Exeter & Falmouth Looking Strong

It was the Exeter and Greenback Falmouth crews who caught the eye at the first West of England Championship Regatta at Plymouth last Saturday, with both clubs recording a number of impressive performances in both the main fours and single sculling categories.

In the recognised championship fours Exeter finished the day with five victories followed by Greenbank Falmouth with three, whilst in the single sculls the Cornish club took the honours in six races with Exeter not far behind with four victories.

Despite the blustery conditions on the River Plym which caused the starting officials a number of problems getting the crews away there was some excellent racing which saw the Falmouth  men’s Senior A crew of Tim Wilkinson, Lex Kerr, James Kerr and Matt Pullen secure a victory ahead of Exeter and Plymouth.  Although there was no Ladies Senior A race the ladies Senior B race was also won by Falmouth through the efforts of Sarah Lewis, Emma Nunn, Rosie Lyon and Anna Van Outen who also beat an Exeter combination.

Despite missing out in the men’s Senior A race the Exeter Men’s combination of Robin Mills, Jacob Traliving, David Moody and Graham Forrest beat two Bideford Reds crews to win the Senior  B race.

The Exeter club were also were also winners of the Ladies  Senior C fours, whilst the Fowey based Castledore Senior C  crew of Louis Mathers, Jeff Gay, Will James and Tony Ellis squeezed home ahead of Bideford Reds and Dart Totnes in one of the tightest finishes of the day .

Exeter’s  juniors also performed well winning both the Junior 16 quad races and also the men’s Junior 14 race where Samuel Wickham, Jacob Otter, Tommy Fuller and Tom Shipton finished ahead of Plymouth and Bideford Blues.  The Bideford  Reds crew of Hazel Fowler, Tilly Tucker, Nell Davies and Cassie Skene-Smith were  clear winners of the Ladies Junior 14 race whilst the  Bideford Blues combination of Charlie Colwill, Jack Berry, Tom Picillo and Toby Evans won the men’s Junior 18 event – as did Totnes ladies four of Amelia Collinson, Lucy Romney, Nadine Ansell and Maisie Marler in the corresponding ladies race.

Tim Wilkinson from Greenbank Falmouth was the winner of the men’s Senior A single sculls, as was Plymouth’s Rebecca Butchart in the corresponding ladies race where she finished ahead of Falmouth’s Sarah Lewis.  Falmouth’s Matt Pullen was the winner of the men’s Senior B event whilst club mate Lex Kerr secured top spot in the Junior 18 race.

Exeter’s Phoebe Muir who has won a number of national indoor and outdoor rowing titles demonstrated her undoubted potential with victories in the Junior 18 and Senior C races. Phoebe completed a fine trio of wins when she joined up with Evie Drew to win the ladies Junior 18 sculls

There was club rivalry at stake in the Junior 16 event  where Edward Fuller finished ahead of his club mate Oliver Wickham but the two had the satisfaction of winning the corresponding double sculls race where they finished ahead of Dartmouth and Bideford Reds.