Trent treble for Peterborough City Rowing Club's Dennis family
There was a Trent treble for the Dennis family members of Peterborough City Rowing Club.
City sent a strong team to compete in the ‘Head of the Trent’ event in Nottingham. It was the first big competition since August for many thanks to some shocking weather conditions.
The Dennis team all had help with father Robert, an NHS consultant surgeon, part of a successful Masters E crew. His crewmates were Keith Blackman, Jack Ward, Jonathan Ibbott, Steve Tuck, Al Ryder, Karl Stapleton, Tom Miller and cox Ericha Knowles-Pardoe.
Daughter Emma Dennis had already secured her first place finish in the girls under 18 quad scull race.
Emma was joined by Jasmin Chesher, Emma Calver and Olivia Agyapong and they won their seven-crew event comfortably They beat their nearest opposition, Royal Chester, by 44 seconds. Robert Dennis coached this crew.
George Dennis was part of a winning J15 quad alongside Matas Lebed, Adam Waller and Charlie Whitty. They are coached by Kev Benton and Tim Jeffries-Harris.
The crew featured three rowers in their second year of competitive rowing and, in just his first season, and at his first ‘Head’ race’, newcomer Adam Waller scored an impressive first win of his rowing career.
City’s second girls under 18 quad placed fifth and enjoyed the thrill of catching and overtaking another club in the ‘Head’ race format in which crews start at 15-second intervals.
The crew was Evelina Xanthopoulou, Florence Lilywhite, Charlotte Revell and Kaia Campo and are also coached by Robert Dennis. Both girls’ crews’ range in age from 16 to 18.
City’s under 18 boys raced in the Open Development eights class and finished a creditable second of five in their category behind a Cambridge college crew.
Three returning athletes from last year’s crew featured in the line-up, which included some members new to ‘sweep oar’ rowing this year.
The crew is still in its selection phase and expected to come on for the experience in Nottingham, having lacked a long competitive race this season.
The crew was Oliver Barber, Harry Evison-Williams, Sergio Read Moreira Lima, Tom Revell, James Goodchild, Matthew Baker, Ewan Stanley, Roland Christopher and cox James Barber (cox). Al Ryder is the coach.
The club’s fastest boat of the day was an Open Championship quad scull, a composite of rowers from clubs across East Anglia, East Midlands and the North-West.
City were represented by Ian Palmer, who stroked the quad, which is Masters eligible, but was seeking tougher competition in the Open category.
They placed second overall against the younger crews and would have beaten all other Masters by over 40 seconds.
City’s Senior Men’s eight had already opened their account for the season at Quintin Head on the Tideway in London, placing second in their category and 57th of 300 overall.
New Peterborough chair Tracey Rushton-Thorpe coxed this crew.