All the News from 2012

Ocktoberfest Photos

One of Dave King's first duties as Captain of the club was to usher the "Barflies" across the Channel to the Ocktoberfestregatta near Munich. Here is his account of the trip:

"The Captain's Boat (aka the Barflies) arrived bleary eyed for lunch at the Starnberg See (a 25K lake south of Munich) on Friday 29th September. After a few sharpeners we got down to Munchen RSV who had lent us a very nice Schellenbacher eight. The afternoon was spent adjusting the boat and having a practice outing under a clear blue sky and with the snow capped Bavarian Alps in the distance.

Saturday dawned overcast, but with no wind. The race was over a 12km course starting at MRSV and involving a buoy turn at Rose Island. The 65 eights and octuples were divided into 5 divisions spread over the day. We went off in a mass start with 17 other boats in Division 2 and quickly settled into a steady 27, set by our stroke (Aubrey), in 5th place, but being hounded all the way to the turn by octuples from RG Munchen and RV Seewalchen. Jane then executed one of her finest manoeuvres by getting us round the buoy in a perfect arc and taking 5 lengths out of the chasing crews. On the way back to the club the rate climbed steadily as Bow and Two took over the stroking duties and the two octuples closed in. With 1k to go we were passed by RG Munchen but managed to hold off Seewalchen on the line, to finish 6th in 51m 24.82 sec.

The afternoon was spent tasting the local brew on the lawn at MRSV, listening to the excellent Oompha Band and watching the other divisions race - including our old mate from Berliner RC - Silverfinger. We were also surprised to be awarded the Visitor Prize of a superb one litre stein which saw a lot of action later on!

On Sunday, after a late breakfast, we headed into Munich for the Oktoberfest. Simon's excellent command of German got us a superb table at the Hofbrauhaus tent with 10,000 other punters. After 7 hours of beer, pork, roast chicken and more oompah bands we headed off to the airport happy, tired but very windy."

The Quintin crew: Dave King (bow), Duncan Hughes, William Mendlicott, Roy Macavoy, Adrian Ballardie, Simon Wood, Mike Harris, Aubrey Capel (stroke), Jane Adams (cox).

Full results may be found at http://mrsv-bayern.de/assets/files/ergebnisse_rudern/roseninsel_8er_2012.pdf.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1453.

When one of our long-standing members, Lionel Bailey, read our report and looked at the photographs of the masters' trip to Duisburg, he was reminded of a similar trip he made in 1969, representing Great Britain in the run-up to the European Championships. His account may be of interest, particularly for the younger generation, as it contrasts quite dramatically with the experiences of the current GB rowing squad we have observed in the build-up to this year's Olympic Games. Here is what Lionel recollects:

"I have fond memories of Duisburg and its course as it was there in '69 that we, that year's Tideway Scullers VIII, and others were invited to represent the ARA in the West German Championships, a few weeks before the European Championships being held in Klagenfurt, Austria. It would be a great opportunity to beard the lion in his own den, so to speak. We were all looking forward to it but it being 1969, the ARA and the parlous state of sports funding in those days there was only enough money for air fares for five of the crew. The other four had to drive there and back in Rooney Masarra's Mini Cooper and I was the smallest one in the car! Rooney, Willy Almand and Jerry McCarthy were my companions.

It was a crack o' dawn departure from London, the ferry from Dover to Ostend and then onwards to Duisburg. When we arrived and the Krauts heard of our journey they burst out laughing as they had been in a training camp for a week beforehand. "You are just playing at this sport" was their more measured response, especially when Kenny Dwan and his wife arrived and proceeded to pitch their tent in the surrounding grounds.

The rest of the crew arrived the next day and we had a further day or so of training before the regatta proper. I remember it as a delightful venue to train and race on and we came on in leaps and bounds, so much so that we beat both the West German and Dutch National VIIIs only to be pipped by a Dutch scratch crew made up of all their small boat men (there is a moral there somewhere). Suffice to say we were pretty pleased with ourselves. Unfortunately the pleasure was short lived as a week later Wayne Smith, five man, went down with chicken pox and we had to train with a sub (Dick Findlay) for the next ten days.

Smith returned a few days before we all, this time, flew to Austria. It wasn't until years later, when I caught chicken pox off my sons, that I realised how debilitating it could be and how weak it left the patient. Suffice to say we never rowed as fast again and in the final were beaten by those self same national crews we had defeated in Duisburg weeks earlier. The fickle finger of fate and all that..."

Club Sculls Photos

The club sculling championship was again held this year in September as an opener to the autumn sculling season. The entry was much the same as last year with seventeen entries and fourteen eventually taking part. As was stated last year, it would be nice to see a few more of the sculling boats housed in the boathouse (and their owners) taking part in this annual race, especially the younger members who have been concentrating on sculling this year. The race followed the usual format and was sculled on an ebb tide from the Pink House at Isleworth to the Club flagpole. As well as detemining the overall club champion, the race has a sealed handicap with a prize of the Finlayson Cup. This year's club champion is Kenny Almand, winner of the race on three pevious occasions. Elli Kirk was the fastest woman and also won the Finlayson Cup for the sealed handicap. Prizes were also won by Tom Bishop in the "Ancient" category (Tom, you can blame the club secretary for the nomenclature) and Geoff Peel took the handicap prize in third place as handicap winner Elli and Kenny (second in the handicap), had already taken prizes for fastest woman and fastest overall and we don't want them to get too intoxicated.

Full results may be found here

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1435.

Duisburg Photos

The Quintin masters completed their regatta season for this year with a trip to the FISA World Masters Regatta at Duisburg in Germany. The weather was dry and sunny, with a heatwave over the period of the regatta proving quite an energy sapper. Regulars Kenny Almand, Richard Ratcliffe, Pete Meaney, Geoff Peel, Tom Bishop, Steve Aquilina and Roger Hine were joined this year by Huw Jones, Paul Taylor and Andrew Bramah, all enjoying their first experiences of such an event.

Lots of different combinations had been worked out, giving everybody in the squad at least four races over the three days, with some competing in six or even seven events. As it turned out, some of these combinations worked better than others and ultimately it was the Tom Bishop "Midas touch" which brought home the medals. Here follows a run-down of our races, all of which were over the standard 1000m multi-lane course:

Thursday, 6th September

E4+ (Race 106 Heat 2): Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Pete Meaney, Steve Aquilina, Athalie (cox) - finished third in their race in a time of 3:36.14, slipping from second at halfway to finish 3.6 seconds behind the winning German composite and 1.9 seconds behind a Czech composite - but they beat the Croatians!

C1x (Race 110 Heat 5): Kenny Almand finished fourth in 3:52.26, behind a very fast Finnish sculler.

C1x (Race 110 Heat 6): Richard Ratcliffe finished third in 4:01.62, behind two Germans.

F4- (Race 112 Heat 2): Geoff Peel, Paul Taylor, Andrew Bramah, Roger Hine - finished fourth out of six, having been fifth at 500m, and covered the second half of the course a second faster than the first half (see also Friday F4+).

D8+ (Race 117 Heat 2): Steve Aquilina and Huw Jones finished fifth out of seven in a Warwick/Poole/Quintin composite.

Friday, 7th September

D4x (Race 203 Heat 2): Huw Jones, Pete Meaney, Ricahrd Ratcliffe, Ken Almand - finished sixth out of seven in 3:23.67.

D4x (Race 203 Heat 3): Steve Aquilina and Geoff Peel finished fourth out of seven in 3:16.88 in a Quintin/Warwick composite.

E1x (Race 210 Heat 15): Tom Bishop won in a time of 3:54.28, beating his old rival Werner Rehberg from Germany by 0.54 seconds.

F2- (Race 215 Heat 1): Geoff Peel and Roger Hine came second, missing out on a medal to Occoquan International (Croatian Americans) by 0.92 of a second in a time of 3:52.91.

F2- (Race 215 Heat 2): Andrew Bramah and Paul Taylor came second to a pair from Prague in a time of 4:03.94. The Czechs' winning time was five seconds slower than Geoff and Roger's - thus is the luck of the draw!

