The final weekend of the Northern Rowing 2024 LDS racing series on November 2nd was a jam packed affair for HRC, with one morning race for LDS glory and 2 afternoon races, with results combined to determine winners of the Autumn Small Boats Head.
All 3 races were over the Durham Regatta long course, rowed in reverse, upstream, from Counts House to the Regatta start, through the notorious Old Elvet Bridge and it’s infamous arches.
All 3 races were full to capacity and it was a busy old River Wear all day.
The LDS race was off at 0930am. After an early start from the 31 Hexham RC athletes racing in the 0930 division, it was all systems go for the 14 entries in quad sculls, double sculls and singles.
Wins for HRC in J16 2x in 7mins 29secs, W2x, 7.36 Wj16 4x-, 7.39 and Wj17 1x, 8.09, were recorded in the LDS race. There were notable performances from the J18 2x in 7.19, Masters C1x in 8.10, Masters G2x in 8.36 and the fastest HRC crew in the LDS, Masters F4x on 7.18, although they lost their event on master’s handicap.
It was then on to the afternoon races. Two divisions of the Durham Small Boats Head with results combined to determine winners. This time, rowing and sculling crews were racing, over the same course as the morning LDS race.
Nineteen, yes, that’s nineteen, Hexham RC crews were racing in the 2 SBH divisions in the afternoon.
After some extremely quick times were posted in the first division, it was left to Hexham RCs J18 4x to blast their way to the fastest crew position in the final race of the day in a time of 6.10.
The J18s were closely followed by the slightly more aged, master’s D 4x, (Tyne composite), in 6.27, the Wj18 4x in 6.58, (Fastest women’s crew of the day), and the W4x in 7.25. All these crews won their events to take the Hexham RC tally to 8 wins for the day. A tidy little trophy haul for the final NE rowing head series.
A further 5 HRC crews came home under the 8 minute mark.
Now it’s time to move on with Hexham represented at a couple of national competitions with Junior u19 trials and Vets Fours Head/4s Head on the Tideway, plus York Small Boats Head and Rutherford Head to round off November and a busy year of racing.
