The Scottish Rowing Spring Regatta took place at Strathclyde Park, Motherwell on the 22nd & 23rd April 2023. With the club’s senior athletes either participating at GB trials, or cramming for upcoming exams, it was left to the J14 & J15 crews to represent ASRA. A total of 20 athletes, consisting of 13 boys and 7 girls headed south for their first multi lane racing of the season.

On the Saturday morning, a brisk cross wind created what could only be described as challenging conditions. This proved too much for the W Nov 2x of Anna Taylor and Grace Watt, who capsized in their first race of the day. Undeterred, the girls dried themselves down and joined up with Jennifer Ellis and Katherine Taylor to compete in the W Nov 4x+ where they made it into the B Final. The W J14 2x of Sabina Bird and Mackenzie Park came 4th in their final before combining with Jennifer Ellis and Katherine Taylor to put in a spirited performance in the W J14 4x+.

With the wind increasing by the minute, the O J14 singles of Iain Petty, Luke McMorris, Luke Renwick, and Gavin Pedrog took to the water for their time trial. Iain P and Luke M dealt admirably with the conditions to set the two fastest times in a large field of 17 scullers. Iain then went on to take a well deserved gold in the A Final, with Luke following closely behind for silver. The O J15 singles of John Forbes, Rory Trythall, Hugo Lefort, Finlay Morrision and Nicholas Davies found the conditions trickier, with only Rory making it to the A Final, before having to pull out due to injury.

Sunday morning brought slightly calmer water, however the conditions remained difficult throughout the day. First up was the OJ 15 4x+ of John Forbes, Finlay Morrison, Rory Trythall and Nicholas Davies, who could not quite keep pace with an excellent crew from George Watsons to finish a good 2nd. The boys then formed doubles to race in OJ 15 2x. Joined by another ASRA double of Hugo Lefort and Logan Kinch, the boys placed 3rd, 5th, and 7th.

Next to race were the O J14 2x combinations of Iain Petty & Luke Renwick, Gavin Pedrog & Luke McMorris, Peter Temple & Sandy Bain, Cara Freeman & Harris Parke. In an extremely close final, Ian & Luke R picked up silver, with Gavin & Luke M taking Bronze. These crews then combined to form two OJ 14 coxed quads. The combination of Iain P, Luke R, Gavin P & Luke M topped off a successful weekend by finishing with a silver medal in the eight boat final.

In the absence of the more senior athletes, the youngsters represented ASRA brilliantly both on and off the water. In a weekend which saw difficult conditions, and a record number of capsizes, the kids showed great resilience and character, which will surely hold them in good stead for the remainder of the season.

Well done to everyone, especially Iain Petty & Luke McMorris who each came home with three medals.

At Scottish Rowing’s Junior Summer Regatta held at the National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park on Saturday 5^thJune, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools’ Rowing Association, brushed aside the effects of a punishing racing schedule down at the National Schools and Scullery Regattas at Dorney Lake, Eton, just last weekend and put in a series of outstanding performances against the best of Scotland’s junior rowers to win a total of 6 gold and 3 silver medals.

Gold:

• Women’s Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Charlotte Arthur, Maggie Seward, Sophie Sinclair & Emily Simpson, coxed by Erin Gibson
• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Maggie Seward & Emily Simpson
• Men’s Junior  15 Quadruple Sculls: Magnus Heidenreich, Gregor Macleod, Magnus Lawson & Harris Pearce , coxed by Sam Cordiner
• Women’s Junior 16 Single Sculls: Zoe Beeson
• Men’s Junior 16 Doubles: Murray Bone & Sam Doherty
• Men’s Junior 18 Single Sculls: Matthew Hughson

Silver: 

• Women’s Junior 14 Double Sculls: Lily Arthur & Gabrielle Topp
• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Charlotte Arthur & Sophie Sinclair
• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Freya Hughson, Maisie Aspinall, Zoe Beeson & Sophia Brew

Grateful thanks to all the parents who stepped in to ferry our troops to the event when our new minibus lost power enroute and had to be returned to the boathouse.

A selection of photos from the day are available to view in the Photo Gallery 

At the 2019 Scottish Rowing Championships held over 3 days from the 7th to the 9th of June at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, ASRA athletes won a total of 12 gold medals, 5 silver and 1 bronze.

