Ryde Rowing Club’s senior squad was in action when they travelled to London to compete in the Tideway Head of the River Race.

The Tideway Head of the River Race is a processional race held annually on the River Thames in London over the 4.25 mile (6.8 km) Championship Course that is used for the University Boat Race - but raced the opposite direction - from Mortlake to Putney.

The race is only open to men’s eights and is considered to be the peak of the head race season — attracting the top UK crews as well as foreign clubs – with over 400 crews competing, starting at approximately ten second intervals, making it one of the largest rowing events in the world.

Ryde had not competed in the event for a number of years because of the difficulty of borrowing a suitable boat. But this year, following the club’s loan of a Coastal Four for training purposes to the Southampton University Boat Club – they responded by making an eight available to Ryde for the Head Race.

With training opportunities limited to one session on the Median in a boat kindly loaned by Newport Rowing Club and a race at the Southampton Head in the boat they would use in the race expectations were not high and the Wightlink sponsored club knew they would do well to get in the top 200.

But the crew of Russell Page, Sam Cocker, Stu Johnson, Tom Clark, Callum Lowe, Ian Hayden, Nick Pike and Ben Ade with Maddie Dunn coxing completed the course in a time of 19 minutes, 15.28 seconds to finish in 193rd place..

The previous week club stalwart Steve Bull attended the 2010 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Sports Awards Ceremony which took place at the Botleigh Grange Hotel, Botley, where he was nominated for an award in the “Service to Sport” Section – and was surprisingly the only Islander who received a nomination in any of the 17 categories.

Judged by an independent panel, the standard of entries was exceptional, with many current and aspiring international athletes as well as long-serving officials featuring in the shortlist.

Photo: Ryde Rowing Club