Putney Town Rowing Club

The Putney Town women had a very successful day at Poplar Regatta, May 16, 2010. The racing crew was winning the Greenwich Challenge Cup, WIM2 8+ and the WIM3 8+ category. These wins build on a season of consistent training and a very enjoyable training camp in perfect conditions in Brive la Gaillard, Bordeaux, France, April 2010.

Putney Town winners of the Greenwich Challenge Cup, WIM2 8+ at Poplar Regatta, May 2010. From left: Sofia Nilsson, Amelia Smith, Louise Bartlett, Tuyet Wu (cox), Hayley Cripps, Julie Lewis, Elizabeth McLoughlin, Kelly Thomas and Kate de Bruyn.

The Putney Town men and women’s squads this year visited beautiful Brive la Gaillard in Bordeaux, France for its annual training camp in perfect rowing conditions. The venue and training facilities proved a success. The camp was conditioning both squads for the competitive season with races in regattas such as Wallingford, Metropolitan, Marlow and Reading. The men’s squad is looking to qualify again this year for the Thames Cup 8 at Royal Henley and the women focus on success at Henley Women’s Regatta and the National Championships.

Putney Town Men and Women on Training Camp 2010

Training Camp 2010, Brive la Gaillard

The first race of 2010 (that wasn’t cancelled due to poor weather) took place at the weekend, and we had good representation, and some notable success.

Well done to the girls – retaining the IM3 pennant for the 3rd year.

Pennant Winners - Women's IM3

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In late December, Putney Town spent a weekend training on the river Avon in Bath as guests of University of Bristol Boat Club. The cold weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the training group and lots of good work was done on the fantastic water, culminating in a piece with UBBC.

Pairs Head 2009 - Ants and Simo

Putney Town had a good turnout for the race that is for many the first significant race of the Head season.

The weather before the race had looked like truly epic head weather, with the wind whipping up the water and some predicting some involuntary swimming sessions. However, the tide turned and things calmed down a lot much to the relief of all the participants.

The club was well represented and had some good results:-

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Women's Lightweight Coxless Four bring home some medals

Putney Town women’s squad have brought some impressively shiny National Championships medals back to Mortlake after clinching bronze in the lightweight coxless four.

The crew started as a bit fun on training camp in Hazewinkle, Belgium, when coaches Tom Evens and Paul Keane decided to race the smaller four girls from the women’s first VIII (the skinnies) against the slightly bigger crew members (the heavies).

In a triumph against the odds, the skinnies took a win after finding an early rhythm. Thus the lightweight coxless four was born, both stroked and steered by Emma Wells, backed up by Hazel Tyldesley, Laragh Walton and Suzie Fairley.

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IM3 4+ Prizegiving at Kingston Regatta 2009

Putney Town was in action at Kingston Regatta this weekend. The club was well represented both on the water and on the banks with the PTRC ‘choir’ doing their best to drown out the competition.

We had singles, doubles, fours, quads, and eights from both men’s and women’s squads with two lots of rowing novices getting their first taste of racing at a regatta after joining the beginners rowing course earlier in the year.

The men had an eight in the finals and managed a win in IM3 coxed fours, after three rounds of racing. Ian, rowing at bow, writes: -

We were down half a length or so for most of the race until we approached the enclosure and with the roar of both clubs supporters ringing in our ears, we dug deep, wound it up and managed to inch inch inch up on Twickenham to win by 3ft! Epic race!

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Putney Town is running another beginners course, this time for women. This time of year must be the best time to learn to row, with the fine weather and numerous club events coming over the summer.

An open day is being held on Sunday 26th April at 1pm for interested women to look around the club. There will be a chance to to ask questions and have a go on a rowing machine - so do bring some suitable clothes along.

More information is available on the beginners rowing course page or you can contact Lucy Brennan on 07742 636 719 or email womenscaptain@putneytownrc.co.uk.

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.

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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