Cardiff and Vale Schools Rowing Academy (CVSRA) scullers attend annual regatta at Stratford-upon-Avon (From Penarth Times)

Cardiff and Vale Schools Rowing Academy (CVSRA) scullers attend annual regatta at Stratford-upon-Avon

7:20am Thursday 28th June 2012 in Sport

A SQUAD of 16 Cardiff and Vale Schools Rowing Academy (CVSRA) scullers recently attended the annual regatta at Stratford-upon-Avon held alongside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

With poor weather forecast, all participants were going to have to work hard, at times in awful conditions.

St Cyres pupil Matthew Jackson, aged 12, of Llandough, who won the U12s category last year, returned to compete in both the single and double scull events at U13s.

Starting off in the double, Matthew and his partner were drawn straight to the final, and after a restart due to their competitors veering off course in the strong winds and crashing into the CVSRA boat, the boys took an early lead and controlled the race, easing to victory.

The afternoon was difficult as the rain closed in. Matthew eased through the first two rounds of the singles event, sticking to his race plan of pushing hard off the start, gaining an early lead. The semi-final was a closer race but by half way down the 750m course, Matthew took the lead and conserved energy for the final.

With the final now looming, being Matthew’s 5th race of the day, it was time to dig deep and hope that the intense training sessions given by the coaches three times a week would pay off.

Against a strong sculler from Ross Rowing Academy, Matthew had his hardest race of the day. After the final bend Matthew was able to take his stroke rate up and pushed forward to win comfortably by two lengths. Matthew was presented with the Kings Trophy by Stratford-Upon-Avon’s Mayor.

Not to be outdone, his sister Stephanie, nine, of Llandough Primary School, stepped in to Cox the U14s boys quad in a straight final against Worcester Rowing Club.

In her first competitive race as a cox, with the rain now pouring, this race turned out to be the closest of the day. With both boats level after negotiating the bends of the river the final 200m straight was a race for the line. In literally the last few metres the CVSRA boat pulled ahead to win by just three feet.

The club also won in the U14 boys double sculls.

These successes followed the encouraging performances at the Ball Cup Regatta, which was held at the forthcoming 2012 Olympic rowing venue, Eton Dorney. Matthew’s U13 double crew came in a respectable 5th in the final out of an original field of 18. Five other CVSRA crews narrowly missed out on a place in the finals.

If you are interested in learning to row and would like further information, please contact Mike Hnatiw at Cardiff Bay Water Activity Centre, email: mhnatiw@cardiff.gov.uk for course details.

CVSRA will be competing at Llandaff Regatta on July 6 and 7. Good luck to all the competing crews and thank you to all the coaches for their continued hard work.