At the Inverness Fours and Small Boats Heads on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th November on the Caledonian Canal with over 500 crews representing clubs, schools and universities from all over Scotland taking part, ASRA crews fought their way against stiff opposition to winners’ medals in the following 11 categories :

Saturday

Division 1:

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Steph Low
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Skye Ballance

Division 2:

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Megan Lewis & Maisie Aspinall, coxed by Julia Zbikowska
• Men’s Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Will Cooper & Angus White, coxed by Skye Balance
• Women’s J14 Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

Sunday

Division 1:

• Men’s Junior 18 Pairs: Chris Bardas & Seth Turner
• Women’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp

Division 2:

• Men’s Junior 16 Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson
• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Gregor Charles, Jan Barraclough, Euan Fowler & Will Cooper, coxed by Steph Low
• Women’s J14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Zoe Beeson, Freya Hughson, Phoebe McCraith & Erin Gibson, coxed by Julia Zbikowska

Photographs from the event are available to view in the Photo Gallery.

At the Aberdeen Fours and Small Boats Head Races on the Dee on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October, ASRA athletes recorded an impressive number of category wins against senior opposition from Aberdeen Boat Club, Deeside Scullers, Tay Rowing Club and Heart of Scotland Boat Club as well as student crews from Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Glasgow, Heriot- Watt, Dundee and St Andrews Universities.

Saturday

Division 1:

• Men’s Open Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Gregor Charles & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low
• Women’s Quadruple Sculls: Megan Hewison, Abigail Topp, Holly Reid (RGU) & Zoe Beeson

Division 2:

• Men’s Under 18 Coxed Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Gregor Charles & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low

Sunday

Division 1:

• Men’s Under 18 Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson
• Women’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Single Sculls: Harris MacDonald
• Women’s Novice Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

Division 2:

• Men’s Junior 18 Pairs: Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski
• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Novice Double Sculls: Will Cooper & Angus White

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th October, the annual Bob Neill Scottish Schools’ Rowing Council Head of the River Races were held for the first time ever on the River Dee over a timed 3 kilometre course from the Victoria Bridge to the Ruthrieston Burn. 240 crews representing all the major junior rowing clubs in Scotland competed over the two days of the event. On Saturday, the Aberdeen Schools’ Rowing Association won the Scottish Junior Club Fours Champions’ Cup for the 9th year in succession, but by a much decreased margin, and on Sunday, despite collecting 8 category winners’ pennants and recording the fastest time in any sculling boat over the course, ASRA had to concede defeat in the end (and the Scottish Junior Club Champions’ Sculling Trophy) to brilliant opposition from the Glasgow Schools’ Rowing Association.

Winners’ Pennants went to the following ASRA crews listed here in finishing time order:

Saturday (SSRC Fours Head)

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours and Fastest Crew overall: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw), Xander Beeson(Albyn), Ashley Geddes(Harlaw) & Seth Turner(Cults), coxed by Stephanie Low (Grammar)
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Michel Dearsley (Cults), Scott Lewis (Mearns), William Penny (Grammar) & Harris MacDonald (Albyn), coxed by Angus White (Albyn)
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp (Kemnay), Megan Hewison (Gordon’s),Megan Lewis (Mearns) & Maisie Aspinall (Cults), coxed by Skye Balance (Cults)

Sunday (SSRC Sculling Head)

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Quadruple Sculls and Fastest Crew: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw), Xander Beeson (Albyn), Scott Lewis ( Mearns) & Seth Turner (Cults)
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Matthew Hughson (Grammar), Archie Innes (Harlaw), Ashley Geddes (Grammar) & Oscar Forbes ( Albyn)
• Men’s Junior 18 Double Sculls; Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw) & Seth Turner (Cults)
• Men’s Junior 16 Double Sculls: Matthew Hughson (Grammar) & Oscar Forbes (Albyn)
• Men’s Junior 15 Sculls: Alex Fowler (Albyn) & Joe Ritchie (Grammar)
• Men’s Junior 18 Single Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw)
• Men’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Will Cooper Angus White, Alex Fowler (all Albyn) & Joe Ritchie (Grammar), coxed by Jayros James (Cults)
• Women’s Junior 14 Single Sculls: Zoe Beeson (Albyn)

Photographs from the event are available to view in the Photo Gallery.