Gold:

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Women’s Junior Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp, Megan Hewison, Megan Lewis & Frances Sealy, coxed by Emily Simpson
• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Chris Bardas & Xander Beeson
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless pairs: Archie Innes & Michel Dearsley
• Men’s Junior 18 Eights: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson, Scott Lewis, Ashley Geddes, Matthew Hughson, Gregor Charles & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Eights: Oscar Forbes, Archie Innes, William Penny, Harris Macdonald, Alex Fowler, Michel Dearsley, Joe Ritchie & Will Cooper, coxed by Erin Gibson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes, & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Ashley Geddes Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Charles, William Penny, Scott Lewis & Michel Dearsley, coxed by Erin Gibson

Silver:

• Women’s J18 Single Sculls: Megan Hewison
• Men’s Senior Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Oscar Forbes & Matthew Hughson
• Men’s Junior15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Harris Pearce & Will Cooper, coxed by Skye Ballance
• Men’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Alex Fowler & Joe Ritchie

Bronze:

• Men’s Junior 15 Single Sculls: Will Cooper

Our gratitude as always to the coaches, drivers, parent helpers and supporters, without whom these outstanding results would simply not be possible.

On Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April, having just returned from their annual training camp in Regensburg on the Danube, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association put in a series of strong performances at Scotland’s National Rowing Centre in Motherwell, to win a total of 8 gold medals and three silvers in this, the first multi- lane event of the 2019 rowing season.

Gold

• Scottish Universities “B” Eights Challenge Winners (and a brilliant second in Men’s Open Eights): - ASRA’s J16 Eight - Harris Macdonald, Ashley Geddes, Scott Lewis, Oscar Forbes, Gregor Charles, Michel Dearsley, Archie Innes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Skye Ballance

• Men’s Open Restricted 1 Coxed Fours & Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Skye Ballance

• Women’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s Open Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Alex Fowler, Joe Ritchie, Jayros James & Will Cooper, coxed by Erin Gibson

• Women’s Junior 15 Double Sculls: Maisie Aspinall & Zoe Beeson

• Women’s Junior 14 Double Sculls: Zoe Beeson & Freya Hughson

• Women’s Junior 13 Doubles: Erin Gibson & Phoebe McCraith

Silver

• Women’s Restricted 1 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp

• Women’s Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Maisie Aspinall, Zoe Beeson Freya Hughson & Phoebe McCraith, coxed by Erin Gibson

• Women’s Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Freya Hughson, Charlotte Arthur, Ella Johnston & Charlotte Reynolds, coxed by Erin Gibson

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.

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.

At the Scottish Rowing Championships held at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell from Friday 9th to Sunday 11 June, ASRA crews won 8 gold and 5 silver medals. A magnificent achievement given the lack of opposition in ASRA’s preferred sweep events and the gusting side winds at the start which made attachment a nightmare for less experienced crews.

Gold

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell & Theo Stott, coxed by Emily Murdoch
• Men’s Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Miles Beeson & Robert Powell
• Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Seth Turner & Aidan Graham
• Women’s Junior 16 Coxless Pairs; Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s J15 Double Sculls : Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men’s J14 Double Sculls: Harris MacDonald & Matthew Hughson
• Wylie Cup (First year of Rowing): Michel Dearsley, Scott Lewis, Josh Berrie & Ben Milne, coxed by Stephany Low
• Men’s Open Novice Eights: Jan Barraclough, Josh Berrie, Xander Beeson, Oscar Forbes, Matthew Hughson, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes & Connor Kennedy, coxed by Ben Milne

Silver

• Men’s Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Harris MacDonald
• Women’s J16 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Megan Hewison
• Men’s J15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Xander Beeson & Jakub Zbiikowski, coxed by Laura Barraclough
• Men’s J14 Double Sculls: Ashley Geddes & Archie Innes
• Men’s J13 Single Sculls: Ben Milne

Many thanks to the many parents who helped out either at the Champs in one capacity or another or with transport in getting us there and back. We cannot do it without you.

Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association, energised by their Easter training camp in Germany, put in a strong performance at this weekend’s Strathclyde Park Regatta in a mixture of junior and open events, gaining seven gold and four silver medals.

There was an excellent win for Junior 16 boys Aidan Graham, Danny Skinner, Daniel Lynch and Sam Kelso, coxed by Emily Murdoch, in the final of the Open Restricted 2 Coxed Fours event. The lead changed hands a number of times over the 2km course but ASRA finished strongly to beat nearest challengers Belfast Rowing Club.