D4- (Race 220 Heat 2): Huw Jones, Pete Meaney, Richard Ratcliffe and Kenny Almand came sixth in a time of 3:28.11.

C2x (Race 229 Heat 5): Richard Ratcliffe and Kenny Almand came seventh in a time of 3:41.19.

F4+ (Race 231 Heat 1): Geoff Peel, Paul Taylor, Andrew Bramah, Roger Hine and coxswain Hilary Cook came fourth out of seven in a time of 3:45.12, completing the second half of the course ten seconds quicker than the first half to move up from sixth to fourth and with just 2.6 seconds covering the first four crews. The Quintin four were the fastest over the second 500m by three seconds - it's a shame they couldn't have found the boat speed a little sooner.

G1x (Race 238 Heat 3): Tom Bishop's first attempt at a World Masters in this age group proved unsuccessful. After a good start Tom found the Russian, Sergey Pozdeev, pushing rapidly away from him, and decided to conserve his energies for the E2x an hour later. At the end of the race Tom was metaphorically kicking himself as the Russian's time was thirteen seconds slower than Tom's own time in the E1x earlier in the day.

Saturday, 8th September

B1x (Race 305 Heat 8): Kenny Almand finished fourth in a time of 3:37.40.

B1x (Race 305 Heat 9): Richard Ratcliffe finished fourth in a time of 3:55.18.

E2- (Race 307 Heat 1): Steve Aquilina and Geoff Peel finished third in a time of 3:43.44.

E2- (Race 307 Heat 2): Huw Jones and Roger Hine struggled and finished sixth in a time of 4:02.05.

E2- (Race 307 Heat 4): Andrew Bramah and Paul "a-race-too-far" Taylor finished sixth in a time of 4:02.58.

F2x (Race 313 Heat 4): Tom Bishop and Pete Meaney established a two second lead over Lyngby Roklub of Denmark by the 500m, and hung on to win by a slender nine hundredths of a second.

E4- (Race 325 Heat 2): Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Geoff Peel and Steve Aquilina finished second to a German composite, in a time of 3:31.36 - but beat the Croatians!

G4+ (Race 337 Heat 1): Tom Bishop came fourth in a Durham ARC/Quintin composite.

E4x (Race 340 Heat 3): Huw Jones, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina and Pete Meaney finished second to Berliner Ruder Club in a time of 3:25.87. Watch the video (57MB .wmv download or 18MB .wmv download).

F1x (Race 345 Heat 11):Tom Bishop won in a time of 4:02.27.

So - four wins, all involving Tom Bishop, and some good performances in some of our other races, but the general feeling, as always, "Room for improvement".

This concludes our 2012 regatta season, with Steve Aquilina and Pete Meaney declared joint Head of the Potwinners on eight.

Full results may be found at http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/12/19/75/2012DuisburgresultsThuFriSat_Neutral.pdf and http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/12/19/76/2012DuisburgresultsSunday_Neutral.pdf.

You can find photographs of most of our crews using the search criteria on the Sport Graphics website.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1414.

Our annual pilgrimage to Stourport-on-Severn may have clashed this year with the final two days of the London Olympic Games, but nevertheless it went ahead on cue. Here is a report from Anne Wilkinson:

Stourport Regatta Photos

On Friday 10th August, twelve members of Quintin journeyed up the M40 to Stourport-on-Severn for the annual Stourport BC Regatta and Sprint. The boys arrived in good time and set up base camp, reviewed the course and took in the atmosphere. The girls arrived a little (lot) later, after a last minute detour via Putney was called for, in order to collect a forgotten race card - or was it make-up? Once the girls finished erecting their party-sized gazebo, under close supervision by the men (with beers in hand), everyone fast-tracked to Happy Sole for a carbtastic fish and chips - which was felt by all to be well deserved. A few nightcaps were enjoyed in the Stourport Club house, in order to settle the nerves and prepare for the next day's racing (as well as helping everyone cope with sleeping in the wild. Why do birds have to hold exhuberant meetings at 3:45am in the surrounding trees?).

Saturday started with one of our newest additions to Quintin, Steven O'Callaghan, fighting it out in the Nov 1x and saw him steaming through his first heat, beating Stourport easily. With Steven now raring to go, he teamed up with our other new kid on the block, Sam McElhinney, in the Nov 2x. They both fought valiantly but unfortunately succumbed to very tough competition from Ross RC. Up next into battle were the girls' Nov 4+, kindly coxed by Sam. Due to Tamsyn Wedlake-James having taken ill and being unable to join us, the crew was reshuffled to Hayley Short (stroke), Jane Adams, Anne Wilkinson and Nanyamka Brown (bow). They battled with Bradford-on-Avon in the semi-final and missed out by about 2½ lengths, but raced with a new found conviction and confidence. Following the girls was Sam in his semi-final Nov 1x, unfortunately beaten by a very experienced looking Gloucester member.

Steven took to the water for his semi-final and in spite of being knocked out of the running, was still smiling from his earlier, resounding heat win. After lunch, the boys IM1 4+ consisting of Rob Williams (stroke), Craig Russell, Richard Miller, Sean Pitt (bow) and Jane Adams (cox) didn't disappoint with a blinding win and a sound result of one length over Bewdley RC - the devastating Quintin start proving its merits yet again! The IM2 8+ rounded off proceedings for the day, the crew comprising the above five plus Max Wall, Graham Lloyd, Sam McElhinney and Stourport (and erstwhile Quintin) member Harry, who also came to our aid last year, when we were one short and in need of a cox, taking the number two seat. Stourport's generosity didn't end at supplying us with an oarsman - following a minor (or major, depending on your faith in Empachers) calamity involving a missing stretcher from our eight; they stepped forward with the kind offer of a replacement boat for us to use, which was much appreciated. The eight powered along the course, but were beaten by a stronger crew from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Sunday's Sprints called for an early start, unwelcomed by those racing first in the draw! Steven was heard muttering something about scratching as he crawled out of his tent and the effects of the beer/curry/beer/disco/beer/Jager Bomb/beer/little sleep combo from the night before was making its presence felt amongst the whole Quintin squad. Sam was up first in his Nov 1x, unfortunately his opposition was a little more clear-headed and the sizeable unit from Loughborough won easily. This was followed closely by a satisfying and deserving heat win for the Nov 2x against Bewdley, securing them a place in the semi final. They came up against the same opposition as Saturday and whilst a closer race, they were out-sprinted on the 650m course. The girls realized the importance of a good start, losing out by about 1½ lengths to Ross - only to discover the opposition were junior champions!

Steven was up against the same challenger as the previous day in his heat and whilst not wishing to rub it in, trounced the opposition a second time, securing himself a place in the final. He didn't manage to lose his novice status, coming up against the rather large unit from Loughborough, but gained valuable racing experience and confidence. The boys IM1 4+ had a fight on their hands when they realised (with woolly heads), that they might have had one too many Jager Bombs the previous night! The straight final was against the same Bewdley crew from Saturday, who were clearly out for vengeance and weren't holding anything back. Quintin dug deep and responded to the pushes from the other crew, flying under the bridge and seizing victory by half a length, accompanied by a roaring crowd and much to their supporters' delight! By the end of the day, tiredness was kicking in and despite the eight putting up a valiant final fight - with sterling effort from our bowman, Graham Lloyd, they fell to a very nippy Agecroft crew.

Overall this was a fantastic weekend - the first regatta for Sam and Steven and the first Stourport experience for many, which means that having had a taste, everyone wants to return next year, armed with the experience gained and demonstrate what Quintin is really capable of! Thanks go to Graham for kindly delivering the boats to and from Stourport, to Jane for assisting in both coxing and rowing roles and to Sean, for organising and liaising efforts.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1400.

South Downs Way Photos

Now that the Olympic rowing is over for another four years (what a result for the rowing team!), we ought to be getting down to our challenge for the next Olympiad. QBC's Tom Bishop has kicked things off with a cross-training cycle ride, and has thrown down the challenge for others to beat his time. As steady state training for Wprld Masters, Tom plus son Nick, son-in-law Will O'Connell, and their friend Dave Barley set out at 10.30pm from the King Alfred statue in Winchester on Friday 27th July to cycle the South Downs Way in one day. The ride finishes in Eastbourne after 100 miles of cycling, involving climbs totalling 13,500 feet. Tom and his team completed the route in 20.5 hours, about 18 of which were on the move.

