ROWING: With a smaller contingent than normal competing on the river Weaver at the Northwich Spring Head on Monday, Royal Chester crews collected eight class wins.
In the first division, David Pickering (Christleton High School) sculled over comfortably to win J15 single sculls, while the girls' J13 coxed quad of Helen King (Queen's School), Harriet Lewis (Queen's School), Willow Finch (Christleton) and Fiona Wynne (Christleton) coxed by Laura Whiteley (Queen's School) stormed home to win by nearly 40 seconds over the 2,300-metre course.
The second division only produced one winner, the J16 quad of Simon Pougher (Kingsway), David Pickering (Christleton), Chris Laudler (Christleton) and Andy Ditchfield (Christleton), but this was highly satisfying as they beat the Runcorn crew selected for the North West team to compete at the Junior Inter-Regionals Championships, by six seconds.
In the third and final division, an eight of mainly juniors gave an encouraging performance to be third overall, winning senior four class only six seconds behind local rivals Grosvenor RC's first eight, rowing in senior one class.
The veteran B quad of Paul Johnston, Tim Donovan, Steve Goodwin and Tim Birtwistle comfortably won their class, and then the juniors collected another three wins, in J15 double sculls - Andy Murphy (Christleton), Ollie Cocklin (QPHS), girls' J15 coxed quads - Lauren Phillips, Georgia Whiteoak, Alex Baker and Laura Whiteley (all Queen's School), coxed by Meg James (Birkenhead High School), and girls' J14 coxed quads which was, in fact, the girls' J13 crew with Zoe Humphrey (Bishops' High School) replacing Helen King and Harriet Laudler (Christleton).
