On Saturday 14th May at the Castle Semple Regatta, Lochwinnoch, an ASRA squad deprived of the services of our senior boys due to exam pressure, nevertheless did ASRA proud, putting in a series of outstanding performances to rack up a total of 8 gold medals and 5 silver. This is the last multilane event for ASRA before the prestigious National Schools Regatta which runs from the 27th to the 29th May where 8 of our crews will compete shoulder to shoulder with some 4,000 of Britain's best junior rowers on Eton's Dorney Lake.

Gold

• WR2 4+ - Cara Leslie, Fern Harvey, Cecily Burnett-Stuart & Eilish Murphy, coxed by Emma Quinn
• WNov 4+ - Cara Leslie, Fern Harvey, Cecily Burnett-Stuart & Eilish Murphy, coxed by Emma Quinn
• WJ16 2x - Megan Hewison & Abigail Topp
• OJ15 4x+ - Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Alexander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Oscar Forbes
• WJ15 2x - Alyssa Egido & Ellie Andrew>
• OJ15 2x - Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski
• OJ14 4x+ - Seth Turner, Jan Barraclough, George Grahamslaw & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Harris MacDonald
• OJ14 1x - Chris Bardas

Silver

• WR1 1x - Katherine Lawrie
• WNov 1x - Laura Barraclough
• WJ14 1x - Abigail Topp
• OJ13 2x - Oscar Forbes & Harris MacDonald
• OJ13 1x - Harris MacDonald

On Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th April at the Strathclyde Park Regatta, Motherwell, ASRA crews equalled last year's medal haul of 16 golds, only two behind 2009's all-time record of 18 at this event. A phenomenal achievement, given the larger than normal exodus of seniors at the beginning of the year and our present extensive injury list.

The 16 gold medals went to:

Saturday

• Open R2 Coxed Fours: Conrad Forbes, Miles Powell, Robert Powell & Theo Stott, coxed by Michael McCrory

• Open R2 Coxless Pairs: Calum Bird & Gregor Pittendreigh

• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Cara Leslie, Fern Harvey, Cecily Burnett-Stuart & Eilish Murphy, coxed by Steph Low

• Open Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Robert Powell & Miles Beeson

• Open Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch, Aidan Graham, Danny Skinner & Sam Kelso, coxed by Oscar Forbes

• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Megan Hewison & Alyssa Egido
  Open Junior 13 Coxed Qudruple Sculls: Oscar Forbes, Harris MacDonald, Ashley Geddes & Matthew Hughson, coxed by Emma Quinn

• Sunday
  Open Novice Coxed Fours: Daniel Lynch, Aidan Graham, Danny Skinner &anp; Sam Kelso,coxed by Michael McCrory

• Open Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Theo Stott, coxed by Michael McCrory

• Women's Junior 16 Eights: Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Cara Leslie, Fiona Emsley, Megan Hewison Alyssa Egido, Laura Barraclough, Steph Low, coxed by Emma Quinn

• Open Junior 16 Double Sculls: Robert Powell & Miles Beeson

• Women's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Megan Hewison, Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, & Alyssa Egido, coxed by Emma Quinn

• Open Junior 15 Double Sculls: Daniel Lynch, & Aidan Graham

• Open Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Alexander Beeson & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Steph Low

• Open Junior 14 Double Sculls: Seth Turner & Jakub Zbikowski

• Open Junior 13 Double |Sculls: Oscar Forbes & Harris MacDonald

Notable silver medals went to:

• Open R1 Coxed Fours: Hamish Dunnett, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird & Ross Napier, coxed by Michael McCrory

• Open Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Emmanuel Egido, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird & Ross Napier, coxed by Emma Quinn

• Women's J14 Sculls: Abigail Topp

• Open J14 Sculls: Seth Turner

Congratulations to all who took part and our thanks as always to our drivers and the parents who undertook the long journey south to support us.

On Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th April, following on from our week-long Annual Training Camp in Belgium, ASRA athletes medalled as follows at the Gent International Spring Regatta.

Saturday
• J16 Coxless and Coxed Fours - Gold in both events: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Theo Stott with cox Michael McCrory
• J14 Coxless Quadruple Sculls - Gold: Jakub Zbikowski, Alex Beeson, Chris Bardas, Seth Turner
• J14 Single Sculls - Silver: Jakub Zbikowski
• J18 Coxed Fours - Bronze: Emmanuel Egido, Gregor Pittendreigh, Hamish Dunnett, Ross Napier with cox Jack Grahamslaw
• J18 Eights - Bronze: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Gregor Pittendreigh, Hamish Dunnett, Theo Stott, Emmanuel Egido, Ross Napier with cox Michael McCrory

Sunday
• J16 Coxless Fours - Gold: Conrad Forbes, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Theo Stott
• J14 Double Sculls - Gold: Chris Bardas, Jakub Zbikowski
• J14 Double Sculls - Silver: Alex Beeson, Seth Turner

Congratulations to them and also to the boys and girls who failed to medal, but showed steady improvemnet in the course of the week and who put in impressive performances frequently above their age group at the regatta. Our grateful thanks as always to our coaches - in particular to Henry Gieseler who yet again made the long journey from Freiburg to join our coaching team - and our indefatigable drivers who made the whole trip possible.

At the Aberdeen Eights and Small Boats Head on Saturday 26th March, ASRA's senior boys won both divisions of the Head outright, beating nearest rivals in the form of an Aberdeen University/Robert Gordon University composite by a thumping 17 seconds in the first division and 18 in the second. Not to be outdone, ASRA's Junior boys won the Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls division at a canter, beating local opposition from Albyn School by over 4 minutes.

• Men's Open Eights: Gregor Duncan, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird, Theo Stott, Ross Napier & Emmanuel Egido, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's R2 Eights: Gregor Duncan, Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird, Theo Stott, Conrad Forbes & Emmanuel Egido, coxed by Oscar Forbes
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Fours: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas. Jan Barraclough &: Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Fiona Emsley

On Thursday 17th March our senior boys eight, consisting of Michael McCrory (cox), Gregor Duncan (stroke), Miles Beeson, Robert Powell, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird, Theo Stott, Hamish Dunnett and Ross Napier (bow), took part in the prestigious Schools' Head of the River Race.This timed processional race takes place annually on the Thames over the 6.8 kilometre championship course from the University Stone in Mortlake to the Westminster School Boat Club in Putney.

The crew raced to a 13th place in Championship Eights (the Blue Riband event for the boys) and 30th overall; an improvement over our 2015 position of 37th and the time gap between the ASRA crew and first placed Westminster was also smaller than last year. This was an excellent result amongst the very best of British junior rowing with 378 crews taking part - well done to all involved!

At the Inverness Eights & Small Boats Head on Saturday 27th February, the ASRA Boys' Senior eight - superbly stroked by our boys' captain and 2015 Junior World's finalist in Rio, Gregor Duncan - came an impressive third overall and first out of five in the Men's Restricted 2 Eights category in Division 1 of the event. In the smaller boat categories, ASRA crews put in fine performances to medal in Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs, and both Open and Women's Novice Double Sculls.

On Sunday 31 January after two postponements due to weather, the Rutherford Head finally went ahead; two divisions over the 4500m Scotswood to Newburn stretch of the River Tyne with 50-60 crews in each division. ASRA crews acquitted themselves well against largely adult competition.

Division 1:

IM3 8+ - Gregor Duncan, Hamish Dunnett, Robert Powell, Miles Beeson, Calum Bird, Theo Stott, Daniel Lynch, Conrad Forbes and cox Michael McCrory came 2nd out of 6 in their category, losing to a very competent looking adult crew from Agecroft, and 9th overall, beating the only other school eight by over three minutes.

WJ18 4+ - Abigail Topp, Cara Leslie, Eilish Murphy, Cecily Burnett-Stuart and cox Steph Low came 2nd out of 3, between two Queen Elizabeth High School crews.

Division 2:

IM3 4+ - Daniel Lynch, Theo Stott, Calum Bird, Conrad Forbes and cox Michael McCrory came 3rd out of 4, to Agecroft and Edinburgh Uni. OJ18 4x - Gregor Duncan, Robert Powell, Miles Beeson and Hamish Dunnett came a close 2nd out of 3 crews, losing by 11 seconds to the local lads from Tyne ARC who were a little more canny with their steering.

WIM3 8+ - Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Fiona Emsley, Cara Leslie, Eilish Murphy, Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Emma Quinn, Laura Barraclough and cox Steph Low- came 5th of 8 but had the consolation of beating the Queen Elizabeth High School girls' eight by almost a minute.

Well done to all the athletes, on and off the water, in what finally turned out to be a good day's racing in calm conditions. Many thanks to athletes, parents and coaches for coping with the changing circumstances and commiserations to those athletes who could not make the re-scheduled events.