At the annual Aberdeen Sprint Regatta on Saturday 25th August on the Dee, ASRA was the most successful of the 8 clubs taking part, amassing a total of 81 points over the day’s racing. Runners up were the rowers from Stirling Boat Club with 64 points. ASRA won 14 categories in all, the spoils being equally divided between boys and girls.

• Women’s Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Women’s Open Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Women’s Restricted 1 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Women’s Junior 16 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp
  Women’s Junior 16 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson
• Women’s Junior 14 Single Sculls: Maisie Aspinall
• Women’s Duathlon Winner: Megan Hewison
• Open R2 Coxless Pairs: Alex Beeson & Chris Bardas
• Open Junior 14 & Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Jayros James & Will Cooper, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Open Restricted 1 Double Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski & Chris Bardas
• Open J16 Double Sculls: Alex Beeson & Euan Fowler
• Open R2 Single Sculls: Seth Turner
• Open Junior 16 Single Sculls: Will Cooper

At the 2018 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice in the Czech Republic on the 10th to the 12th August, after a long and unbelievably arduous selection process going right back to November of last year, Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association’s Robert Powell and Miles Beeson were finally selected to represent Great Britain in Junior Men’s Coxless Pairs, an event in which 21 leading rowing nations from across the globe had entered crews.

Having come a comfortable fourth in their heat, Robert and Miles were then unfortunate enough to progress into the faster of the A/B semi-finals, where they were denied an A Final place by the three eventual medallists, Rumania, Germany & Croatia.Despite their disappointment at missing out on the A Final, they then went on to produce a commanding performance in the B Final against Argentina, Belarus, Serbia, Turkey and the Netherlands, leading the field out from the first 500 metres and fighting off a grandstand challenge from Argentina in the last 100 metres of the race.

Miles and Robert once again did ASRA and Scotland proud and they carry our best wishes with them as they leave us now to take up sports scholarships at Yale and Princeton Universities respectively.

At the 2018 British Rowing Junior Championships, held from the 20th to the 22nd July at the English National Rowing Centre , Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, ASRA’s J15 gold medal winning Eight from the London Schools’ Head - in the absence of a J15 Eights event – split up to test their mettle this time around against the best of British in two fours events.

Scott Lewis , Michel Dearsley, William Bricknell & Gregor Charles, coxed by Stephany Low , stepped up an age range and fought their way through to a brilliant bronze in Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours, only being bettered on this occasion by older, seasoned outfits from Chester-le-Street and Walton Rowing Clubs, whilst their crewmates, Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance, powered their way to a magnificent silver in Men’s J15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls, losing by less than a length in the end to Tideway Scullers’ School in one of the most exciting finals of the day.

Meanwhile, on Saturday in Cork, Southern Ireland, their senior teammates were rowing for Scotland in the 2018 Home Countries International Regatta, where ASRA’s Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison together with Sarah Johnston & Heather Gordon from Inverness Rowing Club put in an exceptional row in the Women’s Junior Coxless Fours event to record Scotland’s only Junior gold and one of only five wins overall for the Scottish team. ASRA’s Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Theo Scott & Sam Kelso also did club and country proud and were unlucky to lose by a canvas to England in a tantalisingly close race for the Men’s Junior Coxless Fours title.

On the 22nd June our ASRA Senior Girls travelled down to the prestigious 3-day Henley Women’s Regatta on the Thames in order to enter the lists again after a gap of three years in the Girls’ Champion Coxed Fours event for the Groton Cup. 18 clubs including all the usual household names from the length and breadth of England and three crews from the USA took part in the event this year.