Tom's challenge is for a QBC member to better the time posted, the prize - knowing you are the record holder!

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1396.

During the lull in summer racing while we all get engrossed in the Olympics, your editors and contributors have taken the opportunity to update the club's history, filling in a bit more detail of activities going back to the 1870s when our two forerunners, Hanover United Athletic Club and the Polytechnic Rowing Club first took to the water. Malcolm Cook has been busy researching the history, much aided by the University of Westminster's digitised archive of the Polytechnic Magazine. In this archive, accounts can be found of long "pulls" up to Twickenham, followed by a football match and tea before the long "pull" back to Chiswick, and of the many internal races that the club organised, as well as the occasional regatta report. You may find a link to this archive and to our own updated account on the History Page.

In case you hadn't realised, the Olympic torch relay is passing through our neighbourhood on two days next week. On Tuesday it passes through Kingston and Richmond, and estwhile Quintin member Nigel Davies will be carrying the torch through Kingston, along Clarence Street into Wood Street past Kingston station. Nigel has been told that his stint will take place at approximately 9:24am and says that if anyone faces being there that would be great, but otherwise you can watch live via http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay/day67.

On Friday 27th July the Olympic torch is proceeding down the Thames from Hampton Court, and Nigel informs us that it should be passing our boathouse at about 10:00am.

A Masters 'E' four rather rashly entered two events (coxed and coxless), hoping for some challenging racing at Molesey Regatta this weekend. Things didn't quite work out as planned. First of all there were no other entries for the coxed event. Secondly, there were only three entries in the coxless event, with Quintin getting a bye to the final. Then the semi-final was cancelled as one of the crews had withdrawn, leaving Quintin with a Molesey "F" four to race in the final - and this all before the regatta had even started.

When the day finally dawned, there was sporadic rainfall (as usual this year), and the Thames was already swollen, fast-flowing and turbulent. A pre-race walk over the course confirmed our concerns that steering the course was going to be quite testing, although strokeman Steve Aquilina did remark that, as Molesey were on their home reach, they would know exactly where they wanted to go. At the appointed time our crew made their way to the marshalling area at the start and there witnessed two races, one in double sculls, the other in fours, where one of the crews managed to capsize more or less on the umpire's word "Go!" Things looked as though they might be a little tricky, but there was more of the unexpected to come.

As our crew lined up on their stakeboat the umpire informed them (as expected) that Molesey would have a six second start (on account of their extra years). On the first "Go" Molesey set off at a brisk pace and the umpire started his countdown for Quintin, "six... five..." Even before he reached "Go", a second umpire, waiting for the next race, joined in the commotion with several rounds of "Molesey, Molesey, watch your steering!" at full volume. No sooner had Quintin set off on the "Go" when they heard the not unfamiliar sound of boat hitting boat and a few strokes later they were not so surprised to see the Molesey four entangled with a boat moored on the Surrey bank (when they had started the race on the Middlesex station). Needless to say, from that point the result was never in doubt (barring further mishaps) although Steve insisted on going over the course at a brisk 35, several lengths clear of the opposition. It was discovered after the race that the Molesey bow steersman was a novice veteran who had clearly not quite mastered the art of steering. Still, a win's a win and it was noted that, thanks to the six second handicap, our crew had escaped a serious mid-race collision.

The winning crew: Huw Jones (bow, steers), Roger Hine, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina.

BR Champs Photos

We had three single scullers entered for the British Rowing Championships, held over 2000 metres on the Holme Pierrepont course at Nottingham. Rob Williams and Sam Broadhurst were in the men's (open) event and Sarah Blakeburn was in the women's event. The competition was organised to give a ranking to the scullers through heats, semi-finals and A, B, C etc. finals. Sarah had to finish in the top three in her eliminating heat, but came in fourth, having drawn some speedy opposition from Sport Imperial, whose scullers eventually finished second and fourth in the "A" final. Rob Williams takes up the story for the men:

"Arriving in a very soggy Nottingham, we abandoned the planned outing and instead had a good look at the course and layout in preparation for the next day, and prepped the boats. We did a couple of laps early on Saturday and then the racing started with a time trial for Sam and myself over 1500m in a group of 23 single scullers. We were both put into the D final later that day (and drawn in lanes next to each other to add a bit of extra excitement). The eventual winner had a strong first 500m which set him up for the rest of the distance, but having both got very good starts it was close for 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I lost 2nd place in the last 250m or so by 1 second, but managed to just keep ahead of Sam.

Overall a really productive and enjoyable time, and considering our sculling experience we weren't miles away from the rest of the field. It has certainly given us all an idea of the technical and physical level we need to be at to compete amongst the best and the all important experience of multi-lane racing, the start sequences, the distance and the discipline required.

Big thanks to Merv for the huge amount of time he has put into coaching us for this, and the other events we've done so far, the transport, and the general advice and instruction he's provided. Also to Sarah's family for the teas, coffees, beers (strictly post-racing only!) and Chilli at the campsite."

Full results may be found here (our races are Nos. 363 and 384).

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1393.

Some of our readers may not have heard that Quintin member John Ferrario has been cycling from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States. They may also not be aware that about a week ago, with just 300 miles remaining, John came off his bike (for the second time on the trip) and broke his arm and cracked his pelvis. Under the circumstances your editorial staff think John looks quite cheerful in his hospital bed!

John is due to be flown home from the USA on a hospital flight on Saturday to be transferred to a London hospital. I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.

Five Henley Masters Medals

The Quintin Masters took to the water again this weekend, competing on the hallowed reach, and turned in a rash of successes that we are beginning to expect of them. The eight first raced Bewdley RC in the semi-final of 'D' eights, beating them on the unfavoured Bucks station by one length before going on to meet Leander Boat Club, from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in the finals of both 'D' and 'E' eights. The Canadian crew was reputed to contain several of their Olympic crew from 1976. First was the 'E' final where Quintin were again on the unfavoured Bucks station. After a fairly evenly contested race over the first 500m. Quintin gradually established a lead, finishing 1½ lengths ahead. In the 'D' final, the stations were reversed, and the reault was never in doubt, with Quintin coming home 2½ lengths ahead. The composite quad with Auriol Kensington also had a rewarding result, beating Cambridge Boat Club (USA) by 1¾ lengths in the semi-final and then Molesey BC by a canvas in the final. In 'C' sculls Ken Almand had a tough semi-final, winning by ½ length over Hosking of Walton, followed by a comfortable win over Kerr of Greenbank Falmouth in the final. Tom Bishop had a close-fought race in the 'G' singles final, but went on to beat Parry of Wallingford by 1½ lengths.

The winning competitors: C1x - Ken Almand; G 1x - Tom Bishop; C 4x - Ken Almand, Richard Ratcliffe (composite with Auriol Kensington RC); D 8+ - Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina, Jonathan Ferris, Richard Lonergan, Fred Jefferies, Pete Meaney, Ali Elliott; E 8+ - same as D 8+.

Full results are available at http://www.henleymastersregatta.org.uk/Full Results 2012 7 7 12.pdf.

Footnote: Willy Almand also won a medal, rowing in an Upper Thames 'F' coxless four.

Henley Royal Regatta Photos

This year's Henley was a memorable one for Quintin crews, although one of the memories we would rather forget. Firstly, the Britannia four did a splendid job in qualifying for the regatta proper, given the inexperience of the majority of the crew of racing at this level. Our Masters quad composite with Auriol Kensington also put up a good show, both in the qualifying race, and in the first round, where they fought desperately to stay on terms with a much younger crew and finally had to concede 1¼ lengths. The sad news is that the Britannia four were disqualified even before they reached the stakeboat for their first round heat against London Rowing Club. They were not allowed to race because they had turned on to the course for practice when they mistakenly believed that racing had completed before the lunch break. In fact the last race before lunch had been delayed and was still to come. A very high price to pay for this young crew! Full results may be found by searching the regatta website at https://www.hrr.co.uk/henley-results/search.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1388.

