Aberdeen Head of the River Races

On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th November, ASRA competed in the annual Aberdeen Head of the River Races and had a fantastic 54 athletes compete across the four divisions and won an impressive haul of 16 medals over the two days.

The weather was kind on Saturday and while it was slightly drizzly all day, the wind was minimal and made for some nice racing conditions. Nine fours and quads competed in the first division and eight in the second. It was a successful first division for the women’s fours: Maggie Seward, Ella Brooks, Sophie Sinclair and Isla Petty, coxed by Luke McMorris won WJ18 4+ and Gabrielle Topp, Jemima Aspinall, Sophie Johnston and Georgia Leslie, coxed by Harris Pearce won Women’s Novice Fours. Lottie Meakins, Mackenzie Parke, Sabina Bird and Katherine Taylor, coxed by Thomas Curson won WJ14 Quads in a very exciting and close race by only one second over their in-club competition from ASRA.

On the boys’ side, the Open Novice Quad of John Forbes, Rory Trythall,, Hugo Lefort, Finlay McDougall, coxed by Eric R Renwick won their event by 40 seconds over the second placed opposition from Heriot Watt University. In Division 2 the Open J14 Quad, comprising Iain Petty, Luke McMorris, Luke Renwick and Gavin Pedrog, coxed by Jennifer Ellis won their event in an impressive manner over their opposition from within ASRA. The Women’s Novice Quad of Emily Johnston, Grace Watt, Gabrielle Topp and Lily Arthur, coxed by Ines De Kock won their event against their senior competition from Heriot Watt University and University Rowing Aberdeen.

On Sunday the weather took a turn and proved to be very challenging conditions for the small boats racing. In Division 1 Murray Bone raced to victory in the Open J18 Sculls, coming second overall in the division. Freya Hughson and Ella Brooks won Women’s J18 Pairs impressively by over a minute across the course. For the first time in a few years ASRA fielded two J15 Octuples to race each other at Aberdeen HOR and victory went to the octuple comprising Luke McMorris, Gavin Pedrog, Luke Renwick, Rory Trythall, Lottie Meakins, Grace Watt, Cara Freeman, and Jennifer Ellis, coxed by Lily Arthur. In Women’s Novice Doubles, Gabrielle Topp and Emily Johnson won their event over their in-club competition from ASRA. Honourable mention in Division 1 goes to Artur Tadjiev who raced his very first singles race into the tough headwind after only having been in a single a handful of times and finished the whole course. In Division 2 Murray Bone and Magnus Heidenreich won their J18 Pair, beating the first placed senior Open Pair from St Andrews University by an impressive 13 seconds. Women’s J18 Singles was similarly won by Freya Hughson, who also came up victorious over the winner of Women’s Open Singles from Aberdeen Boat Club. Open Novice Doubles was won by Henrik Gunderson and Samuel Cordiner in a very neat looking show of sculling. Women’s Novice Sculls was won by Gabrielle Topp, while Open J16 Single Sculls was won in style by J14 ASRA Sculler Iain Petty. To top the day off, Open J14 Double Sculls was won by Luke McMorris and Sandy Bain.

Well done to all the rowers who took part in the racing on both days!