Darts fourth in Plym final
Conditions were ideal for the 52nd South Coast regatta held on the River Plym at Plymouth.
But Dartmouth were hindered by a slow start in the championship final of the men's junior/senior coxed fours.
The crew of Matthew Isaac, John Hart, Phil Langman, Terry Wallis and cox Louise Bellamy were half-a-length down on the leading crews after 20 strokes.
Early leaders Christchurch and Itchen Imperial were soon joined by Exeter, but Christchurch soon started to take command of the race and at 1,000m they led by two lengths from Exeter.
At this stage Dartmouth were locked in a battle with two Herne Bay crews for the minor placings.
Christchurch went on to win by a length-and-a-half from Exeter with Itchen Imperial a further two lengths down in third place.
Dartmouth overcame the two Herne Bay crews to take fourth place with Herne Bay A fifth and Herne Bay B sixth.
The minimum requirement of a 1,650m course was laid out from Laira Bridge past the clubhouse to the shallows.
The main championship event was the men's senior coxed fours with just four crews following the mysterious non-appearance of Exeter.
Herne Bay, BTC Southampton and Bexhill soon dropped Ryde and at 500m Bexhill pulled out and were almost a length up on BTC Southampton at 1000 metres.
Bexhill went on to win by two lengths from BTC Southampton with Herne Bay third and Ryde fourth.
Hastings and Deal were the better starters in the championship men's junior coxed fours, but were joined by Ryde and Southampton Coalporters who took over the lead.
These two then made it a two-boat race with Ryde winning a close finish by half-a-canvas from the Coalporters, with Deal a further two lengths down in third place. Exmouth were fourth and Hastings sixth.
Exeter and Southampton Coalporters were the early leaders in the championship ladies' senior coxed fours and at 500m Exeter led by half-a-length.
These two crews were joined at the front of the race by Greenbank Falmouth and Shoreham, but by the time the crews reached 1000m the Southampton crew had built a two-length lead with Greenbank Falmouth second and Exeter third.
Exeter faded over the final 500m and Shoreham rowed through Exeter and Greenbank Falmouth.
Southampton Coalporters went on to win by two lengths from Shoreham with Greenbank Falmouth a further length behind in third place.
In the championship ladies' junior coxed fours, Bideford Reds and Exeter made all of the early running but were joined by Eastbourne.
However, the Reds got away with Eastbourne taking up second place.
Bideford were eventually convincing two-length winners from Eastbourne with Exeter a further length down in third place.
The championship veteran's coxed fours was a close race. BTC Southampton made the early running, pulling out half-a-length which Greenbank Falmouth pulled back and briefly led the race.
However, BTC Southampton hung in there and these two crews were joined by last year's winners Folkestone.
BTC Southampton had good spell between 1000m and 1200m which gave them the impetus to go on and win by a length from Greenbank Falmouth, who were just a canvas from third-placed Folkestone. Lymington were fifth and Worthing sixth.
Dartmouth were South Devon's only representatives in the championship regatta, but the region also had something to cheer about in the supporting open races.
A Dart Totnes crew of Steve Clarke, Eric Parker, Seb Baranzano, Nick Lovering and cox Rob Crouch-Jones rowed a fine race at men's junior/senior coxed fours, leading almost from the start and building an impregnable lead to win by an impressive five lengths from Shoreham with Shanklin & Sandown third a further three lengths down.
The only other West of England successes in the non-championship events were Bideford Blues, who won the veteran (over-40) coxed fours by one-and-a-half lengths from Southampton Coalporters with Eastbourne third.
Plymouth won at ladies' novice coxed fours. They beat Itchen Imperial by three-quarters-of-a-length with Bideford Reds third.
SOUTH COAST CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA
Championship events: Men's Senior coxed fours: 1 Bexhill, 2 BTC Southampton, 3 Herne Bay, 4 Ryde. Men's Junior/Senior coxed fours: 1 Christchurch, 2 Exeter, 3 Itchen Imperial, 4 Dartmouth, 5 Herne Bay A, 6 Herne Bay B. Men's Junior coxed fours: 1 Ryde, 2 Southampton Coalporters, 3 Deal, 4 Exmouth, 5 Hastings. Ladies' Senior coxed fours: 1 Southampton Coalporters, 2 Shoreham, 3 Greenbank Falmouth, 4 Exeter, 5 Bexhill, 6 BTC Southampton. Ladies' Junior coxed fours: 1 Bideford Reds, 2 Eastbourne, 3 Exeter, 4 Itchen Imperial, 5 Christchurch, 6 Herne Bay. Veteran (Over-40) coxed fours: 1 BTC Southampton, 2 Greenbank Falmouth, 3 Folkestone, 4 Lymington, 5 Worthing. Overall points: 1 Hants & Dorset ARA 27pts, 2 Coast ARA 14pts, 3 West of England ARA 13pts.
Open events: Men's Senior coxed fours: 1 Itchen Imperial, 2 Herne Bay, 3 Ryde B. Men's Junior/Senior coxed fours: 1 Dart Totnes, 2 Shoreham, 3 Shanklin & Sandown. Men's Junior coxed fours: 1 Southampton Coalporters, 2 Poole, 3 Bexhill. Men's Novice coxed fours: 1 Poole, 2 Bideford Blues, 3 Southampton. Ladies' Senior coxed fours: 1 Southampton Coalporters, 2 Greenbank Falmouth, 3 Hastings. Ladies' Junior coxed fours: 1 Bexhill, 2 Southampton Coalporters, 3 Christchurch B. Ladies' Novice coxed fours: 1 Plymouth, 2 Itchen Imperial, 3 Bideford Reds. Veteran (Over-40) coxed fours: 1 Bideford Blues, 2 Southampton Coalporters, 3 Eastbourne. Veteran (Over-50) coxed fours: 1 BTC Southampton, 2 Southampton Coalporters, 3 Southampton. Overall points: 1 Southampton Coalporters 19pts, 2= Poole 8pts, Bideford Blues 8pts, Itchen Imperial 8pts.
