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During the season the Club boated a 4+ crewed by Richie Smith, James Collier, Declan Murray, Jamie Williams, Matt Folley and Deborah Telford (cox).
Wins were recorded at:
Richard Shirley established himself on the local circuit with the following wins:
Other members won events at Lancaster including a Novice 1x and Women’s Novice 4+.
The Red Rose sequence of races was first hosted at the Club; this event was designed by Matt Folley, Tim Lucas and Declan Murray to allow crews to race without the expense of travelling to open events.
There were four staff leading rowing at the School: Tim Lucas (Rowing Master), Robin Thompson, Peter Jago and Tassos Aidonis. The purchase of a new 4+ (Lancaster Rose) meant that the Junior 18 crew of David France, Matthew Robin, Adam Wood, Dan Reeves and Andrew Bean (cox) had a competitive boat that saw them through to a Gold Medal at National Schools; no mean feat as this event tends to be more competitive than the National Championships at the end of the racing season. The boys went on to successfully qualify for the Britannia Challenge Cup (Club Men’s 4+) at Henley Royal Regatta but were unfortunately knocked out in the first round by a heavier crew from North Staffordshire Rowing Club. The crew did not race at the National Championships. Total Club wins was 27 including a win over the Club in the annual Ralph Cup match.
The leaders of the International Youth Games were Peter Jago and Lorna McDermid; James Twigg, Tom Middleton, Sam Ward, Matthew Proctor, Andrew Singer, Hannah Parkinson and Rebecca Kayll were the competitors. The team from the School and the Club returned with a Silver in the 2x (James and Tom) and Bronze in the 1x (James).
The coach at Lancaster University was Gerald Roebucks. The following results are known:
During this season victories mainly came via the far ranging blades of Richard Shirley:
Other Club victories included:
Richard Shirley and Hannah Parkinson competed at the National Championships; Richard was knocked out in the first round of the Open 1x and Hannah missed out on the final of the Women’s Junior 16 1x.
The Club and the School sent a combined crew to the Head of the River Race which finished a creditable 151st; a picture of this crew is in the bar (James Twigg, David France, Peter Jago, Declan Murray, Richie Smith, Richard Shirley, Jamie Williams, James Collier and Andrew Bean - cox). The crew were fortunate enough to avoid disqualification despite David France’s random drugs test - this may have been due to his strong resemblance to a character from Trainspotting!
The Club lost the Francis Russell Trophy and the Ralph Cup.
Lancaster hosted the International Youth Games; Peter Jago was the team leader of the School group that competed.
Peter Jago took over the position of Rowing Master at the School as Tim Lucas and Tassos Aidonas moved away from Lancaster. Joining the staff were Mike Davies and volunteer Ian Taylor (OL).
The major performers for the School were the pairing of David France and Matthew Robin. They achieved Silver at National Championships and 2nd at the Home Countries International Regatta; aided by the recent purchase of a 2x/-.
David and Matthew joined Peter Jago and Chris Gilligan (Sheffield University) in a Black Sheep Rowing Club crew at Henley Royal Regatta. They were unfortunate to finish as the fastest non-qualifiers in the Britannia Challenge Cup; coxed by Andrew Bean.
The coach at the University was Aaron Scholer. Results that are known are as follows:
At the Club the main competitors were Paul Nelson and Adam Murfitt in the 2x and Richard Shirley in the 1x.
Domestic wins were as follows:
The Francis Russell Trophy was lost to the University 8+; The School won the Ralph Cup.
Richard Shirley competed at Henley Royal Regatta: he was knocked out by Ian Lawson (GB 1x at the 2004 Olympics). Richard also competed in the 2x with a Belfast Rowing Club oarsman; this composite was knocked out by a crew from Chester.
At the tail end of the season Richard stepped up his game and successfully won a Silver Medal in the Open 1x at the National Championships!
The International Youth Games was hosted by Almere (Holland). Ellie McDermid was the leader of four girls from the Club; they returned with a Bronze Medal.
Two members to move to bigger and better things were Ellie McDermid (Nottingham University) and Allice McGregor (Oxford University).
At the School James Twigg and Tom Middleton were the main senior rowers. Harry Shepherd came 5th at the National Schools Regatta and won Gold at the National Championships in the Junior 16 1x.
Dave France returned from Durham University and joined Steven Sullivan in the Lightweight 2x at National Championships; they placed 7th.
