TPA and Bravehearts are ready to Monster The Loch
SOME of Guernsey’s top rowers will be eyeing records on Loch Ness this Saturday after concluding the domestic season with a finish for the ages.
Two men’s quads, the brand-new Loch Ness Bravehearts and rampant winners TPA, ended up sharing an outright record after rowing Saturday’s end-of-season RAFA race in the exact same time of 35min. 38sec.
Bravehearts had started 14sec. ahead due to the race’s handicap format, but incredibly the gap remained as both crews rowed exactly 1sec. faster than Geomarine’s marker for the 8.2km course, set in 2010.
Ahead of both crews lining up for the 35km Monster The Loch this weekend, Guernsey Rowing Club captain and Bravehearts member Ben Vaudin reflected on the unusual result.
‘I do not recall it ever having happened before,’ he said.
‘We have had crews finish at the same time, in handicap or championship races, but having them both finish fastest boat of the day in exactly the same time and both beat the record is pretty special.
‘We are really pleased with the performance.’
The other Bravehearts were Sam de Kooker, Paul Pearce, Matt Ashworth and cox Nicky Will.
Conditions proved favourable, which helped Le Mont Saint Ladies obliterate the women’s quads record by more than 3min.
They had come in just after the two men’s powerhouses with an actual time of 42-56.
The first three boats across the line in the handicap race had been the quads of Geomarine,
Albany Trustee and TCS Tide Chasers.
Geomarine’s victory continued an excellent run of form that included winning the three-day Home Regatta.
Impressively, Chris McClean had made the top five in rowing a new fixed-seat singles boat – these are now a very rare sight.
‘Really exciting racing and a great way to finish the season,’ Vaudin said after also welcoming along the RAF 201 Squadron for the occasion.
‘I probably couldn’t have asked for a better race to finish the season on.’
But now all eyes are on Saturday’s epic, where the two record-sharing quads will be joined by fellow powerhouses the Loch Ness Monsters.
‘We are really excited about what we might be able to achieve when we go over there,’ Vaudin added.
‘I know TPA are going up there and aiming to beat the class record.
‘The main focus, aside from racing each other, will be to beat the Jersey crews – we’ve just got to make sure we do a job on the Jersey crews.’
Given that a Team GB eight turned up in 2019 and set a practically unreachable record, he is playing down any hopes of an overall victory – for now.
