On Saturday 28th February over 40 GMS rowers competed on the Avon, just west of Bath.
This year’s Avon Spring Head event took place on a glorious spring day with a river that was rowable.
It was an early 5.50 am start for the rowers in oreder to reach the site in good time.
Rewards came with the Year 10 Girls’ Quad winning their event, which was particularly good against a City of Bristol crew who came in second who have the benefit of rowing on the water all year round: no flooding to contend with.
The senior Boys’ Quad came second just over a second behind Monkton Combe School on their home water. Scarlet Spear and Natalia Kearey competed in the 1100m division and enjoyed their race.
The midday division, had the senior boys racing in a Four, which has been the boat they have been focusing on this season.
The Boys’ Four were racing in open (adult) event as the J18 Fours were in the earlier division. They won their event by a considerable margin, but importantly, beat the Winchester J18 Four (winners of J18) by over 30 seconds.
The Girls’ Double, performed well with a strong performance from Elise Whyte and Kayla Shillito in WJ18 2x coming 3rd. Rugile Banuilaityte and Edee Somers raced a year up with the J16s came 2nd.
The Year 11 rowing in a Four came third.
Sadly, the Year 11 Eight had an incident with a tree, in the afternoon session, so did not perform, but the Year 11 Girls’ Quad had a happier race coming second.
The Year 9 boys and girls were racing the 1100m course. The lack of time on the water, given river conditions at home, meant this was as much about getting them more time training as winning races. They had very strong opposition from local crews, who have had much better access to the water in the last three months. They all enjoyed the chance to compete in the spring sunshine and came off much less wet and bedraggled than their last time out at Wycliffe.
A really good day out for the squad and a big thank you to all the parents transporting their rowers down to Bath.
Winners WJ15 4x+
- Rugile Banulaityte
- Edee Somers
- Lily Powell
- Anna Brown
- Cox Olivia Griffiths
Winners J18 4+
- Valere Ivers-Dreux
- Euan Speare
- Connor Quann
- Archie Gentry
- Cox Theo Harper
