Sunny weather and triumphant grins graced the initial day of the 2025 British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships
The British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships 2025 commenced on Day 1 with sunshine and time trials, taking place at Knoll Beach in Studland. The competition, featuring new events including Mixed Coxed Quads, attracted rowers from various clubs across the UK and Ireland.
In the Coastal Open Solos, James Cox (Agecroft RC) clinched the top spot, while Marc, a Four Nations Series Championship winner, secured the victory in the Masters category. Peter Hardcastle, racing for Imperial Boat Club, put up a strong challenge but had to settle for silver, with Marc taking the gold. In the Masters category, Phil McCorry of Bexhill took the bronze medal, narrowly beating Colin Wallace of the University of St Andrews BC.
The younger age category of Coastal Open Junior and J16 Solos saw a thrilling race. Louie Walker of Christchurch RC took the gold medal, while Jack Hehir of Rosscarbery Rowing Club, who travelled all the way from West Cork in Ireland, secured the bronze. Dylan Balkwill of Hartpury University and College BC and Scott Maccallum of Stathclyde Park RC also earned medals, finishing in bronze and third place respectively.
The Mixed Coxed Quads event saw a composite crew from Fishguard and Goodwick Jemima RC, Tynemouth RC, and the University of London RC emerge victorious, marking the first Championship title in this event. Ollie Owen, a member of the Yorkshire Performance Development Academy, also participated in this event, enjoying the unique experience.
In the Coastal Women's Doubles, the Inverness / Molesey composite crew clinched the Championship title. The Exeter RC double of Eleanor Burke and Summer Harlow, who won the Coupe de la Jeunesse Beach Sprints in 2023, also took home medals in this event. Tash Phillips (University of London BC) and Adam Pritchard of Warrington RC secured the bronze medal.
The Coastal Open Student Solos saw Harris Bisset (University of St Andrews BC) take the gold medal, with Tom Walker finishing in silver. Rachel Dulai, Sustainability Lead for British Rowing, also participated in the Mixed Coxed Quads and expressed her enjoyment.
The British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships 2025 promises to be an exciting event, with more races and medals up for grabs in the coming days. Stay tuned for more updates!
