ROWING: SINGLE scullers led North-wich Rowing Club's victory parade at their own Autumn Head of the River on Saturday.
Northwich took eight individual awards and they were followed by six doubles, fours and quad successes - an excellent return against nearly 300 crews in all.
The weather was cold and wet but Northwich's spirits were sunny as win after win was acknowledged over the three divisions contesting a 2,300m course on the River Weaver.
Senior I Mike Rafferty 9mins 5secs, Senior III Tom Carter 9.22, Senior IV Matthew Jump 9.39, novice Jamie Leighton also 9.39, Senior Women Sian Murray 10.14, Senior I Caroline Barrett also 10.14, J16s Victoria Lindholt 10.47 and J18 Nicola Plant 10.58 were all singles winners.
In Division Two, the Senior III quad was made up of singles winners Mike Rafferty, Tom Carter, Matthew Jump and Jamie Leighton, who clocked the fastest time of the day, 8.02.
Dave McKay, John Cowan, Nicholas DePont, Kester Reid and cox James Morrison won in the Novice fours in 9.06, and Nicola Plant and Victoria Lindholt won the J16s doubles in 10.09.
And Division Three winners were: Senior III four Ben Jones, Stuart Jones, Geoff Simms, Tom Green and cox Lucy Ryder in 9.00; J18s double of Peter Wood and Scott Alder 9.02, and the J18s four Kester Reid, Kristian Ormund, Ronan Lomas, Steven Lawton and cox James Morrison in 9:05.
The Grange School also had winners, namely J15s singles Edward Ford, J14s singles Lara Pointon, J15s double Edward & John Ford and J14 quad Christine Spencer, Lara Pointon, Harriet Tindale, Cara Webb and cox Laura Oliver.
Meanwhile, Great Britain hopeful William Laughton - a Northwich and Grange School oarsman - joined a composite quad at the London Head and clocked the fastest junior time of the day.
His boat finished 17th out of 550 overall.
