When Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club rocked up to the first event of the season, at Christchurch in March, expectations were not high. Rowing is after all about enjoyment in the majority, with success an added bonus! With much success enjoyed in 2014 and 2015, 2016 was viewed as a consolidation year for the club. However, as we finally draw the season to a close following BTC Head of the River, the club boasts 30 wins this season, countless podium places and an ever stronger group of fantastic people at the club!
What is seemingly apparent from this season is not only the vast array of wins, but the diversity of those winning the races. In 2014 and 2015, our success was largely down to domination of particular events. This season however, we have seen wins from across the board, Ladies Novice Fours to J12 Boys sculls, Mens Senior Sculls to J16 Girls Doubles.
The club has come out of the season as Hants and Dorset ARA Ladies Novice Sculls champions thanks to the exploits of Daisy Faithfulls at in her first two ever races in the event, this was only adding to her Silver medal at the national indoor rowing championships! The club also had runners up in both the Mens Junior Sculls, with Harry Mislebachs win at Itchen being perhaps the most deserved Shanklin victory of the year and Mens Senior Sculls, where Alex Robertson led the championship at times and it slipped from his grasps at the final regatta of the year.
The Ladies Junior squad has been strong all year, earning excellent results and adding four more to its ranks with the Novice Fours win at Woolston. The Junior 16 squad earned valuable experience (and wins!) throughout the season, notably winning 5 races and second place in the aggregate at Itchen Junior regatta. The club won its fourth Mens Junior Senior Open title at South Coast in Deal as well as taking its first win at Southsea in 7 years in the Open Double sculls, an event won three times this year by the club, to go along with two Shanklin wins in mixed fours.
Trying to summarise the racing results of the season is something of a mouthful, thankfully the race reports are all archived for that very purpose.
The club has had another fantastic year in the realms of fundraising; three new rowing machines, a set of new riggers and seats for the Spyglass Inn, a new pair of outrigger pontoons for a single scull and the ordering of a new Coastal Four has all been thanks to grant aid funding.
Furthermore, the club has spent another year as a hub for local events; the Splash and Dash starting at the club for the second year in a row. The Pier to Pier swim finishing and presentation of trophies again hosted by the club. As well as the annual Town Regatta and fireworks once again supported and ran from the club.
These are just a few successes from the season, there are countless others, each as important as one another. The club would like to thank its sponsors, Arthur Wheeler Estate Agency and Advanced Automotive as well as Ryde Rowing Club for their support throughout the year in using their storage on the River Medina and transporting boats to regattas.
The final acknowledgement is to all the rowers and volunteers at the club. It has been yet another fantastic season for the club and one that is creating a great foundation for seasons to come. Without these efforts, the club would not only not be in this fantastic position it finds itself, but cease to exist at all!