At the Aberdeen Fours and Small Boats Head of the River Races on the Dee on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November, ASRA athletes recorded an impressive series of category wins against good senior opposition from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriott-Watt and Dundee Universities as well as our own AU and RGU and against even feistier junior opposition from their own club mates.
Saturday

Division 1

• Open Coxless Quadruple Sculls (and fastest crew overall in Division 1 ): Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird, Gregor Pittendreigh & Emmanuel Egido
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Sam Kelso, Chris Bardas, Danny Skinner & Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Connor Kennedy
• Women's 18 Coxed Fours: Sam Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Eilish Murphy & Cecily Burnett-Stuart, coxed by Gregor Duncan

Division 2

• Open Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner, Ross Napier, Calum Bird & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Jakub Zbikowski & Jeremy Graham, coxed by Fiona Emsley
• Women's Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Sam Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie. Eilish Murphy & Cecily Burnett-Stuart, coxed by Emma Quinn

Sunday

Division 1

• Men's Restricted 2 Pairs: Gregor Pittendreigh & Calum Bird
• Men's Open Double Sculls: Emmanuel Egido & Hamish Dunnett
• Men's J15 Double Sculls: Sam Kelso & Daniel Lynch
• Men's Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Jakub Zbikowski, Jeremy Graham, Harris MacDonald & Oscar Forbes ,coxed by Fiona Emsley
• Women's Novice Double Sculls: Katherine Lawrie & Cara Leslie
• Men's J15 Octuple Sculls (and fastest crew overall in Division 2); Daniel Lynch, Chris Bardas, Miles Beeson, Jakub Zbikowski, Ellie Andrew, Abigail Topp, Jeremy Graham & Harris McDonald, coxed by William Bricknell
• Men's Junior 16 Single Sculls: Robert Powell

At the Tyne Head of the River Races on Saturday 24th October, in challenging conditions over the 5 kilometre course, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association set out their stall for the season with some strong performances.

Unfortunately, not all events were contested by other clubs but, where medals were on offer, they were well earned by the following crews:

Division 1 (Tyne Long Distance Sculling Head)
• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Alyssa Egido & Megan Hewison
• Men's Junior 18 Quad Sculls: Jacob Turner, Gregor Pittendreigh, Emmanuel Egido & Ross Napier
• Men's Junior 15 Single Sculls: Aidan Graham
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quad Sculls: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Jakub Zbikowski & Oscar Forbes, coxed by Fiona Emsley. This crew's medal was for the fasted coxed quad in the division.

Division 2 (Tyne United Small Boats Head)
• Women's Junior 15 Quad Sculls: Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Megan Hewison & Alyssa Egido, coxed by Emma Quinn
• Men's Junior 17 Double Sculls: Hamish Dunnett & Emmanuel Egido

Many thanks to Louise and Will Forbes for driving one of the minibuses and their help, along with Gillian Hewison, on the muddy steps.

On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September at the Scottish Schools' Rowing Council Head Races on the Forth & Clyde Canal between Banknock and Auchinstarry, 34 members of the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association celebrated an outstanding double success when they won both the Scottish Junior Club Champions' Fours Cup for the 5th year in succession and the Scottish Junior Club Champions' Sculling Cup for the 2nd year in succession.

Winners' Pennants went to the following crews...

Saturday (SSRC Fours Head)

• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Sam Cassidy (Cults Academy), Cara Leslie (Harlaw Academy), Molly McAra (Harlaw Academy), Eilish Murphy (St. Margaret's School), coxed by Ellie Andrew (Mackie Academy)
• Women's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp (Kemnay Academy), Fiona Emsley (Albyn School), Laura Barraclough (Cults Academy), Emma Quinn (Harlaw Academy), coxed by Stephanie Low (Grammar School)
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Conrad Forbes ( Albyn School), Robert Powell (Albyn School), Theo Stott (Harlaw Academy), & Michael McCrory (Aberdeen Grammar), coxed by Vaibhav Chetty (Robert Gordon's College)
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch (Harlaw Academy), Miles Beeson, (Albyn School), Aidan Graham (Cults Academy), Sam Kelso (Albyn School), coxed by Emmanuel Egido (St Machar Academy).

Sunday (SSRC Sculling Head)

• Women's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Katherine Lawrie (Northern College)
• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Conrad Forbes ( Albyn School), Robert Powell (Albyn School), Theo Stott (Harlaw Academy), & Michael McCrory (Aberdeen Grammar)
• Men's Junior 16 Double Sculls: Theo Stott (Harlaw Academy) & Conrad Forbes (Albyn School)
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch (Harlaw Academy), Miles Beeson, (Albyn School) Aidan Graham (Cults Academy), Sam Kelso (Albyn School) coxed by Emma Quinn (Aberdeen Grammar)
• Women's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Abigail Topp (Kemnay Academy), Ellie Andrew (Mackie Academy), Stephanie Low ( Grammar School), Alyssa Egido (St Machar Academy), coxed by Ross Napier (Robert Gordon's College)
• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp (Kemnay Academy) & Alyssa Egido (St. Machar Academy)
• Men's Junior 15 Double Sculls : Daniel Lynch ( Harlaw Academy) & Aidan Graham (Cults Academy)
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Seth Turner (Cults Academy), Chris Bardas (Harlaw Academy), Jeremy Graham (Cults Academy), Jakub Zbikowski, coxed by Sam Kelso (Albyn School)

Congratulations to all who took part in what was a terrific team effort.

The photograph shows ASRA's Gregor Duncan (17) rowing at four in the GB Eight at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 8th August. The crew in the end came 5th in a closely fought final. It is an immense achievement to be selected to row at world level for the GB Junior Squad and Gregor is only the second boy in ASRA's history to have done so. The first was our Lewis "Nutter" McCue ,who just a week ago won silver at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships in Bulgaria. Both are eligible to row again at the same level next year.

At the British Rowing Junior Championships held on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, ASRA athletes medalled in a total of 5 categories and came an impressive third in the overall club rankings at the event.

Gold
• Women's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Sade Hudgell-Igweke & Sam Cassidy
Silver
• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Gregor Pittendreigh, Andrew Main & Alistair Frost
Bronze
• Men's Junior 18 Eight: Lawrence Jennings, Ollie Kinghorn, Alistair Frost, Gregor Pittendreigh, Andrew Main, Calum Bird, Jacob Turner & Ross Napier, coxed by Michael McRory
• Men's Junior 15 Single Sculls: Robert Powell
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson, Aidan Graham & Sam Kelso, coxed by Michael McRory

Following these results as well as outstanding performances at the Scottish Rowing Championships, 11 ASRA athletes in total have been chosen to row for Scotland at the Home Countries InternationaI Regatta at Strathclyde Park next weekend - Lawrence Jennings , Gregor Pittendreigh, Andrew Main, Alistair Frost, Ollie Kinghorn and Michael McRory feature in the junior men's squad and Sade Hudgell-Igweke and Sam Cassidy will be joined by Katherine Lawrie, Cara Napier, Cara Leslie, Amy Fraser and Molly McAra in the junior women's squad.

Meanwhile, as a result of a series of brilliant individual performances at GB Final Trials in Nottingham, ASRA's Gregor Duncan has been selected to stroke the GB Junior Eight at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Rio de Janeiro from the 5th to the 9th August.

At the 2015 Home Countries International Regatta held on Saturday 25th June at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, ASRA's thirteen Scottish caps, despite spirited performances all round, struggled for the most part in the lashing rain to get the better of their opposite numbers from the other home nations.

The best ASRA performance of the day came in the Women's Junior Coxless Fours race, where Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Katherine Lawrie, Cara Napier and Sam Cassidy, having disposed of the challenge from Ireland and Wales in some style early in the contest, disappointingly failed to match the power and fitness level of their English rivals - the British National Champions in the event from Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club in the second kilometre of the race.

In the Men's Junior Coxless Fours race, which was won at a canter by the Irish quartet from Portora Boat Club, our silver medallists from the British National Championships - Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Andrew Main and Gregor Pittendreigh - drew some consolation from managing to turn the table on last week's gold medallists from the King's School, Canterbury, but were just pipped for second place by Wales in a nail-biting dash for the line.

Well done to all our athletes and our coaching team for their hard work during the year and leading up to the event and special thanks to Amy Fraser and her 15 year old partner Cara Leslie, who, having been asked at the last minute by the Scottish Management Team to sub into the Women's Junior Coxless Pairs event, put in a truly gutsy ASRA performance. of which they and we can all be proud.
ASRA's former pupils were also in great form. Brilliant golds went to Amelia Donovan (Edinburgh Uni) in Women's Senior Coxless Fours and Women's Senior Eights and to Ian Walker (Aberdeen Uni) in Men's Lightweight Coxless Pairs, whilst Gary Wilson (Aberdeen Boat Club), by coming second in Men's Senior Doubles, Men's Senior Coxless Quads and Men's Senior Eights made a massive contribution to the points total which gave the Men's Senior Team Trophy to Scotland for a second year in succession.

On Saturday 20th June ASRA hosted the 7th Aberdeen Inter-Schools Regatta, the regatta in which annually members of ASRA's individual feeder schools form scratch crews to compete for two cups - the Aberdeen Inter-Schools Cup for beginners (the so-called "wet starts") and the Elliot Cup for more experienced rowers.

In the Elliot Cup competition, some 40 ASRA members from 10 different educational establishments across the region relished the opportunity to row against their clubmates in their own school colours. As last year the final, raced in coxed quads over 400 metres, saw an exciting race-off between pupils from Cults Academy and Albyn School with once more the honours going to the crew from Cults. Congratulations to the very talented Cults team: Sam Cassidy, Laura Barraclough, Gregor Duncan, Andrew Main, Jacob Turner, Seth Turner, Aidan Graham,Gregor Cooper & Daniel Smith.