Our women's squad competed at Richmond Regatta this weekend. Nanyamka Brown and Tamsyn Wedlake-James were in WIM3 single sculls and they then joined forces and were joined by Hayley Short and Anne Wilkinson to form two WIM3 double sculls. They all had a good day's racing, but unfortuantely without success. Richard Miller and Sean Pitt were entered in men's IM3 double sculls, but the event was not run by the regatta.

The club has an involvement in two entries for Henley Royal Regatta this year - a QBC Britannia Cup coxed four and 50% of a Prince of Wales quadruple scull (with Auriol Kensington RC). We are happy to report that, with a fearful cross-headwind blowing and a strong stream, both crews qualified. We now await the draw.

Our masters lost a little of their feeling of invincibility on Sunday, racing on the Olympic course at Dorney. Entering five events, they won three, with second places in the other two. The 'E' eight had a comfortable victory over two Tideway Scullers crews and a Weybridge crew, while the 'E' coxless four beat Lea RC and Upper Thames RC (another Upper Thames crew and Bewdley having scratched). Tom Bishop won 'F' single sculls but came second to "Migsy" Milligan in the 'E' category. The 'D' coxless four led the field at 250m, but could not match the mid-race surge from Reading RC and were beaten by 3.5 seconds. There was some consolation in that the 'D' crew were giving away 20 years to the winners and to much of the rest of their six-boat field, while Tom Bishop was ten years the senior in the 'E' singles.

Masters E Eights Final

Masters E Single Sculls Final

Masters F Single Sculls 1st Heat

Masters F Single Sculls Final

Masters D Coxless Fours Final

Masters E Coxless Fours Final

Full results available at the regatta website.

No one seemed to know quite what was happening at Henley Women's Regatta on Friday, with a lot of last minute re-arranging due to the difficult river conditions, but in the end Sarah Blakeburn sculled in a time-trial qualifying race in the morning and succeeded in qualifying for the next round of Senior single sculls, by being one of the eight fastest scullers in the 16-boat field - this in a category two higher than her current status. In the afternoon conditions worsened, so that race times were over a minute slower than those of the slowest non-qualifier. Sarah had a tough side-by-side race with Ms. Wood of Sport Imperial, and led from the start, but Ms. Wood coped better with the difficult conditions and eventually drew away. A sterling effort from Sarah!

Full results at http://www.hwr.org.uk/UserFiles/Files/results/2012Fridayresults.pdf.

Barnes & Mortlake Regatta Photos

While our Elite quad were having a tough time at Reading Regatta, our young scullers were racing again this weekend, at Barnes and Mortlake. The two Women's Intermediate 3 Double Sculls, and Nanyamka and Tamsyn in the equivalent single sculls, gained more valuable racing experience, while one of the two Men's Intermediate 2 Double Sculls, the Men's Novice Double Scull and Men's Intermediate 2 coxless four all scored victories. In tne final of the IM2 Double Sculls, Mark Chatwin and Nick Moore claimed the prizes after Poplar, Blackwall and District wre disqualified for interference. In the IM2 coxless fours, Mark Chatwin, Nick Moore, Rob Williams and Sam Broadhurst had a comfortable win over Cygnet, and in almost the last race of the day Sean Pitt and Richard Miller won their Novice pots in yet another comfortable win over Cygnet in the Novice Double Sculls. Now everyone in the squad who started sculling this year has won his or her novices. Congratulations to coach Merv Lee!

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1385.

Golf Day Photos

The clouds were looking ominous as thirteen brave golfers rolled up for the second QBC Golf Society meeting at The Richmond Golf Club. The range of abilities was wide, from Nina Davies playing off 10 to half the male membership playing off 28. After a week's solid rain the course played surprisingly long but the wicked, wet rough swallowed more balls than the SuperVets eat greasy breakfasts at TJ's. The early starters benefitted from the best of the weather, but the later groups were chased along by some heavy showers.

After a titanic struggle and the use of many rowing terms, Roy Davies emerged the worthy winner of the Quart Tankard (and closest to the pin ), closely followed by Nick Gittins. The longest drive was won by Jennie Swift, who also won the team prize along with Nina Davies, Angie King and Jan Oliver. Bill Dennis retained the Brass Knocker which he finds useful for dispatching those fish unfortunate enough to jump on to his fishing hook. The Captain finished in the main pack and showed himself to be equally at home on the fairway as at Henley.

Many thanks to Simon Murby for organising an excellent day's golf and hopefully the sun will shine on us next year.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1381.

Peterborough Regatta Photos

Following in the masters' footsteps, our new scullers tasted some multi-lane racing at Peterborough this weekend, and with some success. On Saturday Sam Broadhurst and Rob Williams won IM3 Double Sculls and on Sunday Sarah Blakeburn won WIM2 Single Sculls. Here is a report from our coach, Mervyn Lee:

Hopefully from the photographs on the club website members can see the technical development of the Guys and Girls sculling ability. Having coped with the journey on Friday afternoon which is the mass exodus from London, all the competing boats got out on the course for an evening paddle. The Guys having pitched their tents and the Girls secure in the hotel room we ventured out for a pasta and pizza supper.

The Guys' quad of Alex Page, Nick Moore, Rob Williams and Sam Broadhurst's first outing before racing was on Friday evening and their improvement to race the 4x over the weekend was amazing, losing by 1sec in the final on Sunday. The Guys' double of Sam and Rob having raced at Twickenham took that experience and won IM3 2x on Saturday, but the step up to IM1 on Sunday after racing twice in the quad and hitting the bank proved too quick for them. The Guys' double of Alex (substituting for Mark) and Nick had their first outing on the river on Saturday morning and it was Nick's first ever race in a double. It was entered in IM2, but with Mark's late withdrawal they were in fact IM3. In spite of this, they competed well and the step up to IM1 on Sunday again having raced twice in the quad proved too quick for them.

As you can see from the photograph, the Girls' double of Anne and Nanyamka has improved technically and just missed out on qualifying for the final on Saturday. Unfortunately they struggled on Sunday morning. Sarah Blakeburn, racing in Quintin colours for the first time this year, and having to wait all day for her straight final, came second in IM2 1x on Saturday, won IM2 on Sunday and after only an hour's break had a good competitive race in Elite singles. Tamsyn Wedlake-James, competing in IM3 1x, struggled in the windy conditions and after only ten strokes came off her seat and fell in. On Sunday after an early morning paddle and with the events of Saturday still firmly in her mind in similar conditions she completed the course which all added to her sculling experience.

The full results for each day may be found at http://www.peterboroughcityrowing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Results-2012-Summer-Sat.pdf and http://www.peterboroughcityrowing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Results-2012-Summer-Sun.pdf.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1373.

Seven Golds and Two Silvers

The Quintin Masters journeyed to Nottingham this year determined to do better than last year's second place in the Victor Ludorum challenge. Our younger masters joined in to swell the ranks and we entered ten events, with most people competing in three. The results were remarkable, with nearly every individual coming home with three medals. The total tally for the club was seven golds and two silvers, plus the Victor Ludorum trophy and a cheque for £1,000.

In the early heats, involving single scullers, Ken Almand and Richard Ratcliffe qualified for the Masters C1x final:

Race 315: MC1x Heat 1

Race 316: MC1x Heat 2

Our first win of the day came in 'G'single sculls when Tom Bishop's heat was unexpectedly merged with the other heat to become the final as several scullers failed to show. Tom was a tad nonplussed as he had planned to use the heat as a warm-up and was not prepared for a full blast to the line. However...

Race 340: MG1x FINAL

Meanwhile the 'C' quad and the 'D' eight were involved in qualifying heats, both coming through unscathed, although the eight had to make do with second place (first three to qualify) after a strong performance from the Irish composite Commercial RC / Old Collegians BC / City of Derry BC.

Race 333: MC4x HEAT

Race 357: MD8 HEAT 1

From here on in it was all finals. First the 'E' eight against Durham ARC / King's School Canterbury BC, Tyne RC and the Irish composite (with the addition of the Cappoquin pair). Gold!