The School switched from its tradition of entering the Britannia Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta to the Intermediate Men’s Quadruple Sculls; they did not qualify.
Again the University operated under the guidance of Aaron Scholar. During the season the following wins were recorded at open events:
Other results included:
The newly purchased Women’s 8+ was forced over the weir by a ‘freak’ stream. Articles in the local press exaggerated what happened by indicating that more than one boat was involved. At Doncaster Regatta the Men’s 4+ was damaged during transport.
And, the first of many Club weddings took place as Deborah Telford and James Collier married!
The major purchase for the season was the Men’s Club 4+ (Lawson Jackson – named after a former member); this was put to good use during the season as crews were entered at Durham, Peterborough and Roses. At Durham crews were entered in the Elite 4+, Senior 2 4+ and Elite 2x - all crews were defeated.
At Peterborough a little bit more practice and borrowing a competitive 2x meant that the following victories were recorded by Richard Shirley, Steven Sullivan, Declan Murray, James Collier and Hannah Park (cox):
Other wins during the season included:
The Francis Russell Trophy was won by a combined Club and School 8+ over the University.
Adam Murfitt and Paul Nelson spent much of their season preparing for a trip across the pond! James Collier rowed for Agecroft Rowing Club throughout the majority of the season.
Richard Shirley finished 5th at National Championships and again qualified for the Diamond Sculls at Henley; he was knocked out by the losing finalist. Hannah Parkinson placed a creditable 4th at National Championships in the Women’s Junior 1x; she moved to Durham University Boat Club in the following season. Vicky Myers (student) succeeded in gaining a Gold Medal at National Championships in a composite Women’s 4+; Vicky eventually moved on to Leander.
The Red Rose continued throughout the winter season with Richard Shirley setting several new record times in the 1x. Steven Sullivan and Harry Shepherd combined to set a new time for the 2x (16’05”).
The International Youth Games was hosted by Aalborg (Denmark). The team was solely from the School: Scott Durant, Mason Durant, Isaac Fishwick, Ben Wilson, David Sparks, James Mercer and Steven Sullivan (Leader).
The squad returned with the following medals:
The School gained Graduate in Residence Steven Sullivan on to the staff. Peter Jago, Steven Sullivan, Harry Shepherd, Matthew Procter and Aaron Taylor formed a sculling squad for the season. As was traditional one of the seasonal goals of this combined Senior and Staff group was to qualify a crew for Henley Royal Regatta; the chosen means of doing this was the Intermediate 4x event. A number of wins during the head season did not transfer so well to the regatta season as the crew failed to qualify for Henley.
For Harry and Matthew the season’s primary goal was the Junior 2x at National Championships; they finished 5th. Steven Sullivan raced under School colours placing 7th in the Lightweight 1x.
University rowing was primarily under the guidance of Zoe Jagelman. The season before was a tough act to follow with many of the squad either finishing their degree or concentrating on their studies.
The events calendar was reduced as Henley Qualifiers, Women’s Henley, North of England Head and Women’s Head of the River were dropped. The University raced at the inaugural BUSA Head.
Wins at open events were as follows:
Other results included:
St Martin’s College gained a rare success at BUSA as their sculler gained a Bronze Medal in the Lightweight 1x finishing above Lancaster University in the Victor Ludorum.
Members going on the water rose to its second highest level since 1987. Reports in the Lancaster Guardian indicated that not all was Rosy down on the Lune - flood damage and four break-ins cost the Club £2,500; both of the Club’s outboards were stolen.
Thanks must go to Graham Brownsmith for his work during this period - he volunteered much of his time to improve the security of the building, safety of the stairs, and improve the layout of the changing facilities. The benefits of these changes are still felt today: there has been little reported crime, and the women no longer go through a trapdoor in the men’s changing room; much to the disappointment of the female membership!
Lancaster Regatta had a healthy 147 entries; with the following home wins:
The Francis Russell Trophy was won by a University 8+ over a combined Club and School crew. A Mixed 4+ from the Club won the Ralph Cup.
A large squad of athletes (Richard Shirley, Declan Murray, Hugh Clay, Richie Smith, Nicky Beet, Sue Palmer, Lorna McDermid and Isla Elliot) ventured to Tees where the following wins were recorded:
There is a picture of the members that raced at Tees in the bar.