The Inter-School Cup went to two accomplished young "wet starts", also from Cults Academy, Jan Barraclough and Chris Rose. A great afternoon's racing watched by an impressive crowd of parents and supporters. Well done to all who took part and grateful thanks to our parent support group for organising the BBQ and the home -bake stalls.

At the Scottish Rowing Championships held at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, on the 13th & 14th June, ASRA crews won 18 golds and 5 silvers over the two days of the competition. Golds went to the following crews:

Girls
• Women's J18 Eights: Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Cara Napier, Katherine Lawrie, Ginny Douglas, Eilidh Thomson, Sam Cassidy, Cara Leslie & Amy Fraser, coxed by Molly McAra
• Women's J18 Coxless Four: Amy Fraser, Cara Napier, Katherine Lawrie & Cara Leslie
• Women's J16 Coxed Fours: Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Sam Cassidy, Cara Leslie & Molly McAra, coxed by Seth Turner
• Women's J15 Coxed Fours: Cara Leslie, Fiona Emsley, Laura Barraclough & Emma Quinn, coxed by Amy Fraser
• Women's J14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Abigail Topp, Ellie Andrew, Alyssa Egido & Megan Hewison, coxed by Seth Turner
• Women's J14 Double Sculls: Alyssa Egido & Abigail Topp
Boys
• Men's J18 Eights: Jacob Turner, Ollie Kinghorn, Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, Gregor Pittendreigh, Calum Bird & Hamish Dunnett, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's J18 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Ollie Kinghorn, ,Gregor Duncan & Alistair Frost, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's J 18 Coxless Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Gregor Pittendreigh, Andrew Main & Alistair Frost
• Men's J16 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Ross Napier, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's J15 Coxed Fours: Robert Powell, Conrad Forbes, Callum Bell & Theo Stott, coxed by Vaibhav Chetty
• Men's J15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Robert Powell, Conrad Forbes, Callum Bell & Theo Stott, coxed by Vaibhav Chetty
• Men's J15 Single Sculls: Robert Powell
• Men's J14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson, Aidan Graham & Sam Kelso, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's J14 Double Sculls: Daniel Lynch & Aidan Graham
• Men's J13 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Seth Turner, Chris Bardas, Jakub Zbikowski & Vaibhav Chetty, coxed by Ellie Andrew
• Men's J13 Double Sculls: Seth Turner & Chris Bardas
• Boyd Cup: Callum Bell, Conrad Forbes, Theo Stott & Emmanuel Egido, coxed by Michael McCrory

Notable silvers went to Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn in Men's J18 Coxless Pairs, Daniel Lynch in Men's J14 Single Sculls, Abigail Topp in Women's Junior 13 Single Sculls and Chris Bardas in Men's J13 Single Sculls. Gregor Duncan also took a silver in Men's J18 Single Sculls.

On Saturday 30th May at the Castle Semple Regatta, Lochwinnoch, ASRA crews, still tired from their exertions at the National Schools Regatta the previous weekend, recorded a splendid total of 12 category wins, rowing in many cases above their actual rowing age.

• Men's Open Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Lawrence Jennings & Alistair Frost, coxed by Seth Turner
• Men's Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Lawrence Jennings & Alistair Frost
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson, Aidan Graham & Sam Kelso, coxed by Laura Barraclough
• Men's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Daniel Lynch & Aidan Graham
• Men's Junior 15 Single Sculls: Robert Powell
• Men's Junior 13 Double Sculls: Vaibhav Chetty & Jakub Zbikowski
• Men's Junior 13 Single Sculls: Seth Turner
• Mixed R2 Double Sculls: Andrew Main & Ginny Douglas
• Mixed Novice Double Sculls: Lawrence Jenning & Katherine Lawrie
• Women's R2 Eights: Cara Leslie, Molly McAra, Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Eilish Murphy, Katherine Lawrie, Ginny Douglas, Sam Cassidy & Sade Hudgell-Igweke, coxed by Emma Quinn
• Women's R2 Fours: Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Eilish Murphy, Sam Cassidy & Sade Hudgell-Igweke
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Megan Hewison, Ellie Andrew, Abigail Topp & Alyssa Egido, coxed by Stephany Low

Well done to all who took part and made the day such a success, and particular thanks again to our long-suffering drivers.

On the 22nd - 24th May, 5,479 junior rowers from all over Great Britain descended on the English National Watersports Centre, Nottingham, to take part in the annual National Schools Regatta.
ASRA entered a total of 10 crews and six of them battled successfully through gruelling time trials and semi-finals to reach the final of their event.

Such was however the standard of the finals at this year's regatta, that ASRA's only medallists in the end were our Women's Junior 16 Coxless Pair - Sade Hudgell-Igweke and Sam Cassidy - who, having dominated their semi-final and having led most of the way in the final, were sadly out-powered by our nemises of last year from Glasgow Academy in the closing stages of the race.

Congratulations to them on their hard-fought silver, but also to our other five finalists, who put in such magnificent, gut-busting performances in our colours to reach the last six in their event:

• Men's Junior 18 Championship Coxless Pairs: Ollie Kinghorn & Gregor Duncan (4th)
• Men's Junior 14 First Division Coxed Quadruple Sculls : Aidan Graham, Sam Kelso, Miles Beeson & Daniel Lynch, coxed by Michael McCrory (4th)
• Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, Gregor Pittendreigh ≈ Lawrence Jennings, coxed by Michael McCrory (5th)
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Michael McCrory, Conrad Forbes, Robert Powell & Calum Bell, coxed by Seth Turner (6th)
• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Ross Napier, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Jacob Turner (6th)

Our thanks as always to the drivers, coaches and supporting parents without whom our participation in this premier event would not have been possible.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta held on on the 25th & 26th April at the Scottish National Watersports Centre, Motherwell, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won a total of 16 gold medals and silver. Gold medals in the order in which they were won were as follows:

Saturday

• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, Gregor Pittendreigh, Lawrence Jennings.
• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Samantha Cassidy, Eilish Murphy, Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Sade Hudgell-Igweke, coxed by Emma Quinn
• Men's Junior 13 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Vaibhav Chetty, Jakub Zbikowski, Christos Bardas, Seth Turner, coxed by Laura Barraclough
• Women's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Molly McAra, Laura Barraclough, Fiona Emsley, Cara leslie, coxed by Emma Quinn
• Women's Restricted 2 Eights: Samantha Cassidy, Amy Fraser, Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Cara Napier, Katherine Lawrie, Ginny Douglas, Eilidh Thomson, Sade Hudgell-Igweke, coxed by Emma Quinn
• Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Ellie Andrew , Abigail Topp

Sunday

• Men's Junior 18 Eights: Ross Napier, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird, Andrew Main, Alistair Frost, Lawrence Jennings, Gregor Pittendreigh, Jacob Turner, coxed by Michael McCrory.
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Samantha Cassidy, Sade Hudgell-Igweke
• Men's Junior 13 Double Sculls: Christos Bardas, Seth Turner
• Women's Junior 15 Eights: Ellie Andrew, Alyssa Egido, Emma Quinn, Abigail Topp, Molly McAra, Laura Barraclough, Fiona Emsley, Cara Leslie, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Samantha Cassidy, Amy Fraser, Cecily Burnett-Stuart, Sade Hudgell-Igweke
• en's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, Gregor Pittendreigh, Lawrence Jennings, coxed by Michael McCrory
• Men's Restricted 2 Eights: Ross Napier, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett, Jacob Turner, Alex Brown, Emmanuel Egido, Robert Powell, Conrad Forbes, coxed by Michael McCrory.
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Conrad Forbes, Michael McCrory, Robert Powell, Callum Bell, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Sam Kelso, Aidan Graham
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Sam Kelso, Aidan Graham, Miles Beeson, Daniel Lynch, coxed by Seth Turner

At the Scottish Open Indoor Rowing Championships held on Saturday 6th December at the Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow, the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association squad put in outstanding performances - both individual and team - to win a total of 12 gold medals, 3 silver and 6 bronze .

