Stourport Small Boats Head

Monmouth Rowing Club (MRC) celebrated a successful day at the Stourport Small Boats Head securing victories in four fiercely contested events on the River Severn. Despite the overcast skies, the mild weather set the stage for an exhilarating day of racing.

The club excelled across various categories, with standout performances across the Club, Women's and and Men's squads. In the mixed double sculls (Op MasI/J 2x), Monmouth’s duo of Frances and John delivered a seamless race, earning a well-deserved victory.

The Women's Coxless Four (W MasF/G 4- Louise A, Mary, Paula and Liz L) demonstrated their impeccable bladework, finishing with a commanding lead of eight seconds.

The Men's Coxed Four (Op MasE/F 4+ Toby, Alex, Colin, Paul and cox Ewart) in their first race in this combination also showcased some free speed, with a victory margin of over a minute and were the fastest Men's coxed four of the day (carefully avoiding mention of a J17 4+ who are technically still Juniors!). Finally, the Women's Quad Scull (W MasE/F 4x- Sue S, Dawn, Mary and Liz L) capped off the day with another outstanding win.

Special mention must also go to the other Monmouth crews: Mens G4- of Andy D, Mike S, Ruardiah M and Colin C; Richard D and Geoff H (low CRI) who competed in their first Head race (and Richard's first time steering) and Jonathan F for coming second in the Open Masters G/F singles.

This race held special significance as it marked the final competition for Women’s Captain Liz Lewis in her leadership role, albeit, one marked with two great wins. Her tenure has been instrumental in the club's success, and her impact will be long remembered as she returns to back bench rowing and spending more time with her husband Colin.

As always, special thanks to all those who towed (Paul and Ruardiah), all the coxes (Bonita and Ewart) and finally to our coach Tim Male for his great preparation and support.