Race 378: ME8 FINAL

Then, an hour later, the 'F' eights against Wallingford, Broxbourne, Nottingham RC / Nottingham & Union RC , Durham ARC and Tideway Scullers - emphatic gold, with nearly 5 seconds margin over second-placed Durham.

Race 395: MF8 FINAL

Then Ken Almand won 'C' singles, followed by the 'E' coxless four, who bravely held off a late challenge from Upper Thames.

Race 404: MC1x FINAL

Race 417: ME4- FINAL

Things were looking pretty good with five golds out of the six events so far contested. Next on were the 'G' coxless four, who had a difficult task in an F/G/H handicap race. They had to give a very tidy Lea 'H' crew nine seconds start and just failed to get the gold having made up all but two seconds of the handicap. The nearest 'G' crew were eight seconds behind, but at least there was a silver medal - and Victor Ludorum points.

Race 434:MF/G/H4- FINAL

This race was immediately followed by the 'B' eights final where a scratch Quintin / Bewl Bridge / Auriol Kensington crew took on Broxbourne, York City and Champion of the Thames(!). Broxbourne proved too strong for everyone, taking the gold in the fastest time of the day, but our composite made sure of the silver.

Race 435: MB8 FINAL

Three quarters of an hour later, four of the eight were back at the start for the final of 'C' quad sculls. In a close run battle with Tees RC they just managed to establish a slender lead passing the grandstand, crossing the line 0.9 seconds ahead. Gold again!

Race 446: MC4x- FINAL

What a long day it had been! This just left the 'D' eight to race, in the last-but-two race of the day at 6:45 pm. What a long wait! Could we hold off the challenge from the Irish composite, who had led us in the heat? True to form, the Irish had their noses in front during the first half, but a blistering last 300m saw Quintin tear the field apart, with only Upper Thames clinging on to our coat tails. Quintin crossed the line two seconds ahead of Upper Thames, with the Irish a further second behind. Gold! A perfect end to a perfect day. It didn't even rain!

Race 473: MD8 FINAL

The Victor Ludorum Trophy

The medal winning athletes:

• G 1x GOLD: Tom Bishop
• E 8+ GOLD: Huw Jones, Steve Aquilina, Phil Hayman, Willy Almand, Jonathan Ferris, Richard Lonergan, Fred Jefferies, Pete Meaney, Ali Elliott
• F 8+ GOLD: Geoff Peel, Dick Findlay, Willy Almand, Roger Hine, Jonathan Ferris, Richard Lonergan, Fred Jefferies, Pete Meaney, Ali Elliott
• C 1x GOLD: Ken Almand
• E 4- GOLD: Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina
• G 4- SILVER: Geoff Peel, Tom Bishop, Willy Almand, Dick Findlay
• B 8+ SILVER: Mark Chatwin, Phil Hayman, Richard Ratcliffe, Alfredo Ramos Plasencia, Ken Almand, Ali Elliott.
• C 4x GOLD: Mark Chatwin, Richard Ratcliffe, Ken Almand
• D 8+ GOLD: Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Phil Hayman, Steve Aquilina, Jonathan Ferris, Richard Lonergan, Fred Jefferies, Pete Meaney, Ali Elliott

Thanks to Pete Meaney and Richard Ratcliffe for organising this extravaganza, and special thanks to Ali Elliott for coxing the four eights, and to Chris Williams of Tideway Scullers for waiting so patiently to bring our eight back from Nottingham on the TSS trailer.

The full results are available at http://www.masterschamps.org/downloads/MastersChamps2012-Raw-Results-v3.pdf.

Twickenham Regatta Photos

After a few recent successes on our patch eleven scullers travelled up river to Twickenham competing in eleven events to see how those who have moved into a higher status would fair and for some their first sculling racing experience.

Sean Pitt and Tom Barnwell raced for the first time this season in Nov 2x and after some steering issues and slight shipwrecks they managed to cross the line first in the heat and after similar excursions lost in the second heat. Both Rob Williams and Sam Broadhurst now racing at IM3 1x had issues after the start and lost in close races but proved they are both competitive at that level. Anne Wilkinson and Nanyamka Brown, whilst sculling better, found the IM3 2x heat tough. Tamsyn Wedlake-James, racing in a single for the first time and at IM3 level, competed well and learned a useful lesson of how steering is a major part of racing. Sarah Blakeburn, competing as University of Westminster, came up against strong opposition from Sport Imperial and Molesey in both IM1 and IM2 singles and, whilst she competed well will build upon the experience as a QBC sculler. Kerrigan Abbot, racing for the first time in Nov 1x ,completed the course well but came up against the eventual winner in his division. Richard Miller, racing in Nov 1x for the second time, competed much better and should take that confidence into his next race. Nick Moore, racing for the third time in Nov 1x, after a row over in the first heat lost to the eventual winner in his division. Rob and Sam doubled up and raced in IM3 2x and competed extremely well against a double from Molesey's World Class start programme losing by 1½ lengths in what turned out to be the final.

Whilst there were no pots to be had the guys and girls are realising how tough competitive sculling is and for some will take that experience to the two day event at Peterborough Regatta next weekend.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1366.

There were lots of close races at Chiswick Regatta on Saturday, including some of those involving our young scullers. After his novice win at Borne Regatta last week, Sam Broadhurst stepped up to IM3 status and had a creditable first performance at that level, losing his heat by just ¾ length to Anderson of Poplar, Blackwall and District RC. Anderson was eventually runner-up in this event and also won J18 single sculls, so well done, Sam, and better luck next time! In novice sculls we had three entries. Unfortunately Andrew Scriven had to scratch, but Nick Moore put in a gutsy performance, losing to Benfell of Vesta by just three feet at the second time of asking, the first race resulting in a dead heat.

But star of the event was our own Rob Williams, who was also involved in a dead heat in his first round race against Mcloughlin of Emanuel School, whom Rob went on to beat by 1½ lengths on the re-row. Rob then won his two next heats against Lowenhoff of Twickenham and Wachholz of Tyrian by a comfortable four lengths before beating Freeland of Emanuel School by three lengths in the final. Well done, Rob!

Unfortunately, our women scullers did not fare so well this week, finding the IM3 competition tougher than they did last week in novices. Both doubles went out in their first round heats, but the experience has given them something to work on through the summer.

Congratulations to Simon Murby in his first year as regatta secretary. Everything went off very smoothly, despite the cold, damp weather.

Borne Regatta Photos

The club's racing season got off to a good start this weekend, with wins in all events entered. Andrew Scriven, Nick Moore, Richard Miller, Rob Williams and Sam Broadhurst were all competing in Men's Novice Sculls, where Sam proved to be the winner when he rowed over in the final after winning his way through three heats. Our women (Nanyamka Brown, Anne Wilkinson, Hayley Short and Tamsyn Wedlake-James) similarly rowed over in the final of Women's Novice Quad Sculls after beating Putney High School in their heat. Maybe the foul weather (wind and rain) deterred their opposition from turning out for the finals. To complete the clean sweep, Richard Ratcliffe won Men's Masters C Sculls and we should also mention Sarah Blakeburn's victory for the University of Westminster in Women's IM3 Sculls. All that sculling at Aiguebelette clearly paid off.

The Potwinners' Chart starts here.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1361.

Training Camp Photos

Just after the Tideway Head, the club's keen young 'uns and not-so-young 'uns decamped to Aiguebelette for what proved to be a week of sunshine, sport and other activities (not all beginning with "s") in the French mountains. Everyone enjoyed it so much that it has taken until late April for the requested report to arrive on your editor's metaphorical doormat - but here it is, courtesy of Sam Broadhurst's pen:

"It is the day after training camp, we are all bright eyed and passing rigger jiggers around so we can re-rig the boats. I am walking around and looking busy, when as I pass I hear out of the corner of my ear in a jokey tone : "so then, who's going to write up about training camp?" Now, I don't know if it was because I was the first person to be seen or whether it was a genuine interest that I should be the one, but, even though I tried to keep my head down and out of trouble I was assigned the task.

The first day we arrived in France the hard work began of unloading the bags, trying to be continental by maybe taking off a jumper - although bugger it, there's no time for messing around, we've got some lunch to eat. After the first meal in Les Lodges du Lac we had time for a quick shower and although we were all going to drive down together to rig the boats, the others were too busy trying to work out how to spell Lodges so they could get the password for the Wi-Fi access that Andrew and I were forgotten about.