Gold

Girls Junior 13: Abigail Topp (Kemnay Academy)

Boys Junior 13: Chris Bardas (Harlaw Academy)

Boys Junior 14: Miles Beeson (Albyn School)

Boys Junior 15: Robert Powell (Albyn School)

Boys Junior 16: Adrian Thomson (Torry Academy)

Girls Junior 16: Sade Hudgell-Igweke (Harlaw Academy)

Boys Junior 18: Gregor Duncan (Cults Academy)

Girls Junior 18: Cara Napier (Robert Gordon's College)

Boys Junior 14 Team Event: Aidan Graham (Cults Academy), Chris Bardas (Harlaw Academy), Daniel Lynch (Harlaw Academy) & Seth Turner (Cults Academy)

Boys Junior 16 Team Event: Adrian Thomson (Torry Academy), Hamish Dunnett (Aberdeen Grammar School), Jacob Turner (Cults Academy) & Ross Napier (Robert Gordon's College)

Boys Junior 18 Team Event: Andrew Main (Cults Academy), Gregor Duncan (Cults Academy), Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead Academy) & Lawrence Jennings (Albyn School)

Girls Junior 18 Team Event: Cara Leslie (Harlaw Academy, Cara Napier (Robert Gordon's College), Katherine Lawrie (Mackie Academy) & Sade Hudgell-Igweke (Harlaw Academy)

Silver

Boys Junior 13: Seth Turner (Cults Academy)

Boys Junior 14: Aidan Graham (Cults Academy)

Girls Junior 16 Team Event: Abigail Topp (Kemnay Academy), Ellie Andrew (Mackie Academy), Laura Barraclough (Cults Academy) & Molly McAra (Harlaw Academy)

Bronze

Boys Junior 13: Jakub Zbikowski (Harlaw Academy)

Boys Junior 14: Daniel Lynch (Harlaw Academy)

Girls Junior 15: Cara Leslie (Harlaw Academy)

Boys Junior 16: Hamish Dunnett (Aberdeen Grammar School)

Boys Junior 18: Lawrence Jennings (Albyn School) Boys Junior 16 Team Event: Callum Bell (Albyn School), Robert Powell (Albyn School), Miles Beeson (Albyn School) & Alex Brown (Aberdeen Grammar School)

At the GB Early Identification Trials held in Boston, Lincolnshire, on the 22nd November, Gregor Duncan came an impressive 13th in a field of 91, all competing for a place in the Junior Worlds Team for 2015 and in consequence he has been invited to the GB Potential Training Camp in Nantes, France, from 14th to the 21st of December.
In the girls' competition Cara Napier came a highly respectable 40th in a field of 72.

At the Aberdeen Head of the River Races on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd November, our ASRA athletes recorded an impressive series of wins against good senior opposition from Glasgow, Heriott-Watt, St. Andrews and Dundee Universities, our own AU and RGU and against even feistier opposition in the form of their own club mates in the Junior events.

Saturday

Division 1

Men's R2 Coxed Fours: Ollie Kinghorn, Alistair Frost, Gregor Pittendreigh & Lawrence Jennings, coxed by Abigail Topp

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quads: Sam Kelso, Miles Beeson, Daniel Lynch & Aidan Graham, coxed by Gregor Cooper

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Emma Quinn, Cara Leslie, Sam Cassidy & Molly McAra, coxed by Alyssa Egido

Division 2

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Andrew Main, Alex McGrath, Gregor Pittendreigh & Lawrence Jennings, coxed by Molly McAra

Men's Novice Coxed Fours: Ross Napier, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Jacob Turner, coxed by Seth Turner

Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quads: Gregor Cooper, Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson & Aidan Graham, coxed by Sam Kelso

Women's Junior 15 Coxed Quads:: Laura Barraclough, Emma Quinn, Cara Leslie & Alyssa Egido, coxed by Kimberley Topp

Sunday

Division 1

Men's R2 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Pittendreigh/Lawrence Jennings and Ollie Kinghorn/Alex McGrath (same time given)

Men's Novice Coxed Fours: Theo Stott, Conrad Forbes, Robert Powell & Callum Bell, coxed by Michael McCrory

Men's Junior 15 Doubles: Miles Beeson & Aidan Graham

Women's Novice Single Sculls: Katherine Lawrie

Division 2

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Pittendreigh & Lawrence Jennings

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Octuple Sculls: Michael McCrorie, Robert Powell, Vaibhav Chetty, Seth Turner, Alexandra Cowie, Gregor Cooper, Sam Kelso & Aidan Graham, coxed by Pete Turner

Men's Junior 16 Single Sculls: Adrian Thomson

Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls; Cara Leslie & Molly McAra

At the Inverness Head Races on the Caledonian Canal on 8th & 9th November, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association recorded fastest times in the following boat categories:

Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Ross Napier, coxed by Alex Brown

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Callum Bell, Robert Powell, Conrad Forbes & Michael McCrory, coxed by Fiona Emsley

Men's Restricted 2 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Alistair Frost, Ollie Kinghorn, Michael Brown & Adrian Thomson, coxed by Ellie Andrew

Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Aidan Graham, Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson & Sam Kelso, coxed by Emma Quinn

Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Aidan Graham & Daniel Lynch

Women's Junior 14 Single Sculls: Abigail Topp

Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Ellie Andrew

Men's Junior 14 Single Sculls: Aidan Graham

The competition level was extremely high with the result that our injury ravaged seniors in a variety of scratch crews suffered badly at the hands of our fitter, stronger central belt rivals and it was left largely to our gutsy J14/15s to save ASRA's blushes in this, the first major Scotland-wide confrontation of the 2014/15 season

At the Tyne Head of the River Races on Saturday 18th October, in their first cross-border foray of the 2014/15 season, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association opened their account by winning 7 best of category medals in the course of the two Heads over the 5 kilometre distance. Special congratulations go to Gregor Duncan, who recorded the fastest single sculling time overall in both races.

Division 1 (Tyne Long Distance Sculling Head)

Women's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Katherine Lawrie

Men's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Gregor Duncan

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Conrad Forbes, Robert Powell, Miles Beeson & Michael McRory, coxed by Sam Kelso

Division 2 (Tyne United Small Boats Head)

Women's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Cara Napier

Men's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Gregor Duncan

Men's Junior 16 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Hamish Dunnett, Alex Brown, Calum Bird & Jacob Turner

Women's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Emma Quinn, Ellie Andrew, Cara Leslie & Molly McAra, coxed by Abigail Topp

At the Aberdeen Club Championship on the 4th October, the four Aberdeen home clubs - ABC, AUBC, RGU and ASRA - locked horns for only the second time in this competition for the Big John Trophy. This event replaces the traditional Aberdeen Sprint Regatta and comprises 11 races over 500 metres, "Short Bridges" runs, 1000 metre ergos and the dreaded "Welly Toss". Teams consist of 20 rowers of each sex and the rowing part involves 6 boat types - eights, coxed fours and quadruple sculls, pairs, double and single sculls, with each rower being allowed to compete in only one event. At the end of a day of extremely close, good humoured racing, Aberdeen University led ASRA by 2 points overall, but ASRA had the final say this time around - thanks to Adrian Thomson's heroics in the Welly Toss - and our team took the Big John Trophy in the end by a single point.
Congratulations to all who took part, commiserations to AUBC and grateful thanks as always to the ASRA parents' support team, without whom the event could not have taken place.

At the inaugural Scottish Schools' Sculling Head Races held on Saturday 27th September on a 3 kilometre stretch of the Forth & Clyde Canal between Banknock and Auchinstarry, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won 8 of the categories on offer. In consequence and contrary to all expectations, ASRA beat their arch rivals and sculling specialists from the Glasgow Academy Rowing Club into second place in the points total and brought the resplendent new Scottish Club Champions' Sculling Cup to Aberdeen.

First Division

Men's Junior 16 Double Sculls: Jacob Turner & Hamish Dunnett

Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Molly McAra & Cara Leslie

Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Aidan Graham & Daniel Lynch

Second Division

Men's Junior 18 Double Sculls: Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn

Men's Junior 16 Quadruple Sculls: Jacob Turner, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Ross Napier

Women's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Molly McAra, Cara Leslie, Emma Quinn & Ellie Andrew, coxed by Abigail Topp

Men's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Michael McRory & Callum Bell

Men's Junior 14 Coxed Qudruple Sculls: Aidan Graham, Seth Turner, Daniel Lynch & Sam Kelso, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski

Notable second places - and valuable contributions to the ASRA overall points total - went to Calum Bird & Ross Napier in Men's Junior 16 Double Sculls, Sam Cassidy & Kimberley Topp in Women's Junior 16 Double Sculls and Ellie Andrew & Abigail Topp in Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls.

At the 2014 Home Countries International Regatta held on Saturday the 26th July at the Irish National Rowing Centre, Cork, twelve ASRA athletes made a significant contribution to the Scottish Team record-breaking points total of 106, which pushed England with 101 points into second place, with Ireland in third place on 79 points and Wales in fourth place on 58.

Women's Junior Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness : 3 points

Women's Junior Eight: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness, plus Glasgow Academy's Alex Rankin, Holly Wicklow, India Somerside & Rebecca Neilson, coxed by Molly McAra : 2 points

Men's Junior Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Jacob Vyse & George Turner, coxed by Michael McRory : 2 points

Men's Junior Coxless Pairs: Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn : 2 points

Men's Junior Eight: Gregor Duncan, Oliver Kinghorn, Jacob Vyse, & Lawrence Jennings, plus James Stevenson & Oliver Fenton (George Watson's College), Sebastian Glen & Andrew Dickson (Glasgow Academy), coxed by Rachael Scott (Glasgow Schools) : 1 point

Special mention has to be made of "the one that got away" in terms of a gold medal. In the Women's Junior Coxless Fours race, our ASRA senior girls once more came face to face with their season's nemesis - the girls from Henley Rowing Club and for the first time in three attempts, after a brilliant stroke for stroke battle for the first 1500 metres, the ASRA girls finally moved into a three quarters of a length lead and with 200 metres to go looked certain take gold. Not to be however. Tragedy struck in the last 20 metres of the race when contact with a buoy tore two's blade from her hand and despite a spirited attempted recovery, the consequent loss of momentum allowed the "auld enemy" to slip through on the line...the losing margin 0.27 of a second!