ASRA’s Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis & Megan Hewison, coxed by Will Cooper had not had the best of preparations for this regatta due to heavy exam commitments and illness, but put up a good performance to come 7th out of 18 in the Time Trials on Saturday and then made short work of the girls from Maidstone Invicta in the first round in order to progress to the last eight on Sunday morning. The USA Scholastic Junior Champions from Lower Merion High School, Pennsylvania, proved however to be a much tougher proposition, and having slipped in the second 500 metres to a three length deficit, our girls’ heroic challenges in the last 500 metres were just not enough in the end to secure a place in the semi-final.

This crew is eligible to compete in this event again in 2019 and there is little doubt that, given sufficient commitment, they are eminently capable of emulating ASRA’s Christie Duff, Emily Geddes, Holly Reid & Morven Shaw ,who brought the Groton Cup back to Aberdeen in 2012, despite having been eliminated in the quarter final of the event in 2011.

From the Scottish National Rowing Championships at Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, from the 8th – 10th June, ASRA athletes brought home 6 gold medals, 4 silver medals and a bronze.

Gold Medals:

• Men’s Junior Coxed Fours: Sam Kelso, Mile Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Sam Kelso & Theo Stott
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s J15 Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis & Archie Innes, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Open Novice Eight: Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, William Bricknell, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes, Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance

Silver Medals:

• Men’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Asley Geddes, Gregor Charles, Maisie Aspinall & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Steph Low
• Men’s Junior 15 Doubles: Ashley Geddes & Archie Innes
• Men’s Junior 14 Double: Joe Ritchie & Will Cooper
• Men’s Open Eights: Sam Kelso, Miles Beeson, Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Danny Skinner, Theo Stott, Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance

Bronze Medal:

• Women’s J14 Single Sculls: Maisie Aspinall

Other Noteworthy results:

• Robert Powell and Miles Beeson won the Men’s Junior & Senior Coxless Pairs time trial on the Friday evening but were unable to take part in the final due to illness.
• Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Will Cooper were 2nd in the Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours
• Joe Ritchie, Harris Pearce, Alex Fowler & Will Cooper, coxed by Steph Low were 2nd in Men’s Junior 14 Quadruple Sculls

Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association athletes have just returned from Dorney Lake, Eton – the 2012 Olympic rowing venue – after competing in the 2018 National Schools’ Regatta. Over 5000 competitors from all over the UK took part in the three-day event and ASRA equalled the club’s 2012 triumph at this regatta by coming home once more with 2 outstanding gold medals.

ASRA’s J18 duo - Miles Beeson and Robert Powell - ranked 3rd in the latest GB junior trials and looking increasingly likely to be selected for the Junior World’s - reigned supreme from the outset in the Championship Coxless Pairs event for the Nick Bevan Cup. First in their time trial in a field of 35 and first in their semi-final, they dominated the final from the start to win in the end by over 3 seconds from the Enniskillen Royal pair from Northern Ireland in second place and Walton Rowing Club in third.

Our Junior 16 foursome – Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Hannah Watson – with their brilliant record of golds at this regatta in 2016 and 2017 – were not to be outshone by their older clubmates. In the Junior 16 Coxed Fours event for the Arundel Cup, they provided one of the most exciting finishes of the day as they raced neck and neck with St Georges College from the 200 metres mark to beat them into second place in the end by a breath-taking 0.87 seconds. Emanuel College took third place.

Our J15 victors from the Schools ‘Head Race on the Tideway in March – Harris MacDonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, William Bricknell, Archie Innes, Michel Dearsley, Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance - were naturally a little disappointed in the final of Junior 15 First Eights for the Founders Cup when they were beaten in the end into bronze by more experienced squads from St. Pauls’ and Westminster, particularly since they had come first in the time trial for the event and a good second in their semi-final.