Megan Hewison and Abigail Topp pulled away from the opposition in the Women’s Junior 16 Double Sculls and, despite having to repel a late surge from Inverness Rowing Club, hung onto a comfortable victory.

Megan and Abigail then teamed up with Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis and cox Emily Murdoch to win the Women’s Junior 18 Coxed Four event in emphatic style.

ASRA Junior 15 boys Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Alexander Beeson and Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Michael McCrory destroyed the field of 11 other crews in Open Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls; never looking troubled and galloping away to win with handsome margins in their heat and the final.

The J15 and J16 boys joined forces to score an impressive victory in the final of the Open Restricted 2 Eights. Seth, Aidan, Danny, Chris, Daniel, Sam, Jakub and Alexander were brilliantly spurred into a late charge by cox Michael McCrory to overhaul a three-quarter length deficit in the last 250m and get their bow in front of a composite crew from Clydesdale, Glasgow and Strathclyde University rowing clubs.

Harris MacDonald, Ashley Geddes, Archie Innes and Matthew Hughson, coxed by Connor Kennedy got a scare from their club mates who led them through the halfway mark but eventually eased away to secure victory in the Open Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls final.

Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Alexander Beeson and Jakub Zbikowski, ably coxed by Michael McCrory, then rounded off a successful weekend by completing a hatrick of golds; rowing a mature race to grab an outstanding victory in Open Novice Coxed Fours, leaving crews from Durham, Newcastle and Edinburgh universities – some of the UK’s top rowing universities – in their wake.

Very creditable performances also gained silver medals for Conrad Forbes and Theo Stott in Open Junior 18 Coxless Pairs; Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Lewis and Megan Hewison coxed by Emily Murdoch in Women’s Restricted 2 Coxed Fours; Abigail Topp in Women’s Junior 16 Single Sculls and Harris MacDonald and Matthew Hughson in Open Junior 14 Double Sculls.

The athletes will now be timetabling their exam revision with training in the build-up to the National Schools Regatta at Eton Dorney in May.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta, Motherwell, on the 26th & 27th of April, Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association crews brought home a total of 13 golds over the two days.

Girls

• WR2 Coxed Fours: Rosie Morton, Iona Riley, Lucy Bonnamy & Jamie Steel (cox Emily Geddes)
• WJ 16 Coxed Fours: Rosie Morton, Iona Riley, Catriona Bain & Jamie Steel (cox Emily Geddes)
• WJ 16 Coxless Quads: Rachel Hadjitofi, Iona Riley, Catriona Bain & Jamie Steel
• WJ 16 Doubles: Iona Riley & Jamie Steel
• WJ 15 Coxed Fours: Emily Geddes, Fiona McKinnon, Rachael Hadjifofi & Rosie Morton (cox Niall Ford)
• WJ 15 Coxed Quads: Holly Reid, Fiona McKinnon, Rosemary Morton & Rachel Hadjitofi (cox Emily Geddes)
• WJ 14 Coxed Quads: Emily Geddes, Holly Reid, Christie Duff & Morven Shaw (cox Emily Duff)
• WJ 12 Doubles: Emily Duff & Erin Wyness
• WJ 12 Single Sculls: Erin Wyness

Boys

• MJ 15 Coxed Fours: Blair Sorbie, Niall Rundle, Daniel McSherry & Atholl Wallace (cox Bruce Sorbie)
• MJ 15 Coxed Quads : Robert Hamlet, Niall Rundle, Daniel McSherry & Atholl Wallace (cox Bruce Sorbie)
• MJ 14 Coxed Fours: Nicolas Riddoch, Lewis McCue, Robert Hamlet & Blair Sorbie (cox Bruce Sorbie)
• MJ 14 Doubles: Robert Hamlet & Blair Sorbie

Notable silvers went to our senior girls in Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours who lost out to a highly rated Strathclyde Park quartet by a nail-biting 1 second and to our Men's J16 Double - Atholl Wallace & Gary Wilson - who finally managed to split the all conquering Watson's College Doubles in the seven boat final of that event.

Congratulations to all who took part, our thanks to the parents and supporters who made the long journey to the Park to support us and once again particular thanks to the parents who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the tedious task of trailer unloading at the end of an exhausting weekend's racing. Incidentally we share the concerns of many parents about the length of each day's racing at the SPR and will be writing to SARA with the recommendation that the Uni. Champs. be made a separate event.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta in Motherwell on 21/22 April ASRA crews racked up a total of 6 Golds and 3 Silvers.

