IRONBRIDGE REGATTA SUCCESS FOR

 GROSVENOR RC CHESTER

 Pictures from the event are HERE

Both ends of the age spectrum had a fantastic weekends racing in Ironbridge Gorge this weekend. Racing under the shadow of the power stations 3 pink cooling towers for the last time (plans are in place to demolish after closing, following over 80 years’ service)  Grosvenor Rowing Club, Chester successfully came home with a collection of winner’s tankards. 

Our Women’s Junior 16 Coxless Quad of Lucy Tilston, Zoe Green, Emily Perkins and Stella Dixon should be congratulated as they beat Bristol City in an exciting final on Saturday, then went up an age group, to Under 17, on Sunday and beat Huntingdon RC by 2 lengths, followed by an assured performance in beating Worcester RC in the final with Francis Munro replacing Emily Perkins in the boat.

Meanwhile the Masters Squad were notching up some significant wins of their own

The Masters E 4+ of Mike Allwood, Mark Bancroft, Mark Tilston and Brian Chapman with cox Debbie Knight had a hard race on Saturday,

but raced well to beat the current National Masters Champions Hereford in a hard fought race over the 1000 metre course in a straight final.

Our Masters D 8 of Neil Potter, Rich Maclean, Mike Allwood, Mark Bancroft, Martin Bailiff, Jonathan Bryning Hal Whyman and Jeremy Perkins coxed by Steve Walker beat Minerva RC in the semi-final before beating Bewdley RC in the final on Saturday.

Then, with a couple of crew changes on Sunday morning,

 the Masters D 8 of Jez Perkins, Mark Bancroft, Rich Maclean, Hal Whyman,, Martin Bailiff, Gerry Poupard, Dave Topliffe and Mark Tilston were steered to victory, over Stourport RC and Minerva RC crews, by Ann Griffiths in the coxes seat.

The success was completed by John McMahon in his Masters F single, who won in style after racing off the start against of Nottingham RC, only to have the race stopped after 200 metres, after a previous race had capsized, so they were sent back, to start again, only to dead heat and be sent back up to race again!! At the third attempt, John managed to get over the line first and progress to the next round, were he beat   a Stourport RC sculler to set up a final against Mike Vick of Liverpool Victoria RC. This was another close race but John pushed through to take the winners tankard to conclude a great weekend of racing for Grosvenor Rowing Club, Chester