STRATFORD-upon-Avon Boat Club’s adaptive squad look to have ended their fine season with further success at the Oxford Sprint Regatta – winning all four of the events they entered.
Adaptive athlete Lee Cairns competed in two events for wheelchair users and was beaten by club mate Rob Pedley in his first final who won by three lengths.
However, Cairns would win his second final against Luke Payne from Sudbury as he lead from start to finish to secure a comfortable victory over his opponent from Suffolk.
And there was another all Stratford affair in the adaptive pairs final between Gillian Middleton and Dan Godefroy as Middleton and her support rower took victory by around a length thanks to her never say die attitude.
Stratford completed a clean sweep of victories courtesy of Ian Ward and his mother Paola who won their adaptive doubles final against another mixed crew from Marlow as better steering in the latter half of the race saw them home by a couple of lengths.
Head Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney said: “This regatta looks like the end of the season for us, sadly no one wants to race us at the Bank Holiday weekend Gloucester Regatta!
“That is disappointing but we are going out on a high, Stratford’s adaptive section have been invited to compete in Italy in October so we have plenty to look forward to.
“As always, a big thank you to the adaptive support crew, helpers and buddy rowers from other clubs, we were also honoured to have our President Paul Stanton and Vice President Colin Upchurch visit and support us during the regatta, their encouragement means a lot!”
Elsewhere, Stratford’s WJ17/18 athletes, Martha Usselmann and Hannah Broome, competed in the Women’s Double Sculls event at the Oxford City Royal Regatta hosted by City of Oxford Rowing Cub.
The pair were involved in a close race against City of Cambridge who eventually pulled away to book their place in the final.
J17/18 Coach, Helen Smith said: “Martha and Hannah were happy with their race, as they hadn’t previously raced a double together and kept a strong effort against the more experienced crew.”