Richard Shirley made it through to the quarter-final of the Diamond Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta and placed 4th at the National Championships. Steven Sullivan and Richard Shirley travelled to Belfast where they combined with two Belfast rowers to win a pennant at the Head of the Lagan in the Elite 4x; this victory was more of a draw than a win as the organisers did not wish to split the result down to 0.01seconds in a time that was recorded as identical to Commercial Rowing Club!
Adam Murfitt and Paul Nelson put their regatta racing kit aside and opted for a jaunt across the Atlantic! They successfully completed the journey in the aptly named Spirit of Lancashire.
It must have been the trauma of such a long rowing journey but Adam and Paul ended up not only setting aside their racing blades but turned to other sporting/adventure pursuits as they retired from the Club. Other members that put their blades aside included James and Debs Collier as they started to tackle the adventure of parenthood!
Three records were broken during the Red Rose Head Races: the School 4x broke the 15’00” barrier in a time of 14’31”, the Club 4+ clocked a time of 15’36” and the Club’s women set a new record time of 18’42” in the 4x+.
The International Youth Games was hosted by Rendsburg (Germany). The team was solely from the School: Greg Cooper, John Eardley, Joseph Gannicliffe, James Yule, Joseph Butler, Luke Birkill, James Taylor, Scott Durant, Mason Durant and Steven Sullivan (Leader).
The squad returned with the following medals:
Senior rowing amongst the School’s sixth form boys was primarily down to Harry Shepherd, Aaron McDougal and Matthew Stott. Aaron and Matthew dabbled with sculling in either a 2x or 1x throughout the season. Harry joined the adult members (Peter Jago, Steven Sullivan and Benoit Bloin – LUBC Old Blade) in their seasonal attempt to qualify in the Intermediate Men’s Quadruple Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta. Unfortunately Harry was unable to race in the crew at Henley as he had an exam that clashed. Mark Nicholson (Old Boy – was in the reserve boat for the Boat Race until illness played its part) jumped into the crew; which finished as the cruellest of positions: fastest non-qualifiers!
Steven won Elite 1x at Durham Regatta. Harry competed at the National Championships in the Junior 1x; unfortunately he was knocked out in the first round. He left the School to go to Durham University; he was to become St. Aidans College BC Men’s Captain and later St. Hilde Bede College Coach. Aaron went on to row for Newcastle University. Iain Taylor left the coaching staff.
Amongst the Junior 16 boys there was a strong sense of comradely that bore Mason Durant, Scott Durant, Isaac Fishwick, David Sparks and Luke Birkill (cox) through to a sixth place at the National Championships in the Junior 16 4+.
The coach at the University was Zoe Jagelman with Aaron Scholer returning for a stint.
The University had a year of consolidation; Fours Head and Henley Fours Head entered the University's calendar for a single season as the Men’s Squad chose to concentrate on a 4+. Wins at open events during the season were as follows:
Other results included:
The University held their 40th Anniversary Ball in Leander Club at the same time as Henley Qualifiers.
St. Martin’s College entered BUSA for the second year running. Steven Sullivan failed to make it past the first round in the Championship 1x and the Lightweight 1x. Isla Elliot entered the Novice 1x but failed to gain any points. St. Martin’s finished level with the University in the Victor Ludorum - joint last!
Activity at the Club remained high. The main purchase during the season was the Heavy Weight 2x. Other purchases included two second hand ergos from Durham University and a new engine for the launch.
This was the season that the boathouse suffered from a particularly high flood. The Club was grateful to the local community as many gave their time to help move boats late into the night. Many of the boats were left at the roadside prior to transferral to the Army Camp in the morning! Only one of the older doubles was significantly damaged during the move.
This season appears to have been quiet in terms of the Club going to events: none of the members represented the Club at the National Championships and the only recorded victories were:
Hopefully access to an Almanac will gain some additional wins for the Club!
The School’s 4+ beat the Club 4+ to win the Ralph Cup.
In the four year cycle of the International Youth Games Lancaster was to be the host. Unfortunately there wasn’t the structure in place to support the Games and both the Club and the School had to withdraw their support. This ended both the School’s and the Club’s link with the Games until LRGSBC entered a team in 2010.
School rowing was at its height as a sociable group of sixth form boys formed a solid squad for the duration of the season; these were mainly made up of lower sixth form boys (Mason Durant, Scott Durant, Isaac Fishwick, Luke Birkill, David Sparks, Ben Wilson and James Mercer) with the addition of Adam Walmsley and Matthew Stott (Both Upper 6), and John Eardley and James Yule (Both 5th Form). A full breakdown of their season is available on the archive site; key achievements included:
At the end of the season Matthew left the School and continued to row at his Oxbridge College.
