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CADGWITH JUNIOR SQUAD

Under 14 County Gig Championships 2008

See photos from 2008 at Hayle

Cadgwith Gig Club have regained the Under 14 County Championship title after a five year wait, having previously won it in 2003. They are one of only two clubs to have won the title twice, the other being Salcombe Gig Club in Devon.

The Championship, hosted superbly by Hayle Rowing Club on Saturday 2nd August, took place as usual on the Copperhouse Pool in bright conditions – though with a steady headwind on the racecourse.

24 crews Clubs from clubs all over the south west entered, with the final three crews having raced a total of five races, each on average just over 4 minutes in duration.

The Final proved to be an exciting match of concentration, technique and power between Cadgwith in the 1987 gig William Peters, and Helford in Fly (built 1993) with the crews neck and neck half way down. Both crews had won all their previous heats. One mistake, like a ‘crab’ or a footrest coming loose would have cost half a length. However it was Cadgwith who slowly pulled away to win the 2008 Open County Gig Championships.

The crew were : stroke : Harry Preston; second stroke : Charlie Samuel; Sam Davies; James Fitzsimmons; Wil Drysdale; bow : Ollie Williams. The Cox and Coach was Jeb Preston

The Cadgwith ‘B’ crew (called Cadgwith ‘2’ at the Champs ) did really well getting through to the second round. For many of them it was there first taste of racing.

So this was a brilliant effect, WELL DONE to : Heydon Dark, Paul Preston, Tommy Phillips, Robbie Green, Jo Davies , Jake Woodley,and Paddy Alfrey Cryan.

See photos from 2008 at Hayle

August 2006 Report by Jeb Preston

Junior rowing came to an end last month with the racing squad once again having performed strongly through the season. Competition in this age range (16 and under) is now stiffer than ever, we were delighted in early July by the newly fledged U14s with their semi final result at the County Champs at Hayle.

For the Under 16 crew it was always going to be a challenge, there being only five rowers at the top age; but this was where the commitment of their younger crewmates paid off and in the Tribute League series they scored 4th place out of 34 clubs overall ! The older guys were David Oates (a veteran from our winning U14 Championship crew of 2003) , Gareth Mason, Caspar Dorkin, Rob Carey, and Gary Hill; and helping them out variously in the league series were 12 yr old Harry Preston, and 13/14 yr olds Ed Langley, Ben and Jo Edgerley and John Fleetwood.

John deserves special mention because he went on to row bow position at the Under 16s Championships at Newquay held on 23rd July. On a blistering day the crew worked their way steadily through the rounds. We knew Padstow and Par were powerful crews, and with only 4 places up for grabs in the prestigious Final it would be a close call. In the semi finals it was the two winners plus the two fastest losers to go through, so we knew we were racing the clock. Luckily we had done plenty of that in training: Parn Voose, or Polgwidden out around the ‘sewer’ buoy and back, off Kilcobben. In the event we stormed round behind Padstow with the second fastest time for a place in the Final: a great feeling.

The four borrowed gigs being used were Azook, Teazer, Fly and… our very own Rose. I said, jokingly, to the boys “ what’s the betting..: outside berth in Rose.”

We were concerned because unfortunately some of the footrests are loose, and guess what? Berth 4 in Rose, and yes the number 3 footrest kicked out (not the no’ 2 which we’d carefully tied in!); it cost us a closer race with Falmouth, but overall it was a rewarding day’s sport finishing only one position down on last year’s 3rd place.

Final positions: 1st Padstow 2nd Par 3rd Falmouth 4th Cadgwith.

Coxing and training the Junior race crews again this year was…well, me, (Jeb Preston); and thanks must go to Martin Russell who has kept up the interest of the rest of the squad who couldn’t always commit to the race circuit.

August 2006
On Saturday 15 July two crews were entered at the Under 14 County Champs at Hayle Copperhouse. The girls crew improved on last year making it to the 2nd round; the crew is made up of: Bow :Martha Harry, Hannah Blight Anderson, Alex Day Smith, Rosie Reeve, Lily Vallender and stroke:Cath Day Smith.

The boys crew found themselves with a full-on day as their energy took them through to the semi-finals. They had only formed as a crew 3 weeks earlier - 2 had never raced, being new to gig rowing. Luckily the ‘Bandit’ was still available ( a plastic flash-boat on loan privately from Mts Bay) and some concentrated sessions were ‘transferred’ into the gig. The crew were bow: Laurence Mesropians; 2: Goran Lyne; 3: George Harry; 4: Sam Davies; 5: Harry Preston; stroke: Ed Langley.

Final top 6 positions: 1st Helford; 2nd Padstow; 3rd Scillies; 4th Salcombe; 5th: Cadgwith; 6th: Penryn, out of 30 crews taking part.

2005 Under 16's championships at Newquay ... the lads were 3rd overall

Well done !! To see photos please go to JUNIORS PHOTOS

2003 UNDER 14'S COUNTY CHAMPIONS!