ROWING: Queens Park High School Rowing Club came away from the Hollingworth Regatta with five medals and their junior section placed fifth out of 21 clubs.
The day was clear but there was a brisk wind which made the starts of the 500m course difficult.
The successful rowers had to work their way through heats, semi-finals and finals during the course of the day. The J14 double rowed ferociously by Chris Thomas and Joe Rowlands was successful at each stage and won their final by a length.
The eagerly-awaited semi-final between the J14 girls quad rowed by Bridie Collin, Alice Walton, Kate Pilling and Amy Jones and their local rivals from Warrington was fiercely contested. The boats both rowed in a cloud of spray but victory went to the QPHS by a length. Later in the final against Runcorn, in even worse conditions, QPHS won by three-quarters of a length.
Joe Rowlands was just beaten in the final of the J14 singles by half a length but Richard Harada in the senior S4 single sculls won his semi final and final by two lengths.
In the final of the senior S4 double Richard Harada and Robert Williams rowed in great style to a two length-victory. Rose Butters reached the final of the J14 single sculls but despite a last-minute dash lost to a more powerful opposition. Lucy Adams and Caroline Wither, in the J13 doubles, rowed to a one length victory. nGrosvenor Rowing Club sent a large contingent to this year's World Masters Regatta held at Strathclyde in Scotland.
The event is for rowers over 28 and races are split into age bands from A to I.
It means a crew can find themselves lining up next to great rowers of the past with a clutch of medals from world championships and Olympic Games.
The outstanding result for Grosvenor was provided by the women's coxed four of Sue Bein, Karen Hough, Diane Moore and Gillian Page, coxed by Sarah Armstrong, who won the gold medal in their age category.
With only gold medals awarded in the Masters, the closest the veteran men came to a medal was a second from the men's coxed four of Phil Hill, Alastair Slinn, Jo Robson, and Chris Hudson, again coxed by Sarah Armstrong. nRay Kenzie was treated to a surprise outing from the Grosvenor club on Saturday to celebrate his 60th birthday. Ray was club captain in 1969. Despite an absence from the water for more than 20 years, he coped well in a single scull.
Grosvenor Rowing Club welcomes new members. For further information visit: www.grosvenor-rowingclub.co.uk