The first day out on the lake, and I'm speaking for myself here, but it was so calm and the water so perfectly flat that I actually felt less confident for a good 20 strokes or so, until I realised how much easier one can 'pass the salt' on such calm water. After our first outing on the lake and after showing up the French national squad doing their assessments, we had a quick 'tea break' and it was back on the water for another paddle before we headed back for some lunch. After lunch we had the fun and games of going to pick up some bikes from the bike rental store and this was a perfect time for Sarah Blakeburn to show off some of her French skills whilst the rest of us just pointed at our tyres and said in a very British way: "flat".

For those of you who haven't been, Les Lodges du Lac is picturesque; little cabins in a shady woodland around a crystal blue pool. After lunch we were instructed by Merv to get some 'shut eye' otherwise we would crash and burn, but it's alright, this year we were allowed to drink alcohol so we had that to look forward to in the evenings.

So, who was the first to fall in I hear you thinking. Well it was a big Scot named Craig, he was clearly just a bit too hot and thought, right, time to cool off. After that it was Nick Moore, who was clearly just showing off and wanted to take his top off. Mark Chatwin and Alex Page both tried and failed to tip me in whilst I was standing in my boat, bit unfortunate really because that would have been pretty funny to watch.

During the week it was clear that everyone really progressed in the sculling boats and everyone really went at it with passion. On the second to last day we did 2x 1500m time trials, which were videoed and that was really helpful and also good fun to see the 'human centipede' snaking its way down the course (the girls' quad - consisting of: Nanyamka Brown, Hayley Short, Anne Wilkinson and Tamsyn Wedlake-James). On the last day we held a mini regatta and the conditions weren't the nicest, the usual cross breeze that we had every morning session had changed its course and was now blowing on to the course. Oh well, nothing to do, we had to race and it was a good experience. Tom Bishop the ex-Olympian beat Sam Broadhurst in the final which was exciting to watch.

I guess the only other thing to say is that before the end of 2012 Mervyn Lee will be showcasing his cross dressing skills again in front of a much bigger audience."

Lots more photos on Facebook.

Photographs from the camp may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1331.

We have come to expect a certain amount of success from our veteran section, but we should not take it for granted; a lot of hard work goes into the organisation and training of the various squads. That said, it was good to see a brace of pennants being taken at the weekend. Ken Almand stroked the Auriol Kensington/Quintin/Putney Town composite to take the Masters B pennant, ably assisted by Richard Ratcliffe and Mark Chatwin (the captain performing his second full track in as many days). The crew, starting at No. 16, overtook six crews and finished fifth overall in a time of 19 min. 2.84 sec. Meanwhile, Meaney's Marauders, starting at No. 113, were awaiting their turn in the marshalling area below Chiswick Bridge, along with the "Bar Flies" at No. 124. When their time came the Marauders put their Amsterdam experience to good effect and plundered their third Masters E 8+ pennant of the season, in a time of 19 min. 35.29 sec, 13 seconds ahead of nearest rivals Walton, again overtaking a fistful of crews, including the Kingston and Tideway Scullers "D" eights, to finish 16th overall. The Bar Flies, who had done their best, but unsuccessfully, to hold off Walton, finished 146th in a time of 22 min. 2.27 sec, while the Quintin/Occoquan composite Masters "G" crew finished 89th in a time of 20 min. 52.27 sec.

The full results may be found on the Vesta website.

The pennant winning personnel - Masters "B" crew: Mark Chatwin, Richard Ratcliffe, Ken Almand - Masters "E" crew: Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina, Phil Hayman, Pete Meaney, Fred Jefferies, Richard Lonergan, Kevin McEvoy.

This event closes our Pennant Winners Chart for the 2011-12 winter season with veteran sculler Tom Bishop leading from the outset but caught by Ken Almand on the last day, both topping the chart on six wins.

HORR Photos

The club had one crew entered for the Head of the River Race this year. Their start position was 172 and they finished 279th in a time of 20min. 28.42 sec.

The crew contained only two of the "old guard", but was otherwise made up of our "learn-to-rowers", who have in fact been learning to scull this winter, and this was only their fourth outing in the eight together. It was Andrew's first ever race and a first Head of the River for Rob, and so it is hoped that, as well as being an enjoyable experience for the first timers, it will also encourage the squad to commit more to rowing and training not only to achieve a better result in the Head next year but to take forward this commitment into the summer regattas.

The crew: Sam Broadhurst (bow), Nick Moore, Andrew Scriven, Ewen Mcleod, Richard Miller, Craig Russell, Rob Williams, Mark Chatwin (stroke), Catt McLeod (cox).

A summary of the results may be found on our Head of the River web page and the official results may be found at http://www.horr.co.uk/2012/results.html.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1323.

Meaney's Marauders went further afield this weekend and explored the lower reaches of the Amstel River in Amsterdam, Netherlands, taking part in a two-day event organised by Nereus Rowing Club and sponsored by Heineken. The event consists of a 2500m and a 250m time trial on the Saturday, followed by 750m and 5000m on the Sunday (although veterans are excused the 750m). Each time is reduced to a 250m split time and the results of the races added together to give an overall score. Quintin competed in the Masters E category, our main opposition being Cambridge BC from Boston, Massachusetts. Also competing from GB were Barnes Bridge Ladies in women's Masters C 8+ and Imperial College in men's division 1 and division 2.

Amsterdam Photos

The Saturday started cloudy with a little drizzle descending as Barnes Bridge took on the might oF Willem III (the Dutch equivalent of Leander) in their division's 2500 race. However, by the time Quintin came to race at 1:00pm the skies had cleared and there was only a head breeze to contend with on certain reaches of the bendy course. The crew set off with great determination at 37-36 and were soon overhauling one of the slower Masters F crews, unfortunately having to take the outside of the bend to get past. Their time for the 2500m - 7 min 57.8 sec. with Cambridge BC just 0.7 sec. faster. Then, when all the men's masters had completed their 2500m, came the 250m. This is raced two-abreast from a flying start, finishing at the Nereus boathouse. However, as there was an odd number in the Masters E division and Quintin were first on, they raced alone, clocking 43.4 sec to Cambridge's 44.1 and putting us in pole position for the 5000m on Sunday with a 12.6 sec. advantage. Things were looking good!

Sunday was a glorious spring day, enough to bring those Amsterdam tulips into full bloom. Whether it was over-confidence or too much beer on Saturday afternoon and evening we shall never know, but sadly for us Cambridge pulled the cat out of the bag on Sunday clocking 17:14.0 on the 5k to our 17:28.7, giving them victory by just 0.105 points. We'll have 'em next time!

This is a great event. Watching 250m sprint races avery 25-30 seconds (complete with crabs and other mishaps) is a great spectator sport, especially with a friendly Amsterdam pub just a few yards behind you. Quintin must send a larger contingent next year.

Full results may be found at http://roeivierkamp.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/results2012.pdf - Quintin on page 25.

Photographs from the trip may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1292.

After much deliberation and debate (and a very pleasant trip to Amsterdam by your correspondent - see above) the results of the Hammersmith Head can now be revealed for those of you who have not explored the interior of the Auriol Kensington website to follow the developments. We are happy to be able to say that both Quintin entries scored successes, the Masters B composite with AKRC finishing 28th in a time of 11 minutes 56.9 sec and thus clinching the Masters B/C handicap pennant, while Meaney's Marauders, after an initial shock when the provisional results were published, were finally awarded the Masters E pennant, finishing 47th in a time of 12 min. 22.5 sec.

Full results at http://akrowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hammersmith_Head_Results_2012.pdf.

Quintin personnel - Masters B 8+: Richard Ratcliffe, Mark Chatwin, Ken Almand. Masters E 8+: Huw Jones, Roger Hine, Geoff Peel, Steve Aquilina, Phil Hayman, Peter Meaney, Fred Jefferies, Richard Lonergan, Kevin McEvoy.