Improving performances from our Non-Championship J18 Eight, our J18 Girls Four and our J16Pair saw them reach the A Finals in their highly competitive events.

At the Castle Semple Regatta, Lochwinnoch, on Saturday 12th May, ASRA’s athletes won 9 gold medals and came second in 4 further events in this, the last multi-lane regatta in Scotland before they move on to challenge the cream of English rowing at the National Schools Regatta on Dorney Lake, Eton, in a fortnight’s time.

Gold medals were won in...

• Men’s Junior Coxless J18 Pairs: Miles Beeson & Robert Powell
• Women’s Junior 13 Single Sculls: Zoe Beeson
• Men’s J16 Single Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Novice Coxed Fours: Michel Dearsley, William Bricknell, Ashley Geddes, Harris Macdonald, coxed by Hannah Watson
• Men’s Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Will Cooper, Harris Pearce, Ben Milne & Joe Ritchie, coxed by Hannah Watson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Theo Stott, Sam Kelso, Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Women’s Open & Women’s J18 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Open Eights: Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Connor Kennedy, William Bricknell, Michel Dearsley, Oscar Forbes, Gregor Charles & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance

Congratulations go also to our runners up in Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs, Men’s Novice Coxed Fours, Women’s Junior 14 Doubles & Men’s J13 Single Sculls.

On Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th April, newly returned from their Easter Camp in Regensburg on the Danube, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA) put in strong performances at Scotland’s National Rowing Centre, Motherwell, to win a total of 9 golds and 6 silvers in this, the first multi-lane rowing event of the 2018 season.

Saturday Winners

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp (Kemnay), Ellie Andrew (Mackie), Laura Barraclough (Cults) & Megan Hewison (Ellon) coxed by Will Cooper (Albyn)
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas (Harlaw) & Xander Beeson (Albyn)
• Men’s Restricted 1 Pairs: Miles Beeson (Albyn) & Robert Powell (Albyn)
• Men’s Novice Eights: Harris Macdonald (Albyn), Michel Dearsley(Cults), Scott Lewis (Mearns), William Bricknel (Grammar)l, Archie Innes (Harlaw), Ashley Geddes (Grammar), Oscar Forbes (Albyn) & Matthew Hughson (Grammar), coxed by Skye Balance ( Cults)
• Men’s Restricted 2 Fours: Seth Turner (Cults), Chris Bardas (Harlaw), Xander Beeson (Albyn) & Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw), coxed by Hannah Watson(RGU)
• Men’s Junior 18 Pairs: Miles Beeson (Albyn) & Robert Powell (Albyn)

Sunday Winners

• Men’s J14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Joe Ritchie(Grammar), Alex Fowler (Albyn), Harris Pearce (Portlethen) & Will Cooper (Albyn), coxed by Hannah Watson (RGU)
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp (Kemnay) & Megan Hewison (Ellon)
• Men’s Restricted 2 Eights: Sam Kelso (Albyn), Conrad Forbes (Albyn), Robert Powell(Albyn), Miles Beeson(Albyn), Daniel Skinner (Banchory), Theo Stott (Harlaw), Josh Berrie (Ellon) & Aidan Graham (Cults), coxed by Michael McCrory (Grammar)

Noteworthy silver medals went to ASRA athletes in Restricted 1 Coxed Fours, Junior 16 Coxless Pairs, Mens’ Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls, Women’s Junior 14 Double Sculls, Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours & Men’s Novice Coxed Fours.

On Monday 12 March, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association competed in the prestigious Schools' Head of the River Race., which takes place annually over a 6.8 kilometre stretch of the Thames from Mortlake to Putney. In both the Men's Junior Championship J15 Eights and the Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours categories, ASRA put in superlative performances and struck gold on the Tideway for the first time in the club's history. In doing so, ASRA's J15 Eight, with their time of 17.54, set up a new course record for their age group and came in only eleven seconds behind the winners of the Junior 16 Eights.

