Crews get wet (not just from rain)

MORE than 600 people braved heavy downpours to take part in the Wargrave and Shiplake Regatta on Friday and Saturday.

Competitors of all ages and abilities took to the River Thames at the end of Mill Lane, Shiplake, to race in dongolas, skiffs, canoes and punts in 30 categories.

They were cheered on by spectators on the bank, many of whom had put up gazebos to protect themselves from the rain.

One of the first crews to race, The Boathouse Shorts, was also one of the youngest, comprising Maddy Bower, three, Isabel Bower, five, Ooryala Geoghegan, five, Anabella Fowler, nine, William Kipling, 11, and Laura Bower, 42.

They took part in the under-12 dongala race and came third out of three.

William, who had also competed last year, said: “It was quite hard.” Isabel said: “My mum could not steer us.”

Mrs Bower said: “It was absolutely exhausting. I was very proud of everyone. It’s a very long way when you’ve got a young crew. At the beginning, I splashed Maddy and she said: ‘You ruined my life’.”

The crew wore T-shirts with their team logo on it, which had been made when Mrs Bower was a child.

She has been to the regatta her whole life, as did her mother before her, making her children the third generation of the family to compete.

Mrs Bower said: “I love that it’s a family event and if you just want to have fun you can and if you are a serious competitor it’s serious as well. It’s open and accessible to all.”

The runners-up were the Rainbow Paddlers, made up of Lotte Burge, 11, Oscar Peacock, seven, Freya Watson, eight, Sophie Snape, nine, Henry Snape, nine, and Chad Burge, 46.

Their name was inspired by Freya’s multi-colour tutu and the whole crew wore colourful clothing. Oscar said: “In our practice we saw blackberries on the bank.” Sophie said: “We are getting paid in KitKats.”

Lotte also competed with her father in double punting in canoes, winning their first race.

She said: “It was my first time punting. We didn’t fall in on the way up or the way down. My legs have only just stopped wobbling.”

Mr Burge said: “It was a bit of a wobble-fest on the way down.” The family live in Lewes but always come to the regatta. Mr Burge said: “My dad grew up here and went in for it and when I was young I went in for it and now it’s a family tradition.”

Ellie Dawes and Holly Askew, both 15, were dressed as Barbies, inspired by the hit film. for their ladies’ double punting in canoe race. Holly had competed last year but Ellie was a regatta novice.

They were beaten by Lucy Blomfield, 18, from Shiplake, and Minnie Fisher, 17, from Binfield Heath, who were dressed as nuns. The girls had both competed before but never together.

Lucy said: “It was really fun. We did not expect to get past the first round.”

The girls fell in during their second race, so it was restarted only for them to fall in again.

Lucy said: “We could hear everyone laughing. It was mainly down to my poor steering so I was disappointed in myself. ”

She said that she loved attending the regatta, adding: “I’ve been going my whole life. It’s that one time of year everyone gets together. All my primary school friends were there and we get to reconnect.”

Sisters Corinne Peacock and Deborah Templing competed against each other in the double punting in canoes race. They were accompanied by their husbands, Jon Peacock and Francis Templing. “So there’s no rivalry at all,” joked Mr Templing.

Mr and Mrs Templing met at the regatta more than 30 years ago.

He said: “In 1991 her partner dropped out and her mum asked my mum if I could stand in and that’s how we met. Now we’re married and we’ve got two kids all because of this event. Every year we take part.” Brothers Thomas, 11, and William Leppard, nine, from Wargrave, were taking part for the first time. They competed in the side by side dinghy with their father Chris coxing.

The boys’ mother Christine said: “It’s the first time we’ve been. It’s a lovely day. For two small villages to have an event like this with 300-odd races is amazing. It’s such a nice thing to do in the community.”

Jo Hall, one of the organisers of the Wargrave Triathlon, helped to set up the regatta and was taking part in the swim on Saturday.

Her children Tabitha, 17, Molly, 15, Phoebe, 12, and Freya, nine, were taking part in 16 races between them.

Tabbie won the ladies’ and gentlemen’s skiffing with Phoebe as cox. She also made it to the grand dongola and ladies’ and gentlemen’s Canadian canoe final.

Molly won the girls’ and boys’ skiff and the Canandian canoe.

Freya won the under-12 side by side dinghy, with her friend Poppy Simmonds, 10. 

She said: “We’re regulars. It’s the highlight of our year. Our holidays are arranged around it.” Friends Seb Renwick-Forster, and Arthur Bottomley, both 13, competed in double punting in canoes but got stuck on the bank. They wobbled for several minutes without making much progress.

Arthur, who was dressed as a hotdog, bailed out of the boat and attempted to push it.

Seb said: “We’ve been training for the last five months and the pressure got to us.”

Arthur said: “I thought my sacrifice was the right idea.” Explaining his costume, he said: “I wore it to a disco and it caught on so I’ve worn it to every big event since then.”

The Paddling Peregrines, led by George Paddison, won the under- 12 dongala semi-final with his sons, Sam and Oscar, Thomas Hounsell, Cordelia Jackson and Izzy Welch, all eight.

The crew, from Wargrave, had rainbow paint on their faces and wore spikey rainbow hairbands. They paddled together by counting their stokes aloud in unison.

Mr Paddison said: “The kids all know each other from school. This is our second year at the regatta and we won last time. The kids all really enjoy it and they’re a super bunch.”

Team Speedy Gonzalez was narrowly beaten by Noah’s Ark in the junior dongola semi-final. Crewmates Ottie Kelly and Molly Hall, both 15, said they had been coming to the regatta since they were four years old.

They competed alongside friends Ed Harrison, Rory Bain, Joe Smith and Oscar Wybraw, all 15, and were dressed in matching hot pink T-shirts.

Cousins Oscar Pooley and Coco Hall, both 22, were among several “Islanders” from Shiplake Lock Island who competed.

The pair came second in the ladies’ and gentlemen’s canoe and were neck and neck with their rivals before capsizing metres from the finish line.

Mr Pooley said: “It was fantastic, so much fun.”

Charlie Pooley and his father Andrew came first in the double punting in canoes.

“I have been competing with my dad since I was seven and I’m 24 now.” said Charlie. “We’ve all grown up together on the island so it’s a nice family collective and we all grew up on the water so we love it.”

Fellow resident Danny Prior said: “We have been a part of the regatta and local community for decades. We make up 20 per cent of entrants but 90 per cent of finalists and semi-finalists.”

Carlton Barnard, chairman of the regatta committee, said: “We were extremely happy to see so many more people racing this year, specially in the junior categories which had really suffered due to covid.

“The weather on Saturday was the wettest any of us can remember the regatta being but this didn’t dampen the spirits of the competitors who put on some really good racing for the spectators who braved the downpours.

“We’re always extremely grateful for the support we get from numerous volunteers, attendees and subscribers and, of course, to the Doble family who kindly let us use their field.

“We’re looking forward to seeing everyone next year on Friday and Saturday, August 9 and 10.”