta in Ghent, Belgium.

Between them, the quartet competed in three events – the under 23s doubles and quad plus J18 doubles – and won gold medals in two and silver in the third.