Wye boats headed to the River Dart to target more time-trial success over a testing and twisting nine-mile estuary course, reports NICKL HARTLAND.
The course takes in some stunning scenery, and passes the waterside home of legendary crime writer Agatha Christie.
And among those ‘whodunnit’ as the race returned for the first time since 2019 were two Monmouth RC masters eights, alongside boats from as far away as Germany, Tees RC in Middlesbrough, Rochdale’s Hollingworth Lake, top schools Shiplake and King’s School Chester, Cantabrigian from Cambridge, and St Hilda’s College, Oxford.
Racing in some choppy conditions, Monmouth’s mixed E crew (average age over 55) of Louise Allison, Nick Hooton, Tim Male, James Allison, Colin Lewis, Kate Callaghan, Kate Hooton, Liz Lewis and cox Zach Salmon won their category in a time of 47mins 52mins, placing them 12th overall and the first boat home with women on board, ahead of the Worcester RC, Bristol Ariel and Tees masters men’s 8s.
The women’s 8 in the category of Masters F (over 60) featured Matt Royston at cox, Monmouth Comprehensive School’s coach, who has successfully coxed a winning MRC crew at the Dart before.
There was a bit of rivalry between the two coxes, with Zach a former Comprehensive pupil who has recently been an assistant coach at the school.
The crew of Mary Miller, Sue Smith, Helen Tilley, Maggie Hickland, Dawn Brace, Gail Adams, Frances Lester, Amanda Snelson and Matt were second in their category in a time of 57 minutes dead, just behind hosts Dart Totnes’ over-50 eight and ahead of Bradford-on-Avon and Avon County’s masters men’s 8s, Upton RC’s women’s vets 8 and a Tees ladies octuple.
On Sunday it was the turn of the smaller boats - 75 singles and doubles/pairs - where because of the tide, the race started in Dartmouth and finished in Totnes, and a stronger wind offered up larger waves that the rowers did well to contend with.
Despite having raced on Saturday, club coach and Athens Olympian Tim Male posted an impressive time of 52.34.
That was good enough to win his MC (over-42) category, and place fourth fastest overall and second in singles behind 2021 Henley Royal Regatta Diamond Sculls semi-finalist Tim Wilkinson from Greenbank Falmouth, who last August gave Tokyo Olympic finalist Graeme Thomas a decent race before the GB star went on to win the final.