• WJ15 1x - Iona Riley
• WJ15 2x - Iona Riley & Jamie Steel
• WJ15 4+ - Catriona Bain, Rachael Hadjitofi, Iona Riley, Jamie Steel & cox Cara Parker
• WJ 16 4+ - Catriona Bain, Rachael Hadjitofi, Iona Riley, Jamie Steel & cox Robert Hamlet
• MJ14 4+ - Niall Rundle, Blair Sorbie, Daniel McSherry, Atholl Wallace & cox Robert Hamlet
• MJ14 4x+ - Niall Rundle, Blair Sorbie, Daniel McSherry, Atholl Wallace & cox Robert Hamlet
• Silver went to Catriona Bain in WJ15 1x, to Iona Riley & Jamie Steel in WJ16 2x and to Atholl Wallace in MJ14 1x.

All the winning rowers, it should be noted, attended our Rowing Camp in Gent.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd April our ASRA girls racked up 7 straight victories and two fine second places against strong opposition from all the main Scottish and several Northern English rowing centres.

• Women's Junior 14 Singles: Iona Riley (2nd - Jamie Steel).
• Women's Junior 14 Doubles: Iona Riley & Jamie Steel (2nd - Catriona Bain & Rachael Hadjitofi).
• Women's Junior 14 Fours: Rachael Hadjitofi, Iona Riley, Catriona Bain, Jamie Steel (cox Niall Rundle).
• Women's Junior 16 Fours: Danielle McNaughton, Beady Rice, Joy Davies, Lucy Bonnamy (cox Nina Scott).
• Women's Junior Pairs: Joy Davies & Lucy Bonnamy.
• Women's Novice Fours: Danielle McNaughton, Beady Rice, Joy Davies, Lucy Bonnamy (cox Nina Scott) - 1st out of 18 crews!
• Women's Junior 18 Eights: Katie Hiscox, Danielle McNaughton, Beady Rice, Jamie Steel, Catriona Bain, Iona Riley, Joy Davies, Lucy Bonnamy (cox Atholl Wallace).

Disappointing days for the boys who failed to medal but who put up some gutsy performances nevertheless. The main difference was perhaps that the girls had the advantage of the Gent Easter Camp behind them where they had done significant amounts of practice as racing units.

Congratulations to all who took part (J12s in particular) and grateful thanks to our long-suffering parents who rolled up their sleeves and got wired into the trailer unloading at the end of an extremely long weekend.

At the Strathclyde Park Small Boats Head of the River Race on the 1st October, gale force winds compelled the organisers to cancel the second division of the race. The first division did however take place despite the horrendous weather conditions and our team pulled off category wins in Women's J16 Doubles (Lucy Bonnamy & Joy Davies) and in Men's J14 Doubles (Johnathan Lockhart & Jonathan Wright). Our J13 Mixed Quad (Iona Riley, Gary Wilson, Atholl Wallace, Jamie Steel & cox Daniel McSherry) - unfortunately without opposition in its own class - also sculled well to come overall 6th out of 32 and first home of the non-Strathclyde Park based crews and there was a significantly improved performance too for Seonaid Crosby who came in only a second behind Nicola Santoni of Strathclyde Park Rowing Club in Women's J18 Single Sculls.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta at the National Watersports Centre in Motherwell on 23/24 April, ASRA recorded a total of five wins in all. On this occasion it was the turn of the boys to shine. They won Men's Junior 15 Fours (Arthur Tutenuit, Jonathan Wright, Owen Jenkins, Johnathan Lockhart & cox Nina Scott), Men's Junior 14 Fours (Gary Wilson, Jonathan Wright, Owen Jenkins, Johnathan Lockhart & cox Nina Scott), Men's Junior 12 Coxed Quad (Jack Hughes, Daniel McSherry, Niall Rundle, Atholl Wallace & cox Erin Grieve) and Men's Junior 12 Double (Daniel McSherry & Atholl Wallace)

Club Captain Seonaid Crosby brought some consolation for the girls in the form of a win in Women's Junior 16 Single Sculls, but otherwise they had to be content with close seconds in Women's Junior 14 Single Sculls (Jamie Steel) - 0.40 of a second the losing margin - and Women's Junior 15 Fours (Jamie Steel, Lucy Bonnamy, Rhona Miller, Joy Davies & cox Erin Grieve) this time with a losing margin of 1.36 seconds.

Congratulations to all who took part and grateful thanks to our coaches and supporters who undertook the long journey south to support our squad.