The "Barflies" kicked off their 2012 season with a stiff paddle over the Molesey Reach, finishing 20th overall in a field of 43 eights, fours and quads. Their category (E - 55-59 average age) was won by a speedy Walton crew, who finished second overall, but even they were outshone by an untouchable Crabtree "C" eight (43-49 average age), over ¾ minute clear. Our crew had the consolation of finishing ahead of, among others, the "D" crew of our old rivals Kingston RC.

Full results may be found at
http://moleseyregatta.org.uk/mvh-2012-results/.

The annual dinner was held once again this year at the Royal Automobile Club in London. After a fine meal of woodland mushroom soup, then rump of lamb followed by lemon tart, coffee and petit fours, Duncan Hughes recounted a no doubt apochryphal tale before introducing the guest speaker, Toby Hessian (former lightweight international and brother to erstwhile Quintin member Rupert). Toby gave a splendid account of the two races which won him and his crew-mates the Ladies' Plate at Henley in 1989, when their Nottingham CRA eight were called upon to beat Harvard University not once but twice. Toby's recipe for success sounded very similar to that offered by Steve Trapmore at our 2008 dinner, only he employed two-minute intervals rather than 500m signals as his markers. In essence, his advice was "Row hard for two minutes, row even harder for the next two minutes and then row harder still for the final two minutes". It certainly worked for Toby. Your correspondent was there at eight o'clock on that glorious summer's evening back in 1989 when 10,000 people stayed on after the Henley prizegiving to watch the race of the regatta. Incidentally, the losing Harvard crew had put out our own crew (including your correspondent in his last Henley row) in the very first round.

The first major event on the Tideway of the New Year, namely the Quintin Head, got the year off to a cracking start with a record 151 entries. Just as last year, the weather was dry but cold, and the river conditions were relatively calm on a low ebbing tide, with just a bit of a head wind to contend with around Chiswick Eyot. The marshals did a grand job of getting the 142 crews that took to the water into position, and the race was able to start only a few minutes late, with the first crew crossing the start line at 9:38 am.

Imperial College were the overall winners, with a margin of 1.3 seconds over Tideway Scullers School, finishing in 12 min. 38.2 sec. IC also took the IM1 pennant, leaving the Senior pennant to TSS as a consolation prize, a fraction of a second ahead of rivals University of London. The UL third eight won the IM2 pennant in ninth position and, although Bedford Modern School (IM1) were the fastest school crew, in eighth place, Hampton School (12th) took the J18 pennant. The University of Bristol added the IM2 pennant to their extensive collection of Quintin Head pennants, having won at least one every year since 2006. Westminster School won J16s. Lincoln College, the only entry from the Oxford colleges, won the novice pennant, finishing 49th overall. Right behind them in 50th, St. Paul's School won J15. The Masters C category was won by a Quintin / Auriol Kensington composite, finishing 15th overall, and a full Quintin crew won Masters E in 39th position. Crabtree (26th) were the faster of only two Masters D crews, so no pennant was awarded.

In the women's events, one of Vesta's Senior eights was the fastest, finishing 41st in 14 min. 4.3 sec. and earning themselves both the Senior and the "fastest women" pennants. Imperial College / Sport Imperial won WIM1 in 55th place, with University of London (69th - WIM3 winners) ahead of City of Oxford (75th - WIM2 winners). University College London won Women's Novices and Godolphin & Latymer School won WJ15.

Quintin's own men's development VIII were disappointed to be behind their elders, finishing 62nd, but have plenty of scope for improvement in the coming weeks.

Full results on the Quintin Head Results Page.

It's that time of the year again! Time for silly hats and mince pies! Next Sunday is the date for the annual plum puddings race, starting at the Pink House at approximately 11:15am. Once this bit of fun is over it's down to the serious stuff of the Quintin Chistmas Party, starting at about 12:30pm. All members and friends welcome. If you fancy a warm-up event, Merv's squad invite you to join them for a few drinks from 5pm at the club on Saturday.

The club's masters continued their successful winter season with some good sculling performances in the Walton Small Boats Head. Ken Almand won the Masters C 1x pennant, finishing in a time of 11 min. 50 sec. Dick Findlay and Frank Webb won the Masters G/H 2x handicap pennant in a time of 12 min. 22 sec. Tom Bishop and daughter also put in good performances in Mixed Masters B (11 min. 47 sec.) and Mixed Masters C (11 min. 55 sec.).

Full results may be found at http://force8consulting.net/sites/waltonrowingclub2/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/WSBH_results_overall_2011.pdf.

The club had eight competitors in the Scullers Head this year. Ken Almand was our fastest sculler, finishing 66th overall in a time of 22 min. 24.49 sec, placing him third in the Masters B category. Tom Bishop won the Masters F pennant, finishing 209th overall in a time of 23 min. 39.86 sec. A summary of the club's results:

Sarah Blakeburn was also competing, in University of Westminster colours, and finished 443rd in 26 min. 54.95 sec. Frank Webb was under doctor's orders again and did not take part.

Full results may be found at http://www.vestarowing.co.uk/vesta-scullers-head/vesta-scullers-head-2011/.

Quintin had just one entry in the Burway Small Boats Head this year, but what a fine result! Although they qualify for Masters H, Dick Findlay and Frank Webb entered the Masters E/F/G double sculls category in order to qualify for a pennant, as there were no other category H entries. They were the fastest in the category by over 20 seconds, even before the handicap was applied, finishing in a time of 10 min. 39 sec, and they also beat four of the six Masters D doubles. This all means, of course that Dick and Frank won the Masters E/F/G 2x pennant.

The club had two entries in the Kingston Small Boats Head at the weekend and very nearly came away with two pennants. Pete Meaney completed the course in 20 min. 38.19 sec, just missing out on the Masters E 1x pennant by 3/100ths of a second to Alloway of Tideway Scullers School. Well done to the timekeepers for spotting such a slender difference! Dick Findlay and Frank Webb took 19 min. 54.91 sec. in their Masters G/H double, beating their closest opposition by 45 seconds to take the pennant.

Full results are available at the event website.

The club had a good set of results in the Henley Sculls on Saturday, winning four pennants. First off, Steve Aquilina and Tom Bishop (Masters E 2x) won the Masters D/E handicap pennant outright, in a time of 12 min. 5 sec. In the single sculls, Ken Almand was our fastest, in 12 min. 23 sec. He was the thirteenth fastest sculler overall and took the Masters B pennant. Not to be outdone, Richard Ratcliffe won the Masters C pennant in a time of 12 min. 42 sec. Our next fastest sculler was Charles Harrison, who won the Masters E pennant in 13 min. 3 sec, followed by Steve Aquilina (Masters D, 13 min. 17 sec.), then Tom Bishop, who just missed the Masters F pennant by 5 seconds in a time of 13 min. 28 sec. Pete Meaney (Masters E, 13 min. 31 sec.) was close behind Tom, followed by Geoff Peel (Masters E, 13 min. 45 sec.In Masters G, Dick Findlay clocked 14 min. 15 sec, missing the pennant by 6 seconds. Frank Webb scratched on medical advice.

Full results may be found at this link.

We have sadly learned of the death of Brian Howard, a member of the club in the 1960s and a regular supporter of our crews at Henley. Brian was suffering from cancer of the bowel. Brian had his first race for the club in 1961, along with Alec Field and Neville Baynes, and they had some success under their coaches, initially Brian Shaw and Dennis Body, winning Maiden (Novice) Eights at Hammersmith Regatta and beating Radley College in the final of Junior Eights at Reading Amateur Regatta (although finishing second to Bedford School) - this in a field of 26 entries. Arther Ward took over the coaching in 1962 and the crew went on to win Junior Eights at Chiswick Regatta.

The funeral will be held on November 15th st 11.15 at Easthampstead Park Cemetery and Crematorium, South Road, Nine Mile Ride, Wokingham, RG40 3DW. The wake will take place at the Wheelright Arms, Davis Way, Hurst, RG10 0TR. Family flowers only and donations (if desired) to Intensive Care at The Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading.

Brian appears in our photo gallery in the 1970s album and in the 1990s album.

