Conditions were relatively calm for the opening time trials on Friday but became a little livelier for the first set of finals on Saturday afternoon and the remaining knockout rounds on Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, the waves had built up dramatically. With two of the six finals planned for the day completed, racing was postponed part-way through the Under 19 (U19) Women鈥檚 double sculls ‘Last 8’ until the following day.

Finishing second on the medal table ended GB鈥檚 most successful World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals ever. All GB boats made it through the Time Trials to the head-to-head racing with the team claiming an historic gold medal in the U19 Mixed double sculls plus an additional three silver and two bronze medals.

After coming second in the time trial on Friday by just 0.42 seconds, the U19 Mixed double of Isabel Lancaster (Bradford ARC) and Jonathan Martini (City of Bristol RC) had a long wait until they could race again in the ‘Last 8’ on Monday. Once they took to the water again, they were challenged hard by Ireland in their quarter final, who wore away at the GB crew’s 3.29 second advantage at the turning buoy. GB held them off, though winning by just 1.55 seconds after a frantic final sprint up the beach. In the semi-final, the GB crew was down on Tunisia at the turn, but caught up on the return leg to win by 2.13 seconds. The final was full of drama! GB had a lead as the two crews headed back to the beach but disaster struck when they capsized. They were near enough the shore that Martini was able to run through the waves, but the Americans had caught up and just managed to hit the buzzer first. However, they were then awarded a 30 second penalty for going the wrong way round a buoy, so GB were announced the winners. Isabel Lancaster had finished fourth in the U19 Women’s double at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Saundersfoot, Wales last year.

Fresh from winning gold at the first Coupe de la Jeunesse Beach Sprints last weekend, the U19 Women’s double of Summer Harlow (Exeter RC) and Leah Saunders (Evesham RC) got off to an excellent start here by winning their Time Trial. They then beat Cyprus in the quarter final and Spain in the semi-final to reach the A final, taking the silver medal behind the home crew, both of whom had also represented Italy earlier in the summer in the eight at the classic-format World Rowing Under 19 Championships.

After coming fourth in the Mixed doubles Time Trial, Laura McKenzie (Leander Club) and Sam Scrimgeour (Glasgow RC) had a photo finish with Tunisia in the quarter final but were declared the winners by 0.1 seconds. They went on to beat the home crew in the semi-final. In the final, they led New Zealand for most of the race but were knocked off course by a wave and ended up with a longer run on the beach. This enabled the Kiwis to make up ground and hit the buzzer 2.82 seconds ahead of GB. This was nevertheless a strong silver after some great beach sprint racing.

James Morgan (Deal Walmer and Kingsdown ARC) and Melissa Shaw (Shoreham RC) won silver in the inaugural PR3 Mixed doubles. In the semi-final, the GB crew reached the buzzer on the beach 0.73 seconds ahead of Italy, but in the final, the ‘grain of sand’ margin was reversed with GB finishing just 0.64 seconds behind Australia, who had beaten them in the Time Trial by 6.22 seconds.

European Champion Evelyn Pakule (Lea RC) finished third in the U19 Women’s solos Time Trial behind the USA and Tunisia. She beat Turkey very comfortably in the next round, and Italy by a good margin in the quarter final. In the semi-final she came up against the reigning World Champion from Tunisia who came out on top and went on to win the World U19 title for a third year in a row. Evelyn then won the bronze medal race against Egypt to add World bronze to her European gold.

The U19 Men’s double of Ben Snoxall (Reading RC) and Bear Cochrane (King鈥檚 School Canterbury BC) won their repechage over Cyprus by over 20 seconds and beat Ireland by even more in the quarter final. After losing to Ireland in the semi-final by 3.86 seconds, they produced an excellent performance in the bronze medal final to win over Spain by 1.83 seconds.

The Mixed quad had a tough quarter final draw against the USA. GB had a great race, leading to the turn and being the first boat back at the beach but they were agonisingly beaten in the sprint to the line. USA went on to win gold.

In the Under 19 Men’s solos, Hector Harvey (Radley College BC/Jersey RC) was also knocked out in the quarter finals, losing to the eventual bronze medallist from Tunisia.

Clare Jamison (Christchurch RC) finished fourth in one of the two Time Trials for the Women’s solos, and won her knockout round against Czechia before losing to Ireland in the quarter final. The GB Men’s solo, Gregor Hall (St Andrews University BC/Stirling RC), lost at the knockout stage to New Zealand.

Full results

Photos: James Lee.

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Having won the CJW1x time trial on Saturday, Evelyn had a long wait until Sunday afternoon鈥檚 semifinal and final, by which time conditions had picked up substantially with large waves creating a significant challenge.

Evelyn Pakule with coach Yewande Adesida.

Coming into the final stages of the semifinal, Evelyn trailed the Spanish sculler by two lengths but the Spaniard clipped a buoy, enabling Evelyn to come through. In the final she recorded a comfortable win over the Italian sculler.

Sam聽Scrimgeour and Laura McKenzie are helped to get off to a great start by the boat handlers

The CMix2x of Sam Scrimgeour and Laura McKenzie, from Glasgow RC and Leander Club, who won gold for Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Beach Sprint Regatta, also won their time trial. However, they came unstuck in Sunday’s conditions when they were capsized by a wave whilst leading France, the eventual winners, in the semifinal. Their eventual placing was fourth, after losing to Italy in the bronze medal race, but they cam e away from the weekend with some useful learning for the upcoming World Beach Sprint Finals.

Claire Jamison of Christchurch RC, who won silver in the CMix2x at last years World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Saundersfoot raced here in the CW1x. She finished fifth in the time trial but in the quarter finals went round one of the running flags the wrong way on the final beach sprint after leading off the water, so although she crossed the line first, a penalty meant she was eliminated. Her opponent from Ireland went on to win a bronze, so her performance suggests that Clare should be challenging the leading contenders at the World Finals.

James cox sprints to his boat

James Cox of Agecroft RC/Queen鈥檚 Park High School RC, who was the silver medalist in CJM1x in Saundersfoot last year made his senior debut here in the CM1x. James is the team reserve, and stepped in for Gregor Hall who was unavailable for the event. James performed admirably, coming second in the time trial and eventually losing out only narrowly in a sprint to the line in the quarter finals to the eventual silver medalist from the Czech Republic.

CJM1x Hector Harvey from Radley College BC, who鈥檚 a resident of Jersey and has been training out of Jersey RC in the lead up to the event, had a good first beach sprint championships, coming fourth in the time trial and losing out narrowly in the quarter finals.

Jonny Martini and Izzy Lancaster sprint out form the beach.

The CJMix2x of Jonny Martini from City of Bristol RC and Izzy Lancaster of Bradford ARC finished narrowly behind Ireland in the last 16 after a very close race. But drama ensued when Ireland were initially disqualified after rowing off the course when they were turned by a wave, putting the GB聽 crew through to the quarter finals. However the decision against Ireland was later downgraded to a yellow card meaning GB weren鈥檛 able progress. However some good experience for a new crew as they now prepare for the World Finals in a month’s time.

European Rowing Coastal Championships and Club Coastal Championships

A number of other GB crews raced in the national federation and club endurance (4km or 6km) coastal events, including Charles Cousins, Jerry Owen and Natacha Season, who will race in the Mixed coxed quad at the World Rowing Beach Sprint finals in Barletta, Italy starting on 30 September. These athletes travelled with the team and raced in singles here to get in some extra coastal practice because the European Beach Sprints programme didn’t include a quad event. Charles Cousins won the bronze medal in the Coastal men’s solo.

European Coastal Championships results

European Club Coastal Championships results

Photos: James Lee

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