AFTER a winter of hard training, four Tamar and Tavy Gig Club crews took to the water in the Three Rivers Race at Saltash.
The testing course runs from Saltash Sailing Club, upstream to beyond Warleigh Point where the Tavy joins the Tamar, then downstream to the mouth of the Lynher and back up to the Tamar Bridge.
The ladies' crews took to the water for the first race with the Ladies A Crew in Tamar — cox Rae Bullough, Carolyn Dawe, Jo Cameron, Debbie Vojkovic, Loveday Fethney, Viv Barnes and Ruth Walke — making the brighter start of the two Tamar and Tavy crews and then started to have a running duel with a Weymouth crew, which continued all the way to the finish line with only a couple of lengths between both Crews. The B Crew in Ginette — cox Bill Stacey-Norris, Tricia Stewart, Helen Lloyd, Julie Rendle, Julie Eastaugh, Jane Morton and Tracey Brown — kept a long strong stroke overhauling several crews, to finish one place behind the A crew.
The men's A crew in Ginette — cox Carolyn Dawe, Andy Morton, Bob Dawe, Rae Bullough, Alan Perrett, Tom Sargeant and Johnny Overnal — showed that the hard work they have put in over the winter paid off. Starting with the world champions in the A heat, they finished a creditable 18th. The B crew in Tamar — cox Bill Stacey-Norris, Martin Painter, Pete Sellers, John Rogers, Matt Pinney, Chris Dill and Santosh Chakrabati — competed well to finish in 34th.
The World Championships will be taking place on the Isles of Scilly over the first May Bank Holiday, with the club looking to enter eight crews.
Tamar and Tavy Gig Club are currently in need of more Concept 2 Rowing Machines to train with, so if anyone would consider selling, loaning, or even donating it to the Gig Club please contact on 01822 841410 or email [email protected]">[email protected]