The University operated under the guidance of Zoe Jagelman for most of the year; Andy Peach (Club’s Captain) took over after the Easter Training Camp. The University purchased a new Sims 8+ (Sir Chris Bonington); an interesting purchase as the boat was apparently designed for use by 100kg athletes in the Boat Race! The Sir Chris Bonington was a concept boat which had wing riggers - it has been sent back to the manufacturer on several occasions due to structural problems.
For the first time the University entered the Head of the Trent; this is an early opportunity to measure performance against other crews. The University also entered Tees and Hexham where there are good opportunities to win pots:
Other results included:
The number of days that the Club was in use to the end of 2005 was low; however, “bums on seats” was above average with members going training from the Club a total of 1491 times.
Donations to the Club included £4,895.00 from the Local Network Fund. Purchase of new equipment during the season included a new Ahoy Training Boat to replace the Mondego Training Boat.
Lancaster Regatta had 130 entries in 2006. The Francis Russell trophy was won by a composite crew from both the Club and School over the University 4+. The Ralph Cup was not contested.
Lancaster Regatta home wins:
Wins at Tees Regatta included:
Chloe Peach succeeded in placing 6th at the National Championships in the Junior 16 1x.
Three significant records were broken during the Red Rose Head Races: Nicky Beet in the Women’s 1x (18’58”), Nicky Beet and Rachel Little in the Women’s 2x (17’52”), and Mason and Scott in the 2- (16’18”).
Two Club members were unlucky enough to go over the weir in a Club 2x; fortunately the Club Safety Launch was able to rescue them. Two lifeboats, called by a member of the public, assisted in dislodging the trapped 2x.
Mason Durant and Scott Durant had national and international aspirations for the 2005-06 season in the 2-. They won a series of heads and regattas throughout the season; two Golds and a Silver with St. Peter’s School probably stood out as one of their better domestic achievements at Ghent Junior Regatta. They went on to win Gold at National Schools; a good result as this event is usually more competitive than the National Championships - both missed out on this event due to representative honours. Scott won Gold in the England 8+ at the Home International and Mason was selected in the Coup de Jeunese winning two Gold Medals over two days. During the season Scott clocked the fastest recorded 2km ergo time (6:23) by a School boy.
Danny Bellion competed in the Junior 16 1x at National Championships but was unable to make it past the qualifying time trial.
Scott went on to gain a place at Oxford Brookes University and Mason gained a scholarship at Newcastle University. Other rowers went on to row at university – Luke Bikill (Newcastle University cox), Ben Wilson (Emmanuel Boat Club - Cambridge) and James Mercer (Grey College - Durham). Steven Sullivan left the coaching staff at the School.
Club Captain (Andy Peach) continued to coach the University; which added the Sir Harold Parkinson (Women’s 4+) to the fleet. A number of wins were recorded by various Women’s 2x over the season:
Other open results included:
For the first time the Senior Men’s Squad entered Marlow Regatta; this is a Henley pre-qualifying event, they failed to make it past the first round of the Senior 3 8+.
Other results included:
And finally, the second Club marriage took place in the new Millennium when Lorna McDermid and Steven Sullivan married!
Activity at the Club to the end of 2006 was rather low: the number of days that the Club was in use fell to its lowest level (153) since 1988 and “bums on seats” fell to the second lowest level (961) since Neil Wigglesworth (Club Chairman) started recording Club activity in 1987.
Purchases included two second hand singles from Graham Oar. Graham was a long time member of the Club who previously held the position of Club Captain; the Club looks forward to regular return visits from France! Ongoing expansion of minor equipment included new blades and a large store of life jackets. A lightweight trailer replaced the old trailer allowing younger members to transport boats to events.
The Club’s first Learn to Row Programme was successfully trialled with Skerton High School; this was the Club’s first link with a school. The Club also helped Skerton to set up a School’s Dry Learn to Row Programme through the purchase of a range of indoor rowing machines.
Regattas attended during the season included Tees, Lancaster, Hexham, Peterborough, Hollingworth Lake (North of England Sprints) and the National Championships.
