HCS rowers performed well at Avon regatta and the Ball Cup races, finishing with a clutch of prizes and several notable performances in finals.

 

Leading the way over the 750 metre, multilane course were the newly formed composite crew from Hereford Cathedral School Boat Club and Hereford Rowing Club who took silver convincingly in J16 coxed quads.  Without any practice outings the crew gelled together well and despite a slow start managed to all but overhaul their opponents in the last few strokes to take the silver medal.

 

The crew, George Probert and Seb Smith (HCS), and James Coulson and Jonathan Greenhouse  with cox Ralph Edwards (HRC), then split into two for the final of J16 double sculls, both having eased through their semi-finals.  At half way there was nothing to seperate the two boats, neck and neck for second place.  At the finish HCS narrowly prevailed, the effort both crews making almost enough to overhaul the winning crew, so it was a second silver to HCS and a bronze to HRC.

 

Also contending in finals from Cathedral were the Junior Novice double of Chris Kent and Ralph Dickinson and the coxe J15 quad of Jack Smith, Calum Corbin, George Watkins and Will Boyd-Thomas with cox Stuart Adams.  Both crews suffered from slow starts and fought hard to make up lost ground - in the fours race all four crews overlapped at the finish with three boats in the cathedral boat's lane!

 

The Ball Cup is a long established event for rowing schools and was held this year at Dorney lake, the site for the London Olympic bid, on the following day.  Racing over 1,000 metres on the six-lane course was contested by a number of Hereford Cathedral School crews, although from a squad weakened by illness and exam preparation.

 

Marking HCS's first win of the year was the J15 double of Shay Preece and Georgie Pochin.  In perfect conditions, with a light tail wind, they sculled over the course unchallenged to receive their crystal tankard prizes as champions of this historic event.

 

Earlier on the J15 coxed quad of Jack Smith, Calum Corbin, George Watkins and Will Boyd-Thomas with cox Stuart Adams had pushed their tired legs from the previous day back into action, finishing second in their final.