Congratulations to all those who took part in this momentous Scottish performance - including our ASRA FP medallists, Gary Wilson (Men's Double & Quadruple Sculls) and Jamie Steel (Women's Eights). Nine of our athletes are still eligible to row at Junior level for Scotland next year and hopefully they can build on this year's experience to reach even greater heights when Scotland hosts the HIR at Strathclyde Park in 2015.

At the British Rowing Junior Championships held at the English National Watersports Centre in Nottingham on the 19th & 20th July, ASRA crews reached the "A" finals in five events and the medal podium in four of them.

Gold

Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex Brown & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn

Bronze

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Jacob Vyse & George Turner

All of our J18 rowers together with our J16 pair and coxes Michael McRory and Molly McAra have been selected to row for Scotland at the Home Countries International Regatta to be held next weekend at the Irish National Rowing Centre on Lake Innescara near Cork.

On Sunday 29th June ASRA organised the 6th Aberdeen Inter-Schools Regatta, the regatta in which annually members of our individual feeder schools form scratch crews to compete for two cups - the Aberdeen Inter-Schools Cup for beginners (the so-called "wet starts") and the Elliot Cup for more experienced rowers.
In the Wet Start competition crews representing 7 different Aberdeen schools raced each other in coxed quads over a distance of 300 metres after only 10 weeks of rowing experience and in the Elliot Cup competition, some 50 ASRA members from 12 different educational establishments across the region relished the opportunity to row against their clubmates in their own school colours.
Last year saw Albyn School take the Elliot Cup and Portlethen Academy, the Inter-Schools Cup, but this year it was the turn of the pupils from Cults Academy, who beat all-comers in both the wet start and club competitions in a highly enjoyable day of racing.
A big thank-you must go out to all our parent volunteers and to F.P. Holly Reid in particular, whose superlative behind-the-scene organisational skills made this regatta possible.

At the Women's Henley Regatta on the 20th to the 22nd June, ASRA's powerful Women's Junior 18 Coxed Four - Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness, coxed by Molly McAra - entered the lists on the Thames against 15 of the fastest girls' crews from all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland and initially looked set fair to emulate their club mates, who in 2012 took the Groton Challenge Cup back to Aberdeen.
ASRA's progress to the final by way of a series of exciting victories over Reading Blue Coat School, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School and St Paul's Girls' School was impressive, but once there, they were unfortunately outgunned by local girls and reigning National Schools' Champions, Henley Rowing Club, who on the day were able to cope better with the baking heat and the intense pressure of side-by-side racing before a crowd of thousands.
All to play for again at the British Junior Rowing Championships in Nottingham in mid-July when battle with the Henley quartet will doubtless be rejoined.

At the Castle Semple Regatta, Lochwinnoch, on the 14th June, ASRA athletes won 12 golds in this, the last main season event in the Scottish rowing calendar.

Women's J13 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Ellie Andrew

Women's J18 Coxless Pairs: Sade Hudgell-Igweke & Sam Cassidy

Women's J18 Coxed Fours: Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Fern Harvey, Charlotte Davie, cox Aidan Graham

Women's Novice Coxed Quad Sculls: Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Sam Cassidy, Joanna Cassidy, Charlotte Davie, cox Emma Quinn

Men's Junior 12 Double Sculls: Will Davie & Jakub Zbikowski

Men's Junior 13 Coxed quad Sculls: Aidan Graham, Daniel Lynch, Miles Beeson, Sam Kelso, cox Abigail Topp

Men's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Ross Napier & Calum Bird

Men's Novice Coxed Fours: Jacob T, Hamish, Calum, Ross, cox Michael M

Men's Restricted 2 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn

Men's Restricted 2 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Jacob Vyse, George Turner, cox Seth Turner

Men's Restricted 2 Coxed Quads: Andrew Main, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost, George Turner, cox Seth Turner

Men's Open Eights: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Jacob Vyse, George Turner, Andrew Main, Gregor Pittendreigh, cox Michael McRory

At the Scottish Rowing Championships at the Scottish National Rowing Centre, Strathclyde Park, on 31st May and 1st June, crews from the Aberdeeen Schools' Rowing Association collected a total of 12 gold and 3 silver medals.
The event was dominated (some might argue spoiled) by the all embracing trial format based on the English senior championships' model, which was imposed on all athletes, regardless of age or qualification, who had entered single scull and doubles/pairs events from J16 upwards. Whilst this system did in most cases produce the correct result in the end - our boys for example, ended up deservedly in first and second position in junior coxless pairs - the promised heightened excitement/entertainment resulting from matched ability racing was totally negated by the confusion generated by an arcane sorting process and the interminable batch of largely meaningless "finals".
Good performances all round nevertheless and well deserved golds went to the following crews, many of whom were still struggling to recover from their exertions at the National Schools' Regatta in Nottingham just a week before.

Girls

Women's Junior Eights: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Joanna Cassidy, Samantha Cassidy & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Molly McAra

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness, coxed by Michael McRory

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier & Erin Wyness

Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Molly McAra, Cara Leslie, Eilidh Matthew & Emma Quinn, coxed by Vaibhav Chetty

Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Molly McAra & Cara Leslie

Women's Junior 13 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Ellie Andrew

Boys

Men's Junior Eights: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Lawrence Jennings, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, George Turner & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Alistair Frost, Jacob Vyse & George Turner, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Duncan & Ollie Kinghorn

Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Ross Napier, coxed by Kate Pittendreigh

Men's Junior 13 Single Sculls: Aidan Graham

Notable silvers went to Jacob Vyse & Lawrence Jennings in Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs, to Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Katie McLennan, Charlotte Davie & Abigail Topp in Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours, and to Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh in Mens Junior 16 Double Sculls.
Our thanks as always to Heather McGrath and the parent support team for all their hard work during the weekend.

MJ 18 Coxed Fours on the podium in the rain.

WJ14 Coxed Quad with medals.

WJ18 8+ with medals

MJ18 Coxless Pair + medals

WJ13 Doubles winners

From Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th May, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association joined over 5,000 junior rowers from all over the UK to compete in the annual National Schools' Regatta at the English National Watersports Centre in Nottingham.
The highlight of the regatta for ASRA was without doubt the Junior 16 Coxed Fours event which saw the same ASRA crew, which had won the Mariners Cup for Junior 15 Fours in 2013, romp home a stomping 21 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals to bring back this time the prestigious Arundel Cup to Aberdeen.

ASRA athletes medalled in a total of 4 events in the course of the weekend.

Gold

Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan (Cults), Ollie Kinghorn (Albyn), Alex McGrath (Albyn) & Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead), coxed by Michael McRory (Grammar).

Silver

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings (Albyn), Jacob Vyse (Grammar), Alistair Frost (Hazlehead) & George Turner (Cults)

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner ( Cults), Calum Bird (Albyn), Hamish Dunnett (Grammar) & Ross Napier (Gordon's College), coxed by Aidan Graham (Cults)

Bronze

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Cara Napier (Gordon's College), Eilidh Thomson (Grammar), Amelia Donovan (Gordon's College) & Erin Wyness (Bridge of Don), coxed by Molly McAra (Harlaw)

Commiserations to our girls in the J14 Quad, the J15 Four, the J16 Pair and J16 Single Scull who did not make it to the podium but who nevertheless put in performances in our colours of which we can all be proud.

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta held on on the 26th & 27th April at the Scottish National Watersports Centre, Motherwell, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won a total of 12 gold and 8 silver medals.

Gold:

Women's Open R2 Eights: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Samantha Cassidy, Joanna Cassidy & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Michael McRory

Women's Open Lightweight Coxless Pairs: Joanna Cassidy & Charlotte Davie

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness, coxed by Molly McAra

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness

Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Sade Hudgell-Igweke & Samantha Cassidy

Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Molly McAra, Cara Leslie, Eilidh Matthew & Ellie Andrew, coxed by Abigail Topp

Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Molly McAra & Cara Leslie

Women's Junior 13 Double Sculls: Abigail Topp & Ellie Andrew

Men's Junior 18 Eights: Gregor Duncan, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost, George Turner, Alex McGrath, Gregor Pittendreigh, Jacob Turner & Hamish Dunnett, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost & George Turner, coxed by Michael McRory

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Andrew Main, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost & George Turner

Men's Junior 13 Double Sculls: Sam Kelso & Aidan Graham

Silver:

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Kate McLennan & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Eilidh Matthew

Women's Junior 18 Double Sculls: Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness

Women's J16 Single Sculls: Katherine Lawrie

Women's junior 14 Single Sculls: Cara Leslie

Men's Junior 16 Single Sculls: Gregor Duncan

Men's Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Jacob turner, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Ross napier, coxed by Molly McAra

Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Michael McRory & Aidan Graham

Men's Junior 13 Single Sculls: Aidan Graham

Grateful thanks as always to Heather McGrath, Susie Shaw, John Donovan and the rest of our parent support team for their invaluable help with the coach driving, chaperoning and boat marshalling over the course of the weekend. These splendid results would simply not be possible without their input.

In Belgium on the 12th & 13th April at the annual Gent Spring International Regatta, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won 3 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals over the two days of the competition.

