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Head of the Dart
THE Head of the Dart held on the river Dart
over a nine and a half mile course from Totnes to Dartmouth attracted a large
number of crews made up of eights, quadruple sculls, coxed fours, double sculls,
single sculls, coxless pairs, coastal quadruple sculls, coastal single sculls,
pilot gigs, a Seine boat and a K4 kayak from around the region, along the south
coast, the Midlands and the Thames. Additionally there was a large entry of
paddle boarders which made a mass start along with a K1 kayak and three
out-rigged canoes.
The weather was superb but with wind against tide the water was far from perfect
with very rough water creating tough rowing conditions.
A Men’s Masters C eight rowed by the Thames based Tyrian were overall winners of
the sixty-six finishers in a fast time of 45 minutes 48 seconds. Tyrian was
originally an elite club for the University of London Boat Club alumni but is
now open to all standards of rowers, both men and women, from UL colleges and
members of the public.
The second crew to finish was a Dart Totnes Men’s Senior C eight of Matt
Vincent, Alex Woodward, Elliott Legge, Tim Whittet, Sam Pettitt, Ben
Bryon-Edmonds, Meyrick Tooley, James Lovering and cox, Fiona Hollingsworth, who
finished in 47:25 followed by a Dart Totnes Men’s Masters E quadruple scull of
Mick Rolley, Peter Rouse, Nick Price and Ray Davis who finished in 50:00. Fourth
home and Men’s Senior A single sculls category pennant winner, was the region’s
top single sculler, Commonwealth Rowing gold medallist Elliot Barton, who
finished in an outstanding time for a single sculler of 51:07. Fifth overall and
Men’s Senior A coxed fours category winners were the Dart Totnes crew of Lewis
van Digele, Barnaby Stentiford, Grant Smith, Sam Smith and cox, Judith Rice, who
finished in 51:08.
Other South Devon category pennant winners were the Dart Totnes Men’s Senior C
double scull of Martin Burridge and Nick Moffat who were 7th overall in 53:15;
the Dart Totnes Men’s Novice single sculler Shaun Barker who was 21st overall in
58:43; the Dart Totnes Masters G single sculler Hugh Tubbs who won the Masters
Handicap pennant and was 30th overall in 59:47; the Dart Totnes Women’s Senior C
coxed four of Janet Richardson, Zoe Butcher, Mandy Larcombe, Nikki Pettit and
cox, Martina Hicks, who were 33rd overall in 1:00:51; the Dart Totnes Women’s
Senior C single sculler Rose Willoughby; and the Teign Scullers Women’s Coastal
double sculls crew of Morag Van Niekerk and Sandrine Haytread.
There was one incident when Steve Marshall of Southampton Coalporters, formerly
of Paignton, caught a crab which forced a blade handle into his head and
knocking him out.
After the event Steve placed the following comment on his Facebook page, “Head
of Dart resulted in a massive crab a self KO a trip in the Dartmouth lifeboat
and a paramedic car to Torbay hospital where after 2 hours they decide I'll be
fine oh joy and nothing from my grand national bets. Yea am fine.”
Thirty-two paddle boarders finished with Ryan James of Bournemouth winning in
1:20:24. Second home was Paul Simmons of Salcombe in 1:23:56 with Marie Buchanan
of Salcombe the first woman to finish in 1:36:58.
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