• Men's Junior 15 Championship Eights Gold Medallists: Matthew Hughson, Archie Innes, Oscar Forbes, Michel Dearsley, William Bricknell, Scott Lewis, Ashley Geddes and Harris Macdonald, coxed by Skye Ballance

• Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours Gold Medallists: Jakub Zbikowski, Xander Beeson, Chris Bardas & Seth Turner, coxed by Hannah Watson

ASRA's girls came in 5th in the highly competitive Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours category and our senior boys came in respectable 14th in Men's Junior 18 Championship Eights.

On Tuesday 13th March at the Scullery Regatta on Dorney Lake, Eton, our J15 crew swapped sweep blades for sculling ones and Matthew Hughson, Archie Innes, Ashley Geddes & Oscar Forbes, coxed by Skye Ballance took bronze in a massive field of 62, with their teammates coming in 7th.

At the Aberdeen Eights Head of the River on Saturday17th February, ASRA’s Junior 18 squad continued the fine form it had shown at the Inverness heads by winning both divisions at a canter against opposition from all three local clubs – Aberdeen University, Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen Boat Club – as well as sizeable entries from Inverness Rowing Club and St Andrews University. Second on both occasions were members of ASRA’s highly promising Junior 15 squad.

Winners in Division 1

• Men’s R2 Eights: Sam Kelso, Conrad Forbes, Seth Turner, Theo Stott, Danny Skinner, Jakub Zbikowski, Josh Berrie & Aidan Graham, coxed by Michael McCrory

• Men’s J15 Eights: Harris MacDonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, William Bricknell, Michael Dersley, Oscar Forbes,Archie innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance

Winners in Divison 2

• Men’s Open Eights: Sam Kelso, Conrad Forbes, Alexander Beeson, Chris Bardas, Danny Skinner, Theo Stott, Josh Berrie & Aidan Graham, coxed by Michael McCrory

• Men’s Novice Eights: Harris MacDonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Michael Dearsley, Gregor Charles, Oscar Forbes, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Balance

Meanwhile down in Boston, Lincolnshire, at the GB Junior Long Distance Trials, ASRA athletes were taking important steps towards selection for GB teams at either this years’ Junior World Rowing Champs or the Coupe de la Jeunesse. Miles Beeson & Robert Powell, gold Medallists the Coupe in 2017 in the GB eight, came a brilliant third in their coxless pair in a field of 39 and Megan Hewison, in a scratch pairing with a partner from the Isle of Wight, came third in the equivalent junior women’s event.

At the 2018 Inverness Eights and Small Boats Head on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th February 37 athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association braved the bitterly cold winter weather to rack up 11 splendid category wins over the two days of competition.

(All times over 4.5 kilometre course on the Caledonian Canal)

Sat Division 1

• Men's Junior 18 Eights: Aidan Graham, Josh Berrie, Theo Stott, Danny Skinner, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Conrad Forbes, Sam Kelso, cox Michael McCrory (14.51.3) (Fastest time overall in Div 1)
• Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Will Cooper & Joe Ritchie (19.26.2)

Sat Division 2

• Women's Novice Double Sculls: Megan Lewis & Ellie Andrew (20.29.9)
• Women's R2 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison (19.51.4)
• Women's Junior 16 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp (20.38.5)
• Men's Junior 14 Single Sculls: Joe Ritchie (21.31.7)

Sun Division 1

• Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Aidan Graham, Danny Skinner, Theo Stott, Sam Kelso cox Angus White
  (16.22.6)
• Men's R2 Coxed Quads: Matthew Hughson, Oscar Forbes, Archie Innes, Ashley Geddes, cox Skye Balance (17.05.5)
• Men's Novice Coxed Fours: Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis, William Bricknell, Harris MacDonald, cox Joe Ritchie (17.23.8)
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs; Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison (19.16.0)

Sun Division 2

• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson (17.49.4)

On the 17th & 18th of February, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell & Megan Hewison are off down to the GB Junior Trials to see if they can emulate their exploits of last year in GB vests.

