Judging by the number of boats on the two trailers, Ross Rowing Club deployed most of their boat house for their 49 crews which were entered in to the Llandaff Regatta at the weekend, where they had great success.

There was the normal large contingent of juniors, this time supported by 10 crews from the men’s and ladies squads, making for a great whole club event. On Saturday, over the 1000m course, were wins for Emily Hermon in the girls aged 15 junior single scull and Charlie Manning in the boys aged 17 junior single scull events. Sunday brought even nicer weather and more wins over the 500m ‘sprint’ course. For the ladies squad, there was a win in the women’s masters’ coxless quad for Nikki Wolfenden and her 3 novice crew mates of Nicola Baker, Amanda Wood and Elizabeth (Buffy) Angier who, as a result, lost their novice status triggering a great rowing tradition of getting a ‘dunk’ in the water! This ladies crew provide a great foundation on which to build future competitive ladies crews in the club. The ladies were then joined by Elsa Sykes, Olivia Baynham-Williams, Sarah Sykes and Sheron Dean-Lucas in the women’s eight which, masterfully coxed by Sally Pettipher, also got gold. The club’s junior members, not to be outdone by the ladies, added five further wins to the tally. The Ross 16/17 year old boys of Manning, George Aubrey, Hugo Humphryes and Jayesh Punn who were rowing in a men’s event, won the open coxless quad beating the men of Bristol Ariel in the final by just half a boat length. Both Yasmin Howe and Ella Bardsley-Taylor won their aged 14 and 16 junior single scull events respectively and joining forces swept up another win in a double. Previously successful at the Hereford Regatta, the aged 14 mixed coxed quad of Jessie Punn, Islay Brevet, Tom Clatworthy and Charlie Pope, coxed by Emma Smith, was again too quick off the start for their opposition, the City of Swansea rowing club. For the juniors, Llandaff provided some great final race practice ahead of the British Rowing Junior National Championships.