Wins were recorded by the men at:
The highest performing woman in the Club was Chloe Peach. She recorded wins at:
At the end of the season Chloe finished 4th at the National Championships in the Women’s Junior 1x; a creditable finish in her first year in this event. Other key competitors during the season included Sue Palmer, Rachel Crawford and Angela Park; wins were recorded at:
Sue Palmer travelled to the Scullers Head of the River finishing in 421st position; an event which is predominantly entered by men.
Two members from both the Men’s and Women’s Squads combined to win Mixed Veteran 4x at Tees. One victory was recorded in the more junior of events by Luke Hodgson; this was in the Men’s Junior 14 1x at Lancaster Regatta. A Mixed Veteran C 2x win was recorded at Hollingworth Lake.
Mason Durant (Newcastle University) and Scott Durant (Oxford Brookes) spent the year establishing themselves in their respective universities. Mason won a Bronze Medal in the 2- at National Championships, a Bronze Medal at the European University Championships in the 8+ and a Silver Medal at the BUSA Championships in an 8+. Scott won Senior 1 4- at Fours Head, Senior 2 8+ at Marlow and won the Junior 8+ at BUSA Head and BUSA Championships. Ex-member Vicky Myers of Leander Club had her international debut at the European Championships in Poland gaining a Bronze in the GB 8+.
Lancaster’s Regatta suffered with less than 70 crews entering; the University returned from Marlow to support the event and the School had a small entry due to a reduced number of boys that were racing. The Francis Russell Trophy was won by the University over a composite crew from the Club, School and University. The Ralph Cup was not competed for.
The one record to fall during the Red Rose sequence of races was the Men’s 8+; a new record time of 15’11” (20’27” on handicap) was recorded by the University.
The School was always going to struggle to reach the same heights as the season before with the departure of Mason and Scott. In the early season a mixed squad of boys raced at events with Danny Bellion flying the flag during the regatta season in his new Filippi scull! Success included wins with St. Peter’s School at York and Ghent and individual success at Lancaster and Talkin Tarn. He finished 19th at National Schools and failed to place high enough during the pre-race time-trails to qualify for side-by-side racing at National Championships. Danny went to the National Trials but his ergo times failed to drop sufficiently to allow him to compete at the second round.
Club Captain (Andy Peach) continued to coach the University to the end of Metropolitan Regatta. The University’s policy of entering a good selection of local and regional events over the whole season succeeded with wins:
And finally, there was a third Club marriage: Ellie McDermid (formerly a Club member) married David France (formerly a School member)!
This was the start of a more sustained period of management within the Club with the introduction of the John O'Gaunt Rowing Club Development Plan 2008-12. The committee increased to nine members; John Holmes, Helene Turner - Social Secretary, Glenn Stevens - Treasurer, and Russell Sharp - Women’s Captain and Steven Sullivan - moved to Men’s Captain. Declan Murray and Angela Park relinquished their posts whilst Sue Palmer, Ian Taylor, Andy Peach and Neil Wigglesworth retained theirs.
Club activity to the end of 2007 increased: the number of days that members were present at the Club increased to a five year high (226) and “bums on seats” increased to a three year high (1503); both reversed the downward trend of the previous few years.
Major donations to the Club included £7,000.00 from the Local Network Fund and £1,000.00 from the Round Table. Purchases included three Ahoy Training Boats, new sets of blades, lightweight 2x (Rosa Galicia – Latin name for Red Rose) and a new safety launch.
Three Learn to Row Programmes were held during the summer period introducing 28 people to rowing. The success of these programmes meant that the introduction of a Women’s night (fifteen women on one night!) was soon followed by a Men’s night.
The second Skerton High School’s Learn to Row Programme started but short-staffing within the school meant that the course could not be completed.
The Men’s Squad had a more sustained start to the season as a regular Men’s 4+ went out on the water; on two occasions two crews were out simultaneously which is unheard of in the modern era! Crews included guests from Talkin Tarn ARC, a University Old Blade and a School Junior. Thanks must go to the School House Boarders who coxed (Max Herberg and George Highley). The highlight of the winter period was a performance in the November Red Rose by the Club 4+ (15’46” – 19’30” on handicap).
During the main regatta season Steven Sullivan and Danny Bellion represented the Club at Nottingham, Durham, Talkin Tarn and the National Championships. Wins were difficult to come by due to a season plagued by bad weather and opposition that were clearly point hunting – travelling to Durham from London – there should be rules against that sort of thing!