At the Inverness Fours and Small Boats Heads on the Caledonian Canal on Saturday 11^th and Sunday 12^th November, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association recorded a total of 11 category wins.

Saturday

Division 1

• Men’s Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Harris MacDonald, Scott Lewis, Connor Kennedy & Michel Dearsley, coxed by William Bricknell
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Sam Kelso, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott, coxed by Hannah Watson

Division 2

• Men’s Novice Coxed Fours: Harris MacDonald, Wiiliam Bricknell, Scott Lewis & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Ben Milne
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours; Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis & Megan Hewison, coxed by Hannah Watson

Sunday

Division 1

• Men’s Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls:  Joe Ritchie, Alex Fowler, Angus White & Will Cooper, coxed by Jayros James
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Connor Kennedy
• Men’s Junior 18 Single Sculls; Robert Powell
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison

Division 2

• Men’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Ashley Geddes & Archie Innes
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski

Next weekend Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Theo Stott and Abigail Topp will take part in the early ID selection trials for the GB Junior squad at Boston in Lincolnshire 

At the Aberdeen Fours and Small Boats Head of the River Races on the Dee on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th November, ASRA athletes recorded an impressive series of category wins against representative Junior and Senior crews from all over Scotland.

Saturday (Fours Heads)

Division 1

• Men’s Open Coxless Fours (and fastest crew overall in Division 1) Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott
• Men’s Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Matthew Hughson, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes, Oscar Forbes, coxed by Connor Kennedy
• Women’s Open Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis & Megan Hewison, coxed by Skye Balance

Division 2

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Danny Skinner, Josh Berrie, Conrad Forbes, Aidan Graham, coxed by Joe Ritchie
• Men’s Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Michel Dearsley, William Bricknell, Scott Lewis, Harris MacDonald, coxed by Daniel Lynch

Sunday (Small Boats Heads)

Division 1

• Men’s J15 Double Sculls: Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Novice Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson

Division 2

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Zander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski
• Open Junior 18 Octuple Sculls: Matthew Hughson, Ashley Geddes, Izzy McTamney, Zoe Beeson, Alex Fowler, Will Cooper, Connor Kennedy, Skye Balance coxed by Abigail Topp
• Men’s Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Daniel Lynch

On Saturday 30th September at the Scottish Schools’ Rowing Council Head Races over a 4 kilometre course on the Forth & Clyde Canal between Banknock and Auchinstarry, 32 members of the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association entered the lists against the best of Scotland’s U18 sweep rowers to win the Scottish Junior Club Champions’ Cup for the 8th year in succession.

Division winners were....

Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours & Fastest Crew overall: Theo Stott (Harlaw Academy), Robert Powell, Miles Beeson & Conrad Forbes (all Albyn School) and cox Michael McCrory (Aberdeen Grammar School)

Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours & Second Place overall: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw Academy)), Xander Beeson (Albyn School), Chris Bardas (Harlaw Academy), Seth Turner (Cults Academy) and cox Hannah Watson (Watson’s College FP)

Men’s Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Harris MacDonald (Albyn School), William Bricknell (Aberdeen Grammar School), Scott Lewis (Mearns Academy) & Michel Dearsley (Cults Academy) and cox Skye Ballance (Cults Academy)

Men’s Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Will Cooper Alex Fowler , Ben Milne (all Albyn School) & Joe Ritchie ( Aberdeen Grammar School)) and coxed by Cheyanne Taylor (Bridge of Don Academy)

At the annual ASRA Inter-Schools Regatta on 26 August the school-tie headbands and war paint were once again in evidence as ancient tribal rivalries were re-joined.

