Round Two: Rowhedge Sunday 7 November
After our home event on the 10th October Round 2 felt like a way off, but soon it was time for our first away event in a long time. After a quick row in blustery conditions on Saturday we got the Gigs on to their road trailers and eventually rediscovered how to secure them for towing – next time will be easier.
After previous experience of launching at Rowhedge we had once again called on Wivenhoe Sailing Club who kindly agreed that we could launch from their slip on the other side of the river, and then row down. In good conditions this is a gentle float up the river on the tide, and a nice warm up, easily done with half a crew. However we had reckoned without the strong NW wind which meant that the row was actually a hard slog up to Rowhedge which was not ideal preparation for racing. Another lesson learned the hard way.
The event hosted by Rowhedge Coastal Rowing Club was the first ‘time trial’ event of the season. The river is too narrow to hold a mass start event, so Gigs go off at 30 sec intervals in the order in which they finished the previous race.
The race course was a start on the Rowhedge side of the river down towards the barrier and a port turn, then back up the river on the Wivenhoe side past the start and up river to a second port turn and back to cross the start/finish line. The conditions on the day were good in that there was some sun and no rain, but there was a strong and gusty NW wind which meant that rounding the first mark in particular was a real challenge for coxes given the wind and the tight turn needed.
For the first time ever we had two Gigs in the event with crews in each race, despite having a number of rowers unwell or self-isolating. Thanks to Sally and Sarah who came back from holiday for the day to row. Once again we had a number of rowers taking part in their first HYGA event, as well as two first time Race Coxes, all doing brilliantly well.
Many of our rowers had to ‘double up’ rowing first in the women’s or men’s races and then doing it again in the mixed race, not easy in the tough conditions. Ideally we need two women’s crews, two men’s crew, two mixed crews and some ‘swing’ rowers who can row anywhere and fill in for rowers who are ill or away for races. There is plenty of time for new rowers to get involved before the end of the race series – so don’t be shy!
Time trial racing is a different experience, as each Gig is trying to catch the Gig in front, and trying not to get caught by the Gig behind. It is the time over the course that counts. Points are awarded for places over the series (first Gig gets 1 point) and Gigs that do not enter a race are awarded 20 points.
The final results on the day were:
Women’s Race: William Rose came seventh in a time of 16:28 and Hunter eighth in 16:29. As in the first event only one second separated the crews – with such closely matched crews this one could run all season! After two races William Rose and Hunter are joint seventh in the women’s overall competition.
Men’s Race: William Rose came home a very creditable fifth with a time of 14:26, and Hunter took sixteenth place with a novice crew and a time of 16:45. William Rose is currently fourth overall in the men’s with Hunter in sixteenth (we did not enter a men’s crew for the first event which means that Hunter accrued the maximum 20 points).
Mixed Race: William Rose took ninth place with a time of 15:06, and Hunter thirteenth in 15:59. In the mixed category William Rose is currently in fifth place and Hunter is in fourteenth.
Overall, across all of the categories William Rose is currently seventh overall (out of nineteen Gigs) and Hunter is fourteenth.
Round One – Manningtree 10 October 2021
On 10th October 2021 Stour Sailing Club hosted the first event in the 2021-22 Winter Race Series, the first such event since January 2020 as the last few events in the 2019-20 series were cancelled due to gales, and the whole of the 2020-21 series was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Expectations were high as seventeen Gigs from Clubs all over the Essex Coast arrived at Manningtree. With a short window on the tide, seventeen Gigs to launch and retrieve and three mass start races to hold (for women’s, men’s and mixed crews) the event is a significant logistical exercise. However, the weather was kind to us, the tide came in promptly and we were even treated to an unplanned aerobatic display by a bi-plane practicing over the river.
It was the first time that Stour Sailing Club had raced two Gigs in the winter series as our second Gig Hunter arrived during lockdown. Several crew members were new to racing, and some were new rowers who had only begun racing in 2021.
The Club crews did really well.
- In the women’s race Hunter very narrowly beat William Rose – taking 8th and 9th places respectively
- In the men’s race William Rose took a magnificent 2nd place – our best placing so far. We did not field a men’s crew in Hunter for this race, although we hope to do so in future races.
- In the mixed race William Rose placed 5th and Hunter 15th.
