Putney Town Rowing Club

“The following crews have qualified for the Thames Challenge Cup” comes across the tannoy…

“Lea… London B… London C…”

We wait patiently for the alphabetical list to be announced.

“Maidstone… Molesey… Monmouth… Mortlake…”

How many clubs begin with M? When will we get to the P’s in the alphabet? Have we done enough to qualify?

“Putn…” and before the announcer has finished his words the crew is roaring with celebration and drowning out the announcer.

Another fabulous result for Putney Town!

The men’s squad were racing both days at Marlow Regatta this weekend and delivered some respectable performances and one win.

In the 2000m races on the Saturday, the 8+ got through to the semi-finals with a time of 6:12.96. Meanwhile, in the 1000m races on the Sunday, the 4+ went a step further and came home with a win beating worthy competition from from Twickenham RC and Marlow RC along the way.

After Kosta’s move to England In 2008 he returned to international rowing by entering the World Cup at Munich. He achieved a creditable 13th place overall, winning the C final in the LWT1x class, improving his previous world standing from 18th.

Under the tutelage of his coach Allan Whitwell and working with his sparring partner Paul Hamblett, he has been working hard to lift it up a level and have been showing real signs of improvement. They have been training hard out of Putney Town on the tideway and at the National rowing centre in Nottingham. Following a two week training camp on the river Lot in the south of France he rowed to his first victory on Saturday, with Paul Hamblett coming in a very close second: -

(continue reading…)

Two weeks on from the Women’s eights head race, it was the Men’s turn to complete the classic tideway course from Mortlake to Putney.

Blessed with weather not normally associated with the HoRR, two men’s crews were entered from Putney Town, with a third ‘old timers’ crew racing in the Vet’s Head on Sunday after losing out on to the entry lottery.

(continue reading…)

The weekend saw the biggest Women’s Eights Head of the River Race ever seen on the tideway, with a number of international crews returning after the Olympics. Three crews from Putney Town raced the course and managed to avoid the forecast miserable weather that subsequently lashed the Hammersmith head the next day.

Particularly worth mentioning were crew ‘B’ finishing third in category just ten seconds behind the category winner.

(continue reading…)

Congratulations to both the mixed vets and the women’s squad this past week for successes at Weybridge and Quintin Heads.

Kosta and Emma won mixed vets doubles at Weybridge Head [results] on the 17th Jan, and the women’s first 8+ won S3 8+ at Quintin Head on the 24th and came 4th overall [results].

Photo by Birdman Photography