Saturday

Gold

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Jacob Vyse, George Turner & Alistair Frost, coxed by Michael McRory

Silver

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Ginny Douglas & Charlotte Davie

Men's Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Gregor Duncan, Alex Brown, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Jacob Vyse, George Turner & Alistair Frost

Women's Junior 14 Doubles: Molly McAra & Cara Leslie

Bronze

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness

Women's Open Eights: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Ginny Douglas, Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Katherine Lawrie, Joanna Cassidy & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Michael McRory

Sunday

Gold

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Cara Napier, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness

Silver

Men's Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Gregor Duncan, Calum Bird, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh

Women's Junior 14 Coxless Quads: Molly McAra, Eilidh Matthew, Cara Leslie & Emma Quinn

Bronze

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Lawrence Jennings, Jacob Vyse, George Turner & Alistair Frost

On Saturday 22nd March at the annual Scottish Schools' Head Races over a three and a half kilometre stretch of the Forth & Clyde Canal between Banknock and Dullatur, ASRA athletes claimed victories in 6 of the 8 categories on offer and for the 5th year in a row brought home the Scottish Junior Club Championship Cup to Aberdeen.

Winners' pennants went to our rowers in:

Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Amelia Donovan (Robert Gordon's College), Erin Wyness (Bridge of Don Academy), Cara Napier (Robert Gordon's College) & Eilidh Thomson (Aberdeen Grammar School), coxed by Seth Turner (Cults Academy)

Women's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Sade Hudgell-Igweke (Harlaw Academy), Samantha Cassidy (Cults Academy), Katie McLennan (Grove Academy) & Mary McIver (Cults Academy), coxed by Vaibhav Chetty (Cults Academy)

Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Molly McAra (Harlaw Academy), Cara Leslie (Harlaw Academy), Emma Quinn (Harlaw Academy) & Ellie Andrew (Mackie Academy), coxed by Calum Bell (Albyn School)

Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings (Albyn School), Jacob Vyse (Aberdeen Grammar School), George Turner (Cults Academy) & Alistair Frost (Hazlehead Academy), coxed by Jakub Zbikowski (Heathryburn School)

Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan (Cults Academy), Ollie Kinghorn (Albyn School), Alex McGrath (Albyn School) & Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead Academy), coxed by Sam Kelso (Albyn School)

Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Jacob Turner (Cults Academy), Alex Brown (Aberdeen Grammar School), Hamish Dunnet (Aberdeen Grammar School) & Ross Napier (Robert Gordon's College), coxed by William Davie (Robert Gordon's College)

At the Inverness Eights & Small Boats Head on Saturday 22nd February, ASRA crews recorded 5 category wins:

Men's Junior 18 Eights: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Lawrence Jennings, George Turner, Alistair Frost, Gregor Pittendreigh, Alex McGrath & Alex Brown, coxed by Cara Leslie

Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Sade Hudgell-Igweke & Samantha Cassidy

Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Lawrence Jennings & George Turner

Men's Junior 16 Double Sculls: Findlay Douglas & Rémi Théron

Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Cara Leslie & Emma Quinn

ASRA's Junior Boys' Eight came an impressive third overall in the First Division, beating the winners of Men's R2 Eights from St. Andrews University by 15 seconds and ASRA's Junior Girls' Eight - Sade Hudgell-Igweke, Samantha Cassidy, Erin Wyness, Eilidh Thomson, Katherine Lawrie, Erynn Fraser, Joanna Cassidy & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Seth Turner - lost out to the winners of Women's R2 Eights from Clydesdale by a mere 6 seconds"

On Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November at the Inverness Head Races on the Caledonian Canal, ASRA crews registered the following 9 excellent category wins:

• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Erin Wyness, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Cara Napier
• Men's Open Novice Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Rémi Théron, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Jacob Turner, coxed by Michael McRory
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls; Kate Pittendreigh, Emma Quinn, Eilidh Matthew & Molly McAra, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier, Erin Wyness & Amelia Donovan, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Ollie Kinghorn & Gregor Duncan
• Women's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Amelia Donovan
• Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Molly McAra & Eilidh Matthew
• Women's Junior 18 Double Sculls: Cara Napier & Amelia Donovan
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Charlotte Davie & Katie McLennan

Competition was fierce in what was a record entry for the event and for the first time this academic year ASRA faced a really strong Junior field. Our boys in particular suffered an unpleasant mauling, but the strength in depth demonstrated by Iain Somerside's Glasgow Schools (with their 11 category wins!) will hopefully have shocked all our crews out of their complacency as we now move forward into serious winter training.
Our gratitude as always to our long suffering parent supporters - drivers, boat marshalls and chaperones - without whom our 48 rowers would not have been able to take part.

At the Aberdeen Head of the River Races on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November, some 50 of our ASRA athletes, braving daunting and steadily worsening weather conditions, recorded an impressive series of wins against one of the strongest fields in years from Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, St Andrews & Dundee Universities, our own AU and RGU, Aberdeen Boat Club and of course their own clubmates in the Junior events.
Medal winners in their finish order in each division were:

Saturday - Fours Head - Division 1

• Men's Open R2 Coxed Fours: Andrew Main, George Turner, Jacob Vyse & Alistair Frost, coxed by Cara Leslie
• Women's Open Coxed Fours: Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier, Erin Wyness & Amelia Donovan, coxed by Michael McRory
• Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Rémi Théron, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Jacob Turner, coxed by Seth Turner
• Women's Open R2 Coxed Quads: Molly McAra, Eilidh Mathew, Samantha Cassidy & Sade Igweke, coxed by Kate Pittendreigh
• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Charlotte Davie, Erynn Fraser, Katherine Lawrie & Joanna Cassidy, coxed by William Davie;

Saturday - Fours Head - Division 2

• Men's Open Coxed Fours: Andrew Main, George Turner, Jacob Vyse & Lawrence Jennings, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Men's Open R2 Coxed Quads: Ross Napier, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Jacob Turner, coxed by Kate Pittendreigh
• Women's Open R2 Fours: Eilidh Thomson, Cara Napier, Erin Wyness & Amelia Donovan, coxed by Emma Quinn

Sunday - Small Boats Head - Division 1

• Open Novice Coxed Quads: Hamish Dunnett, Rémi Théron, Calum Bird & Jacob Turner, coxed by Ross Napier
• Women's Open R2 Coxed Quads: Erin Wyness, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Cara Napier, coxed by Michael McRory
• Men's Open R2 Coxless Pairs: Ollie Kinghorn & Gregor Duncan
• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Gregor Pittendreigh & Alex McGrath

Sunday - Small Boats Head - Division 2

• Men's Open R2 Coxed Quads: Ross Napier, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Jacob Turner, coxed by Vaibhav Chetty
• Men's junior 16 Single Sculls: Gregor Duncan
• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Samantha Cassidy & Sade Igweke
• Women's R2 Coxless Pairs: Erin Wyness & Amelia Donovan
• Women's Open Novice Quads: Ruth Bryce, Ginny Douglas, Katie McLennan & Becca Hughes, coxed by Amy Fraser

At the Tyne Head of the River races on Saturday 26th October, in their first foray South of the border in the 2013/14 season, ASRA crews opened their account with a series of promising performances, winning 10 category pennants in the course of the two 4.5 kilometre races.

Division 1 (Tyne Long Distance Sculling Head)

• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Quadruple Sculls: Erin Wyness, Eilidh Thomson, Amelia Donovan & Cara Napier
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Remi Théron, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Jacob Turner, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Men's Junior 16 Double Sculls: Alex McGrath & Gregor Duncan
• Women's Junior 15 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Cara Leslie, Eilidh Matthew, Samantha Cassidy & Sade Igweke, coxed by Seth Turner
• Men's Junior 17 Single Sculls: George Turner

Division 2 (Tyne United Small Boats Head)

• Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Pittendreigh, Alex McGrath, Ollie Kinghorn & Gregor Duncan, coxed by Jakub Zbikowski
• Women's Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Molly McAra, Eilidh Matthew, Samantha Cassidy & Sade Igweke, coxed by Seth Turner
• Women's Junior 18 Single Sculls: Amelia Donovan
• Women's Junior 17 Single Sculls: Joanna Cassidy
• Women's junior 16 Single Sculls: Cara Napier

On Saturday 14th September at the rescheduled Scottish Schools' Head Races on the Forth & Clyde Canal between Banknock and Dullatur, unfazed by the break-in at their boathouse early on Friday morning that had robbed them of the use of both their coaching launches for the foreseeable future, our rowers claimed victories in 6 of the 8 age categories on offer and won the Scottish Junior Club Championship Cup outright for the fourth year in succession.

Winners' pennants went to:

• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Amelia Donovan, (Gordon's) Erin Wyness ( Bridge of Don), Cara Napier (Gordon's) & Eilidh Thomson (Grammar), coxed by Michael McRory (Grammar)
• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Joanna Cassidy (Cults), Katherine Lawrie (Mackie), Erynn Fraser (St Machar) & Charlotte Davie (St Margaret's), coxed by William Davie (Gordon's)
• Women's Junior 15 Fours: Jessica Walker (Hazlehead), Ginny Douglas (Gordon's), Becca Hughes (Grammar) & Angelika Burzyk (Hazlehead), coxed by Aidan Graham (Cults)
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quads: Sade Igweke (Harlaw), Sam Cassody (Cults), Eilidh Mathew (Grammar) & Molly McAra (Harlaw), coxed by SethTurner (Cults)
• Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Alistair Frost (Hazlehead), Andrew Main (Cults), Lawrence Jennings (Albyn) & Leo McKeever (Albyn), coxed by Oliwier Leszkowicz (Abbotswell)
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan (Cults), Ollie Kinghorn, (Albyn) Alex McGrath (Albyn) & Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead), coxed by Vaibhav Chetty (Cults)

Congratulations also to our ASRA members - Alex McGrath, Ollie Kinghorn, Findlay Douglas and Ze Yu Ng, coxed by Jamie Rendall - who deservedly won the pennant for Albyn School in the Men's Junior 15 Single School event and commiserations to our Men's Junior 18 crew who, in the main event, shipwrecked on the last corner, having led for most of the race, and to all our other non-winning competitors whose efforts nevertheless contributed to the splendid points total which brought back the Championship title to Aberdeen.