At Peterborough Steven, Danny, Scott Durant, Russell Sharp and Lorna Sullivan (cox) put together a late crew to win the Senior 2 4+ over 1000m on Saturday and 500m on Sunday; thanks go to Sue Palmer who transported the boat to and from the event.
At the tail end of the season a full trailer transported nine boats to Hollingworth Lake for the North of England Sprint Championships. Sixteen members of the Club competed in events varying from Junior 14 to Veteran events. Wins were recorded in the Senior 1 4+ (premier 4+ event), Senior 2 2x (premier 2x event) and Women’s Veteran C 2x, Senior 1 1x and Senior 2 1x (a win was recorded over the Elite 1x winner making the Club Scullers the best on show by default!). Although the Club didn’t come anywhere near winning the Victor Ludorum this was a significant achievement for a Club early in its re-development. Worthy of note was the Novice 4+ comprising of oarsmen from the first Learn to Row Programme (Clive, Colin, Paul and Tom).
In the Women’s Squad Chloe Peach was pushing for Junior GB representative honours; unfortunately illness meant that she was unable to achieve this and she was dealt a double blow when she had to pull out of the National Championships. Chloe’s season was not a complete disaster as training at Agecroft paid off with a Women’s Senior 3 8+ (fastest women’s crew) win at the North of England Head, 59th placing at the Women’s Head of the River and she achieved World Class Start status. The highlight of the season was reaching the semi-final of the Junior 8+ event at Henley Women's Regatta, losing to a USA crew that went on to win the event.
Mason and Scott Durant went on to bigger and better things as they both established themselves in their second seasons at university. Mason, rowing for Newcastle University, won the Senior 3 8+ (37th overall) at the Head of the River, won three Gold Medals at the BUCS Championships, won the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta and gained representative honours by racing in the 5th placed GB 8+ at the Under 23 World Championships. Scott spent most of the season stroking the Oxford Brookes 8+; his crew gained particular success at the Head of the River (7th), won twice at Ghent International Regatta and he also raced in the GB 8+ at Brandenberg, Germany. At the end of the season Mason raced at the World University Championships in a 2- with a fellow oarsman from NUBC; they finished in a superb 3rd place behind oarsmen that were on the edge of national selection.
Richard Shirley and Isla Elliott left the Club; both generously maintained their membership after moving away from Lancaster; Richard moved to Holland in 2005!
Recreational rowing was promoted within the Club as Ryszard Wisniewski, John Holmes, Sue Palmer, Glenn Stevens and Corrine Whitty (cox) sculled across the bay raising around £2,000.00, donating the largest portion to breast cancer.
It was unfortunate that Lancaster Regatta was cancelled; for the second year running the entry was very low. Only two non-Lune based clubs entered and home entry was low: both the School and Club had few members competing throughout the season and the University sent crews to race at Marlow. The only race that did go ahead was the Francis Russell Trophy which was won by a Club sculler! There was no race for the Ralph Cup (match between the Club and the School).
The Red Rose series of races continued under the expert guidance of Declan Murray. Two new records were updated as the University Women’s 4+ set a new record time of 19’03” (20’49” on handicap) and Steven Sullivan set a new overall handicap time of 18’07” (16.08 on actual time). The University 8+ rowed a new record time (15’06” - 20’22” on handicap) but this was not recorded as this was self timed.
School rowing dropped off following the success of the Durant era as Danny Bellion rowed for both the Club and School. By the end of the season his ergo time had fallen to the low 6:30s; however, trials results proved to be very competitive in both the single and the pair. Schools Regatta was cancelled so Danny was unable to truly measure himself against the top junior scullers; however, success was achieved at the National Championships by winning a Bronze Medal for St. Peter’s School in the 4+. This placing gained Danny’s crew representative honours at the Home Countries where they finished third behind Scotland and Ireland. Danny applied to Imperial College gaining a rowing scholarship for 2008-09.
The coach for the University was Jessica Essex. The University’s policy of entering regional and national events during the season meant that open victories were sparse:
Other results included:
After Christmas the University approached the Club with a request to put a composite male crew together for the North of England Head and the Head of the River; unfortunately this crew only lasted a short outing of the Lune! After Easter a group of students from the University joined the Club with the seasonal goal of qualifying for Henley Royal Regatta; they didn’t row from the Club for long as they opted to compete for the Prince Albert Challenge Cup (Student 4+) rather than the Britannia Challenge Cup (Club 4+). A scheduled meeting to discuss relations between LUBC and JOG did not take place.
