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Search forDarts triumph is greatest yet
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 09:48
The South Devon club's youngsters were top dogs with four wins in the first South Coast Junior Regatta at Dartmouth in 2006, and they went one better with five wins last year at Eton's Dorney Lake – the rowing venue for the 2012 Olympic Games.
But at Plymouth the club surpassed even those achievements by winning six of the 18 events alongside a clutch of second and third places to lift the newly-installed points trophy by a handsome margin.
Exeter were Dartmouth's main rival on the day but home club Plymouth pulled off a couple of surprise wins and Dart Totnes, with a reduced squad, also picked up a trophy in superb conditions on the River Plym.
The straight 1000m course from Laira Bridge to the Plymouth clubhouse with a stake boat start proved ideal for the crews.
Dartmouth's Chris China, Liam Boyd, TJ Lang, David Langmead and cox Alison McGrigor were locked in a three-boat battle with Herne Bay and Bideford Blues at men's under-18 coxed fours.
With 100m to go Dartmouth were half-a-length down on the other two crews but rowed between them with power to win by half-a-length from Herne Bay, who were a further half-length from Bideford Blues.
At men's under-16 coxed quadruple sculls, there was no doubt who were setting the pace as Dartmouth's West of England ARA champions Michael Tilley, Richie Jeffs, TJ Lang, Matt Dayment and cox Marie Dayment flew off the start line and were a length up on the other crews in the first 100m.
Dartmouth went on to win by an impressive six lengths from Bexhill and BTC Southampton.
At men's under-18 double sculls, Dartmouth's China and Langmead beat Exeter by nearly two lengths and at men's under-16 double sculls, Dartmouth had a one-two with Lang and Dayment winning by half-a-length from clubmates Tilley and Jeffs, with Plymouth a further length down in third place.
In the men's single sculls, China was third at under-18 and Dayment was just pipped on the line at under-16, losing to Neil Povey of Bideford Reds by half a canvass.
In the ladies' fours, the Dart Totnes crew of Clare Gardner, Christie Rhys-Brown, Amy Kirkup, Jacqui Gibbard and cox Chelsie Cleal had to settle for third behind Exeter and Herne Bay.
But Emily Murphy, Rhys-Brown, Kirkup, Gardner and cox Cleal gave Dart Totnes a win when they just pipped Bideford Reds by half-a-canvass to take the under-16 coxed quadruple sculls, with Christchurch a further three lengths down in third place.
Dartmouth had two placings at ladies' under-18 level in the double sculls – Sam Tilley and Fiona Dayment winning by two lengths from Southampton Coalporters with Hanna China and Chrissy Rugg third.
In the ladies' single sculls, Dartmouth's West of England Under-18 champion Tilley made easy work of her race to win by two lengths from Saxton of Exeter.
And Jess Phillips of Dart Totnes had to settle for third place in the ladies' under-16 single sculls behind Hunt of Christchurch and Wesson of Exeter.
SOUTH COAST JUNIOR REGATTA RESULTS
Championship races: Men's Under-18 coxed fours: 1 Dartmouth, 2 Herne Bay, 3 Bideford Blues. Men's Under-16 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Dartmouth, 2 Bexhill, 3 BTC Southampton. Men's Under-14 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Plymouth, 2 Bideford Reds, 3 Itchen Imperial. Men's Under-18 double sculls: 1 Dartmouth, 2 Exeter. Men's Under-16 double sculls: 1 Dartmouth A, 2 Dartmouth B, 3 Plymouth. Men's Under-14 double sculls: 1 Plymouth, 2 Bexhill, 3 BTC Southampton. Men's Under-18 single sculls: 1 M Bowyer – Exeter A, 2 J Lock - Exeter B, 3 Chris China – Dartmouth. Men's Under-16 single sculls: 1 S Povey - Bideford Reds, 2 Matt Dayment - Dartmouth, 3 J Copper – Bexhill. Men's Under-14 single sculls: 1 M Bailey – Christchurch, 2 J Nottley – Plymouth. Ladies Under-18 coxed fours: 1 Exeter, 2 Herne Bay, 3 Dart Totnes. Ladies' Under-16 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Dart Totnes, 2 Bideford Reds, 3 Christchurch. Ladies' Under-14 coxed quadruple sculls: 1 Bideford Blues, 2 Bexhill, 3 Bideford Reds. Ladies' Under-18 double sculls: 1 Dartmouth B, 2 Southampton Coalporters, 3 Dartmouth A. Ladies' Under-16 double sculls: 1 Exeter A, 2 Bideford Reds, 3 Exeter B. Ladies' Under-14 double sculls: 1 Christchurch, 2 Itchen Imperial, 3 Bideford Blues. Ladies' Under-18 single sculls: 1 Sam Tilley – Dartmouth, 2 B Saxton – Exeter. Ladies' Under-16 single sculls: 1 J Hunt – Christchurch, 2 A Wesson – Exeter, 3 Jess Phillips – Dart Totnes. Ladies' Under-14 single sculls: 1 E Comerfield – Southampton Coalporters, 2 A Jackson – Bideford Blues.
Overall points: 1 Dartmouth 38pts, 2 Exeter 28pts, 3 Christchurch 16pts, 4 Bideford Reds 15pts, 5 Plymouth 14pts, 6= Bideford Blues 10pts and Bexhill 10pts, 8 Southampton Coalporters 8pts, 9 Dart Totnes 7pts, 10 Herne Bay 6pts, 11 Itchen Imperial 4pts, 12 BTC Southampton 2pts.
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