At the Home Countries International Regatta hosted by England on Saturday 27th July at the English National Watersports Centre, Nottingham, nine ASRA athletes donned Scottish blue to do battle once more with the "auld enemy". Unfortunately our athletes were once more unable to duplicate anything approaching the form they had shown just a week before at the same venue at the British Rowing Junior Championships.

Our boys - Gregor Duncan, Nick Read, Jacob Vyse and Elliot Bruce - rowing in the Men's Junior Coxless Four and worthy gold medallists at the BRJC, simply had no answer to the power of the National Schools' Champions from Abington and similarly our girls - Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw and Eilidh Thomson, coxed by Sam Cassidy - were blown away first by Great Marlow School in the Coxless Four (10 seconds) and then by Marlow Rowing Club in the Coxed Four event (8 seconds), both of whom they had beaten handsomely by 4 and 7 second margins respectively just seven days earlier.
This is the second year in a row where our athletes have shown a baffling slump in form at the HIR and questions again have to be asked as to why. Two 800 mile round trips to Nottingham by cramped minibus within a very short space of time will certainly not have helped and the unaccustomed baking heat in their hotel accommodation and on the course certainly did test their stamina and temperament to breaking point. These two factors provide partial answers, but it's clearly back to the drawing board for coaches and support staff alike on future crew preparation for these two major events timetabled only a week apart.

The good news is that 7 out of this year's 9 ASRA Scottish caps will have the opportunity to do it all again - and better - in the 2014 HIR, due to be held on this occasion at Inniscara, Ireland.

At the British Junior Rowing Championships held at the English National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepoint, Nottingham, on the 20th and 21st July, athletes from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won a total of 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals and in consequence were awarded the inaugural Victor Ludorum Cup for the most successful club at the competition.

Gold

• Open Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Gregor Duncan, Nick Read, Jacob Vyse & Elliot Bruce
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson (in a new record time for the event - 7.15.20 - a full 6 seconds faster than the previous record which had stood since 2002)

Silver

• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Cara Napier & Charlotte Davie, coxed by William Davie
• Open Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Ross Napier

Bronze

• Open Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Lawrence Jennings, George Turner, Alistair Frost & Andrew Main, coxed by Sam Cassidy

Our gold medal winners in both Men's and Women's Junior Coxless Fours will return to Nottingham next weekend to represent Scotland at the annual Home Countries International Regatta hosted this year by England.

Congratulations to all the athletes who wore our colours at the weekend - winners and losers, but special mention has to be made of the magnificent efforts made by our "little ones" in the highly competitive J14 events - Sade Igweke & Sam Cassidy, who came fourth in WJ14 Double Sculls and Jacob Turner, Hamish Dunnett, Calum Bird & Alex Brown who won the "B" Final in MJ14 Quadruple Sculls.
Our gratitude as ever to our passionately supportive parents (and grand-parents!), in particular to Jane Main, Pippa Davie & Jannine Douglas for their driving help and John Donovan for his first-class work as boat marshall..

On Sunday 23rd June ASRA organised and hosted the 5th Aberdeen Inter-Schools Regatta which sees the wet start crews from our schools project race against each other. All crews had a maximum of 10 weeks rowing experience and raced each other in coxed quads over a 300m distance. There were 49 wet start rowers representing 6 Aberdeen City and Shire schools whilst the 100+ ASRA members had the rare chance to represent their own school with 7 crews representing 17 schools from the City and Shire (and Dundee). Albyn were victorious in the ASRA part of the day lifting the Elliot Rowing Cup whilst Portlethen A topped the wet start group 1 with an undefeated run. They were due to race the winner of group two in the final however, Mackie/Dunnottar/Grammar, Mackie/Cults and Portlethen B all ended up tied on 10 points. It was decided to have a four boat final with Mackie/Dunnottar/Grammar taking the honours in a brilliant final race and winning the Aberdeen Inter-Schools Cup. You can watch the race here

At the Henley Women's Regatta on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June, our top girls - Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson, coxed by Sam Cassidy - were entered in the Women's Junior Coxed Fours event for the Groton Cup, which ASRA had won in 2012.
The going was hard against a strong, gusting side/head wind which did not subside all weekend and having successfully seen off stern challenges from Kingston Grammar and Latymer Upper in the first two rounds, ASRA finally succumbed in a hard-fought semi-final to the girls from the Harriton Boat Club, USA, conceding a length to them in the final hundred metres of the race. The Harriton girls' Varsity Four, who had won the Scholastic Rowing Championships of America in New Jersey back in May, then went down by a length in the final to the National Schools Champions in Coxless Fours from Headington School, who had been victorious in the easier of the semi-finals. All to play for now as our girls step up their fitness training in preparation for the Junior Rowing Championships of Great Britain in July.
Elsewhere our FPs were also making their presence felt. Jamie Steel & Christie Duff lost out by an agonising two feet in the semi-final of Elite Lightweight Coxless Pairs to the duo from Mortlake Anglian & Alpha and Iona Riley medalled brilliantly with the GB Under 23 squad in both the Elite Coxless Fours and the Elite Eights events.

At the Scottish Rowing Championships held at Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, on the 15th and 16th June, ASRA athletes won a total of 20 gold and 10 silver medals, with our top boy rowers - Lewis McCue and Elliot Bruce - rowing possibly for the last time in ASRA colours, picking up gold in both Junior and Composite Senior events.
A resoundingly successful regatta for our girl rowers too who dominated the sweep events in practically every Junior age group.

Boys

• Men's Open Eights: Lewis McCue (ASRA/RGU) Elliot Bruce(ASRA) Ian Walker (AUBC) Tom McIntyre (ABC) Thomas Little (ABC) Henry Gieseler (ABC) Gary Wilson (ABC) Niall Rundle (AUBC), coxed by Charlotte Davie (ASRA)
• Men's Open Coxed Fours : Lewis McCue (ASRA/RGU) Elliot Bruce (ASRA) Henry Gieseler (ABC) Gary Wilson (ABC), coxed by Gregor Duncan (ASRA)
• Men's Open Coxless Quads: Lewis McCue (ASRA/RGU) Elliot Bruce (ASRA) Henry Gieseler (ABC) Gary Wilson (ABC)
• Men's Open Coxless Fours: Lewis McCue (ASRA/RGU) Elliot Bruce (ASRA) Henry Gieseler (ABC) Gary Wilson (ABC)
• Men's Open Single Sculls : Lewis McCue (ASRA/RGU)
• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Four: Lewis McCue, Nick Read, Jacob Vyse & Elliot Bruce
• Men's Junior 18 Coxed Four: Gregor Duncan, Nick Read, Jacob Vyse & Elliot Bruce
• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Lewis McCue & Elliot Bruce
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Charlotte Davie
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Quads: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Rémi Théron

Girls

• Women's Junior 18 Eights: Amelia Donovan, Eilidh Thomson, Morven Shaw, Erin Wyness, Clara Douglas, Erynn Fraser, Joanna Cassidy & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Sam Cassidy
• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Four: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson coxed by Sam Cassidy
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness
• Women's Junior 16 Eights: Joanna Cassidy, Erynn Fraser, Cara Napier, Katherine Lawrie, Jessica Walker, Ginny Douglas, Amy Fraser & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Gregor Duncan
• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Four: Joanna Cassidy, Erynn Fraser, Eilidh Thomson & Cara Napier, coxed by Alex Brown
• Women's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs: Cara Napier & Erynn Fraser
• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Cara Napier & Katherine Lawrie
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Fours: Sade Igweke, Sam Cassidy, Katie McLennan & Carly McCready, coxed by Jacob Turner
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quads: Sade Igweke, Sam Cassidy, Katie McLennan & Carly McCready, coxed by Cara Leslie
• Women's Junior 13 Coxed Quads: Eilidh Matthew, Molly McAra, Cara Leslie & Emma Quinn, coxed by Sam Cassidy

On Saturday 1st June, at the Castle Semple Regatta, rowing into a headwind and in temperatures well below the seasonal average, a depleted ASRA squad struggled in general to find top form. Congratulations nevertheless to those crews whose excellent performances brought home a total of 6 gold medals.