And finally, the University of Cumbria achieved success at BUCS; this was despite not owning any of their own rowing equipment or having a boat house! They placed 5th in Championship 2x and gained finals in novice events to finish above Lancaster in the Victor Ludorum!
The second year into the Club’s development delivered great strives forward as Club victories increased:
| Elite 2- | Peterborough Summer | ||
| Elite 1x | Hollingworth Lake (NoE Sprint Champion) | ||
| Elite 1x | Peterborough Summer | ||
| Elite Lwt 1x | Durham Main | ||
| Senior 1 1x | Northwich Autumn Head (Head of the River) | ||
| Senior 1 1x | Trafford Head (Head of the River) | ||
| Senior 1 1x | Northwich Spring Head (time only) | ||
| Senior 1 1x | Tees Long Distance Sculls | ||
| IM1 4x | Peterborough Summer | ||
| IM1 4+ | Hollingworth Lake (NoE Sprint Champions) | ||
| IM2 4+ | Hollingworth Lake | ||
| Women’s Senior 3 4x | Northwich Spring Head (time only) | ||
| Senior 3 4x+ | Trafford Head | ||
| IM3 4+ | Durham Main | ||
| IM3 4+ | Merseyside | ||
| Senior 4 2x | Northwich Head | ||
| Women’s IM3 4x | Hollingworth Lake (NoE Sprint Champions) | ||
| Women’s IM3 1x | Talkin Tarn | ||
| Veteran D 2x | Merseyside | ||
| Novice 4x | Merseyside | ||
| Women’s Novice 4x | Merseyside | ||
| Novice 2x | Merseyside | ||
| Novice 1x | Durham Main | ||
| Women’s Novice 1x | Warrington Head | ||
| Junior 4x+ (comp) | Liverpool Victoria Head |
Management of the Club changed as Iain Taylor relinquishing his post as the junior co-ordinator and safety advisor; stepping into the breach were Dan Reeve (Student Captain) and the return of Angela Park (Assistant Secretary). Club activity to the end of 2008 increased to the second highest recorded (1861) with days in use at the third highest (252).
Significant donations throughout the year aided the progress of the Club; Amy Ward (coach) developed links with Ripley St. Thomas High School and Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School. The Club's link with Skerton High School was maintained but little progress was made beyond a dry programme.
| Henley Stewards’ Charitable Trust | Coach (Amy Ward) | ||
| Awards for All | £8,000.00 | ||
| Rowing Foundation | £1,200.00 | ||
| Lancaster Round Table | £1,000.00 | ||
| Sponsored Cross Bay Row | £170.00 | ||
| Kim Robinson | Use of Concept 2 Rowing Machine | ||
| http://www.pcoms.com/ | Cheap hosting of website | ||
| Steven Sullivan | Use of Private Single | ||
| Angela Park | Use of Private Single |
Junior training sessions and an influx of new student members from Lancaster University and Northumbria University meant that the membership increased to 98 for the period from January to September 2009.
Performances by the Club’s high end performers continued to improve:
Scott Durant (Elite Status Sweep at Oxford Brookes University)
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Three meetings of the newly formed Events Group did little to promote a flagging Lancaster Regatta, which failed to run for the second year running. The Events Group was disbanded towards the end of the season to be replaced by a Regatta Committee.
The Francis Russell Trophy (University vs. Club) was won by the University and the Ralph Cup (Club vs. School) was a row over to the Club.
Four Red Rose Heads were reasonably supported; Steven Sullivan won three with Mason Durant winning the first of the season. Two records were broken with the University’s women clocking 17’23” in an Eight and the Club’s women recording 18’04” in a Quad. The Red Rose Sprint event had a disappointing turn out with only two crews racing the third and fourth rounds; again the title went to Steven Sullivan in his single!
The coach for the University was Katherine Morris. The University’s policy of competing at top events returned few victories:
Other results included:
Assistant Coach for LUBC (Ian Bousfield) won the North West Region Volunteer of the Year 2009 Award and was invited to attend the Annual British Rowing Dinner and Awards Ceremony. He was presented with his award by Olympic gold medallist Ben Hunt-Davis MBE. During the year 10 of the University’s members chose to join the Club contributing to 11 of the Club’s 25 victories.
Lancaster Royal Grammar School further reduced their competitive and extra-curricular rowing.
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