RYDE ROWING CLUB’S veteran squad competed in the Henley Veteran Regatta, held on the week following Henley Royal Regatta since 1994.

It is hosted and run by Upper Thames Rowing Club over 1000m of the Henley Royal Regatta course. The regatta has grown into an internationally recognised event for veterans or masters crews and competitors come from all over the world to compete making the standard very high.

The Wightlink sponsored Ryde Club competed in the event for the first time last year and had a quad and two scullers reach their respective finals. They travelled to Henley this year with high hopes of doing better, but in spite of a strong performance from the squad, racing against some of the best Veteran oarsman in the world, their results were a little disappointing.

The quad - Russell Page, Mick Jenner, Nick Pike and Ian Hayden - racing in the Veteran/Masters “C” event fought through several round to reach the semi-final of their event where they missed out on a place in the final by just two feet.

A similar fate befell Russell Page and Nick Pike in their Veteran/Masters “C” single sculls event - where they also missed out in the semi-finals, with Mick Jenner losing in an earlier round.

But Ian Hayden, racing in the Veteran/Masters “B” event went one better reaching the final of his event before losing once again to Praed of Auriol-Kensington R. C., who beat him in last year’s final.

Ryde Rowing Club had a number of its member competing at the Henley Royal Regatta, albeit racing for their mainland clubs or universities.

They included Ashley Maitland competing for London Rowing Club and John Gedling competing for Durham University. The best performance from a Ryde Oarsman came from Ollie Bottrell who was part of the Nottingham and Union Rowing Club coxless fours which came from behind in the final to beat London Rowing Club to win the won the Wyfolds Challenge Cup by 1 1/4 lengths.