Girls

• Womens' Junior 13 Double Sculls: Eilidh Matthew and Molly McAra
• Women's Junior 15 Double Sculls: Cara Napier & Katherine Lawrie
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Clara Douglas & Erynn Fraser

Boys

• Men's Restricted 2 Eights: Alistair Frost, George Turner, Lawrence Jennings, Andrew Main, Leo McKeever, Michael Brown, Jacob Vyse & Findlay Douglas, coxed by Samantha Cassidy
• Men's Restricted 2 Single Sculls: Jacob Vyse
• Men's Junior 15 Quadruple Sculls: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Eilidh Matthew

From Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May, ASRA athletes joined 4,000 junior rowers from all over the U.K. to take part in the annual National Schools' Regatta at the English National Watersports Centre in Nottingham. Against a background of a whole series of spectacular medal-winning performances, special mention has to be made of ASRA's Junior 15 Boys' Four which not only won gold and with it the prestigious Mariners Cup, but also shattered the record for their event which had stood for the last 14 years by an almost unbelievable 6 seconds.

Gold

• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Ross Napier

Silver

• Men's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Alistair Frost, Andrew Main, Lawrence Jennings & George Turner, coxed by Sam Cassidy

Bronze

• Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Sade Igweke & Sam Cassidy
• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson, coxed by Sam Cassidy
• Men's Championship Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Lewis McCue & Elliot Bruce

Commiserations to our Men's Junior 14 Quadruple Scullers whose race was called off for safety reasons and our newly formed Women's Junior 16 Pair - Cara Napier & Erynn Fraser - who were unfortunate enough to be drawn in the semi final that produced the eventual winners of the event.

Our thanks as always to the parents and friends who travelled all the way to Nottingham to help with transport and to support our efforts on the water.

At the Aberdeen & North East Regatta on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May, ASRA retained the Championship of the Dee yet again. Regatta Secretary Dr. Ron Wallace said:

"Another spectacular victory for ASRA. With no other junior clubs in attendance, maximum points were guaranteed in all the junior events which ran.

Purely as an exercise, I re-ran the calculations excluding all Junior and Veteran events. This is not the agreed way of calculating the victor ludorum but the modified figures, below, show that ASRA were deserving victors having clearly triumphed in the open events as well."

At the Strathclyde Park Regatta, Motherwell, on the 27th & 28th April, a strong ASRA contingent equalled last year's haul of 13 gold medals and took home a total of 6 silver medals to boot.

The gold medal wins came in the following categories:

• Women's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson, coxed by Isaac Ratcliffe-Smith
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Amelia Donovan & Erin Wyness
• Women's Junior 16 Coxed Fours: Joanna Cassidy, Katherine Lawrie, Erynn Fraser & Charlotte Davie, coxed by Isaac Ratcliffe-Smith;
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Sade Igweke, Eilidh Matthew, Katie McLennan & Samantha Cassidy, coxed by Cara Leslie
• Men's Open Coxless Fours: Lewis McCue & Elliot Bruce with Gary Wilson and Henry Gieseler of Aberdeen Boat Club
• Men's Restricted 2 Eights: Alistair Frost, George Turner, Andrew Main, Jacob Vyse, Nicholas Read, Gregor Pittendreigh, Lawrence Jennings & Leo McKeever , coxed by Charlotte Davie
• Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lewis McCue, Nicholas Read, Jacob Vyse & Elliot Bruce, coxed by Ross Napier
• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Gregor Duncan, Nick Read, Michael Brown & Elliot Bruce
• Men's Junior 18 Coxless Pairs: Lewis McCue & Elliot Bruce
• Men's Junior 16 Eights: Gregor Duncan, Alistair Frost, George Turner, Michael Brown, Andrew Main, Lawrence Jennings, Ollie Kinghorn & Leo McKeever, coxed by Charlotte Davie
• Men's Junior 15 Coxed Fours: Gregor Duncan, Alex McGrath, Ollie Kinghorn & Gregor Pittendreigh, coxed by Ross Napier
• Men's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Jacob Turner & Hamish Dunnett

Silver went to ASRA athletes in Men's Open Single Sculls, Men's Junior 18 Single Sculls, Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours, Men's Junior 16 Coxless Pairs, Women's Novice Quadruple Sculls & Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls.

At the Gent Spring International Regatta on the 13th and 14th April, crews from the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association won 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals over the two days of the competition.

Saturday

Gold

• Men's Junior 18 Coxed Fours: Lewis McCue, Michael Brown, Jacob Vyse & Elliot Bruce, coxed by Sam Cassidy
• Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Sade Igweke & Sam Cassidy
• Men's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Jacob Turner, Calum Bird, Hamish Dunnett & Alex Brown, coxed by HenryTawse

Silver

• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson

Sunday

Gold

• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amelia Donovan, Erin Wyness, Morven Shaw & Eilidh Thomson
• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Alistair Frost, George Turner, Lawrence Jennings & Andrew Main
• Women's Junior 14 Coxed Quadruple Sculls: Sade Igweke, Katie McLennan, Carly McCready & Sam Cassidy, coxed by Isaac Ratcliffe-Smith

Silver

• Men's Junior 16 Coxless Fours: Gregor Duncan, Ollie Kinghorn, Alex McGrath & Gregor Pittendreigh

Bronze

• Men's Open Pairs: Lewis McCue & Gary Wilson (ABC)
• Women's Junior 18 Coxless Fours: Amy Fraser, Katherine Lawrie, Ginny Douglas & Jessica Walker

Not to be outdone, ASRA coaches, Henry Gieseler and Gary Wilson, representing Aberdeen Boat Club, won brilliant golds in Men's Under 23 Pairs on both Saturday and Sunday as well as a hard fought silver in Men's Open Pairs on the Saturday.

On Saturday 16th February at the Inverness Eights and Small Boats Heads, ASRA recorded 3 category wins in the Eights competition and 4 in the Small Boats races.

Division 1

• Open Junior 18 Eights (and second fastest men's crew overall): Elliot Bruce, Jacob Vyse, Alistair Frost, George Turner, Andrew Main, Michael Brown, Lawrence Jenning & Erin Wyness, coxed by Eilidh Matthew
• Women's Junior 16 Double Sculls: Katherine Lawrie & Cara Napier
• Open Junior 14 Double Sculls: Jacob Turner & Hamish Dunnett
• Women's Junior 18 Pairs: Ellenya Smith & Amelia Donovan

Division 2

• Open Junior 16 Eights (and second fastest men's crew in Divison 2): Alistair Frost, George Turner, Andrew Main, Michael Brown, Lawrence Jenning, Adam Stelmaszyk, Gregor Pittendreigh & Gregor Duncan, coxed by Ross Napier
• Women's R2 Eights (and second fastest women's crew in Division 2, 0.1 seconds behind Women's Open winners, a St. Andrew Boat Club/Clyde composite): Amelia Donovan, Clara Douglas, Erin Wyness, Ruth Bryce, Ellenya Smith, Jessica Walker, Cara Napier & Katherine Lawrie, coxed by Angelika Burzyk
• Women's Junior 14 Double Sculls: Samantha Cassidy & Sade Igweke

On Saturday 9th February at the Aberdeen Eights Head of the River, there were unfortunately no Junior entries from outside Aberdeen. Our ASRA athletes put up creditable performances however against quality Senior opposition to come second in both the Women's and Men's Open Eights.

• Women's Open Eight: Charlotte Davie, Cara Napier, Katherine Lawrie, Ellenya Smith, Clara Douglas, Eilidh Thomson, Erin Wyness & Amelia Donovan, coxed by Henry Tawse
• Men's Open Eights: Rhys Hunter, Elliot Bruce, Nick Read, Andrew Main, Lawrence Jenning, Jacob Vyse, George Turner & Alistair Frost, coxed by Carly McCready

Our hearts must go out to our Junior Girls in particular as they had to compete with the official Aberdeen Under 23 Squad Eight, which includes no fewer than 7 ASRA FPs, all of whom were National Schools' and British Champions during their time with the club.

On Sunday 20th January at the Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships held at the Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, our ASRA athletes put up a series of excellent performances in both the individual and team events to win a total of 4 gold medals, 2 silver and 3 bronze.

Gold

• Women's Under 15 and the Trophy for the "Fastest Junior Woman Overall": Cara Napier (Robert Gordon's College)
• Women's Under 16: Eilidh Thomson (Aberdeen Grammar School)
• Men's Under 18 Team Event: Jacob Vyse (Aberdeen Gramnmar School), George Turner (Cults Academy), Andrew Main (Cults Academy) & Alistair Frost (Hazlehead Academy)
• Mixed Under 15 Team Event: Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead Academy), Gregor Duncan (Cults Academy), Cara Napier ( Robert Gordon's College) & Jessica Walker (Hazlehead Academy)

Silver

• Men's Under 16: George Turner (Cults Academy)
• Women's Under 18 Team Event: Eilidh Thomson (Aberdeen Grammar School), Joanna Cassidy (Cults Academy), Amelia Donovan (Robert Gordon's College) & Clara Douglas ( Albyn School)

Bronze

• Men's Under 14: Calum Bird (Albyn School)
• Men's Under 15: Gregor Pittendreigh (Hazlehead Academy)
• Men's Under 15 Team Event: Adrian Thomson (Torry Academy), Calum Bird (Albyn School), Alex Brown (Aberdeen Grammar School) & Hamish Dunnett (Aberdeen Grammar School)

Creditable fourth positions went to Molly McAra (WJ13), Sade Igweke (WJ14), Andrew Main (MJ16) and Jacob Vyse (MJ18).