Historic win on the Thames for Peterborough City eight
A Peterborough City Rowing Club eight made history on Saturday when claiming the club’s first ever victory at the big Head of the River event on the Thames.
Racing over the Boat Race course from Putney to Mortlake, the Peterborough Open eight won the Small Club Pennant by over 40 seconds.
They completed the 6.8km course in an impressive 19:49.5 and that gave them 129th place overall out of the 300 men’s crews competing, which was distinctly better than their start position of 211th.
In the triumphant Peterborough boat were Damen Sanderson, Samuel Bates, Michael King, George Bushell, Jack Collins, George Wilson, Stuart Holmes, Christopher Elder and cox Thomas Calver.
On Sunday over the same Thames Championship Course it was the Veterans Head of the River race.
There were four Peterborough City eights competing and club members in two other boats and all acquitted themselves well.
Peterborough sculler Carole Hook joined forces with rowers from Furnivall to win the Women’s Masters B Eights category. They won by a clear margin of 35 seconds from Thames Rowing Club.
Peterborough scullers Ian Palmer and Steve Cranfield just missed out on a win by less than a second in their composite crew rowing with oarsmen from Leicester and Star Rowing Club. They were second with a commendable time of 20:48.
Peterborough’s Open Masters E eight of Keith Blackman, Steve Tuck, Jaishan Mahan , Bruce Margetts, Jim Burt, Graham Barks, Jack Ward, Alasdair Ryder and cox Tracey Rushton-Thorpe achieved an impressive seventh place out of the 34 crews in their category.
The Women’s Masters D Peterborough/Leicester eight of Anita Carter, Helen Wallace, Gail Parker, Sally Horrocks, Bridgitte Lloyd, Angela Holohan, Elizabeth Pulford, Hayley Marsters and cox Serena Ward came fourth in their category, finishing 158th overall.
Anne Grange, Sue Wallace, Jodi Peggs, Helen Lavelle, Jo Burton, Debbie Downes, Ann Casey, Debbie Hunt-Pain and cox Alex Kirkup did the club proud, finishing fifth out of 13 crews in the Women’s Novice eights category. They were just 16 seconds off a top three position.
The final Peterborough crew was the Masters D eight of George Nash, Francis Smith, Iain Cameron, Neil Elder, Stephen Ackerman, Kenny Low, Tim Jeffries-Harris, James Baile and cox John Canton and they placed 24th in their category.