The club had an interest in four crews racing in the Veteran Fours Head on Sunday. As well as the three regular masters crews, the club captain turned out in a Masters B quad under composite MAABC/QBC colours. Weatherwise, conditions had changed dramatically from the calm conditions of Saturday's Fours Head, there being a strong northerly wind, which signified rough water and a head wind all the way from Barnes Bridge to Chiswick Eyot.

The B quad (Mark Chatwin stroking) had an interesting scull and despite some imaginative steering (or maybe because of it) they finished eighth overall in a time of 20 min. 49.62 sec. However, this was enough for them to clinch the Masters B 4x pennant. Meanwhile, Ken Almand's and Richard Ratcliffe's Masters C quad composite with Auriol Kensington and Thames finished fifth overall in a time of 20 min. 36.46 sec. to win the Masters C 4x pennant. They were the second fastest masters quad, being beaten only by the Broxbourne Masters 'A' crew and two IM3 quads and an exceptionally fast IM3 coxed four, all from the University of London.

Next on for Quintin was our Masters E coxless four, starting at No. 78, with Ken's father Willy on board. This crew "battened down the hatches" in the rough water after Barnes Bridge and overhauled one of their rivals for the pennant, Upper Thames RC, just after Chiswick Eyot. With a strong second half, they managed to hold off the challenge of Walton RC and took the Masters E 4- pennant in a time of 21 min. 53.97 sec, finishing 34th overall. They beat all the Masters A, B and D coxless fours and were the fourth fastest coxless four, with only the Tyrian, Crabtree and Ardingly 'C' fours ahead of them. The winning crew: Geoff Peel (bow, steers), Willy Almand, Steve Aquilina, Roger Hine (stroke).

Our final representatives in the race were an IM3 coxed four, starting at No. 126. They finished 130th in a time of 23 min. 51.28 sec. Given the difficult conditions, this was a sterling performance from the crew; Sam and Nick only started rowing this year, and this was their first open race; Craig had swapped from bowside to strokeside. The crew: Sam Broadhurst (bow), Craig Russell, Nick Moore, Tom Barnwell (stroke), Jane Adams (cox).

Full results may be found at http://www.vetfourshead.com/storage/2011%20amended.pdf.

We had one entry in the Fours Head on Saturday, an IM1 coxed four, starting at No. 228. They finished their race over the full Mortlake-Putney course in 284th position, in a time of 21 min. 44.04 sec. The crew: Ewen McLeod (bow), Rob Williams, Alex Page, Adam Page (stroke), Catt McLeod (cox). Full results are available at http://www.hor4s.org.uk/docs/oldresults/2011results.pdf.

The clouds were dark and threatening as the competitors in the first QBC Golf Society meeting, organised by Simon Murby, teed off at Richmond Golf Club. There were two 3 balls playing individual stableford off full handicaps. The first 3 ball of Dave King, Geoff Potts and Andrew Bramah got off to a good start with all 3 drives in play on the first fairway, but it was downhill from there on in. Behind, the other 3 ball of Simon Murby, Roy Davies and Bill Dennis kept the pressure on by firing off the odd drive that landed too close for comfort on the group in front.

After a titanic struggle, many swear words and a surprisingly small number of lost balls the final outcome was :-

• Dave King - 33 points
• Geoff Potts - 31 points
• Simon Murby - 31 points
• Andrew Bramah - 29 points
• Roy Davies - 26 points
• Bill Dennis - 23 points (winner of Knob Trophy)

We are hoping to organise a larger outing next spring so please let Simon or Dave know if you fancy swinging a club.

The club had five scullers competing in the Marlow Long Distance Sculls on Saturday. These days the race is a mixed bag of quads, doubles and singles, and so an overall finish position is pretty meaningless and position within your own category has more significance. In Masters C, Ken Almand came second to Guy Pooley of Crabtree, in a time of 20 min. 28.1 sec, with Richard Ratcliffe third in 20 min. 32.6 sec. In the Masters E/F handicap Charles Harrison won convingcingly in 21 min. 15.9 sec. Dick FIndlay came second to Sean Morris of Wallingford in the Masters G/H handicap in a time of 23 min. 12.6 sec. with Frank Webb following on in 24 min. 14.2 sec.

Full results may be found at http://www.marlowrowingclub.org.uk/images/stories/
longdistancesculls/LDS2011/LDS_2011_Results_by_event.pdf.

The Weybridge Silver Sculls were won on Saturday by Tim Male of Tideway Scullers School, in a time of 13 min. 18 sec. Quintin had five scullers competing in four of the Masters categories. In Masters C, Ken Almand came fourth in 14 min. 9 sec. and Richard Ratcliffe was fifth in 14 min. 15 sec. In Masters E, Tom Bishop overtook Geoff Peel to win the pennant in !4 min. 52 sec. Geoff finished fourth in 15 min. 22 sec. Tom also won the Masters F pennant sculling in an earlier division, in a time of 14 min. 43 sec. Finally, Frank Webb was the faster of the two Masters H scullers, beating R. Green of BTC Southampton by 15 seconds in a time of 16 min. 23 sec.

Full results may be found at hhttp://www.weybridgerowing.org.uk/silversculls/results.php?competition=4.

Tom is undoubtedly holding his own in our Pennant Winners Chart.

The club had six entries for the Pairs Head on Saturday, including two composites with the University of Westminster. The course was the usual one from Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge, and this year we were blessed with mild weather and a tail breeze off the start which undoubtedly eased as the race progressed. With an entry of over 430 pairs and doubles it took well over an hour to get all crews through the start, and it was a little disconcerting for our masters at the back of the field to find crews returning to the UL boathouse while they were still marshalling for the race.

Mark Chatwin (our captain) and Andrew Lawson (University of Westminster) led the way for the club in an IM2 double, and were our fastest crew, finishing sixth in their category. Our next fastest crew were Deborah Mallinson and Tom Bishop, who won the pennant for Mixed Masters D/E/F doubles. Then came our coxless pairs - Richard Ratcliffe and Ken Almand (the second-fastest Masters C pair), Ewen McLeod and Alex Page (University of Westminster) half a second slower, followed by Geoff Peel and Roger Hine (fastest Masters E pair by 25 seconds and fastest in their division - Masters E/F/G/H - before the handicap was applied). Last but not least Dick Findlay and Frank Webb won the Masters G/H/I doubles division, even without the handicap, in a time just 1/100th second slower than Geoff and Roger in their pair.

Full results may be found at http://www.pairshead.co.uk/results-2011/

Göta Älvrodden Photos

The QBC Barflies arrived in a foggy Gothenburg on Friday morning. However things soon brightened up when the sun came out and we arrived for a training outing at Molndals Rowing Club, which is situated on an idyllic 2000m lake just outside town. Not only had our hosts provided us with a perfectly formed cox, Mimi, but also given us the loan of the Empacher eight that Quintin sold them a few years ago.

The race was on Saturday morning over a 20km course on the Gota River from Kungalvs to Gothenburg. There were over 40 boats in total – a mixture of fours and eights – from all over Scandinavia and St Petersburg. The start was fairly exciting as there was a mass start, at five minute intervals, for all boats in the same class. QBC lined up with the two other crews in the Masters category, and got off to a good start in front of Justitia, Norway and just behind the local club, Kungvals. Molndals first eight won the event in a record time of 1:02:50. After a good row, passing a number of eights and a lot of fours, QBC came in 6th overall in a time of 1:16:04. Our hosts then laid on an excellent dinner that evening when ample quanities of the local Falcon beer were consumed. As a result the flight home on Sunday morning was on the quiet side!

We look forward to seeing our hosts next year when they will be over for the HORR.

Editor's note: This link will give some flavour of the event.

Photographs of the event may be found at http://quintinboatclub.org/gallery/index.php?ref=1277.

Whilst meteorologists were consulting their record books to see if the temperatures in the London area, approaching 30°C, were the hottest ever for October, Quintin Boat Club was opening its autumn sculling season with two wins at Wallingford Long Distance Sculls. Tom Bishop took part in two divisions, initially coming second to clubmate Charlie Harrison in the Masters E category, and then going on to scull the course again and win the Masters F category.

Full results may be found at http://wallingford-sculls.org.uk/2011-results/.