In a series of exciting races - sometimes for the closeness of the result and sometimes for the way our coxes seemed to home in on jetties or hapless ABC novices – the eventual winners of the Elliott Cup were pupils of The Albyn School. 

The winners of the Inter-Schools Trophy for those who have attended Learn-To-Row courses over the summer were pupils from Cults Academy

On Saturday 19 August, ASRA athletes joined in the fun of the Aberdeen Sprint Regatta.

Competing against two other ASRA crews, the winners of the Open Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls were the crew of Archie Innes, William Bricknell, Connor Kennedy and Harris Pearce, coxed by Skye Ballance.

In a straight final between two ASRA crews, Seth Turner and Sam Kelso triumphed in the Open Restricted 1 Double Sculls.

In the Women’s Novice Coxed Four, ASRA’s Skye Ballance, Steph Low, Meg Lewis and Iona Adams, coxed by Cheyanne Taylor won an exciting semi-final against one Aberdeen Boat Club crew before succumbing to a second ABC crew in the final.

In Open Restricted 2 Single Sculls, our best placed athlete was the runner up Theo Stott. Theo had beaten Sam Kelso in the semi-final but lost to ABC’s Thomas Little who had already despatched Josh Berrie and Seth Turner en-route to victory.

ASRA athletes flooded the Open Novice Single Sculls with a field of 13 and provided what was arguably the most entertaining series of racing of the day. The deserving victor was Oscar Forbes who held on for tight “canvas” wins in his semi-final against Scott Lewis and in the final against Michel Dearsley. Well done to all who took part in these races – a couple of whom had literally only been out in a single one or two times but were up for the challenge of taking part.

The ASRA crew of Skye Ballance, Steph Low, Iona Adams and Cheyanne Taylor were runners up in the Women’s Coxed Quadruple Sculls.

Sam Kelso and Conrad Forbes steered an interesting line, but a straighter one than their opponents Seth Turner and Theo Stott to win the closest race of the day; 2 feet the winning margin in Open Restricted 2 Pairs.

The winners of a six crew field in Open Junior 14 Double Sculls were Ashley Geddes and Archie Innes.

Not to be outdone by our Novice Men, a total of nine entries were made in Women’s Novice Single Sculls from ASRA, ABC and Inverness. Skye Ballance sculled her socks off to win her three races and the gold medal. Again, well done to all our entrants in this event.

At this year’s Home International Regatta, hosted by England on the 22^nd July at Strathclyde Park, Abigail (15) and Megan (16) , as the Scottish select in  Women’s Junior Pairs , and Seth Turner (15),  Conrad Forbes (17) Theo Stott (17) and Aidan  Graham (16), with cox Emily Murdoch, in Men’s Junior Coxed Fours, did ASRA proud as always , but found the going predictably hard against opposition in almost every case one or two years above their own age level. It was of course a particularly savage reality check for Abigail, Megan, Seth and Aidan, who had medalled so outstandingly in J16 events at the British Junior Rowing Championships at Nottingham just a week earlier.

There is however consolation in the fact that all of this year’s Scottish caps are eligible to do it all again in 2018 and we have every reason to believe that some, if not all of them, given their present level of commitment, can equal, if not surpass, ASRA’s HIR successes of the past.   

Just a week later, at the annual Coupe de la Jeunesse Regatta, held this year in Hazewinkel, Belgium, on the 29^th and 30^th July, in which 13 European nations took part, our ASRA boys - not to be outdone by the girls’ J16 GB v France success -  won  yet another gold medal in a GB vest  - this time at J18 level. Miles Beeson and Robert Powell, having taken bronze in the “A” final of Men’s Junior Eights on the Saturday, snatched gold in a time of 5.56.78 in the same event the following day, pushing Switzerland with a time of 5.57.37 into second place and Saturday’s gold medallists, the Czech Republic, into third. The last time a Coupe medal went to an ASRA rower was back in 2000 in Switzerland , when David McNeill won bronze in the Pairs event.