There were thrills and spills on the banks of the River Great Ouse in Bedford on Saturday 11 May at the 159th Bedford Amateur Regatta. Rowers, supporters, organisers and all who attended enjoyed a day of thrilling rowing, a friendly atmosphere and the heat of the spring sunshine on their backs – it was a wonderful social day for the Bedford School community and the town of Bedford.
Bedford Regatta is always one of the longest and toughest regatta days in the rowing calendar with racing starting for the school at 8:40am and finishing after 7.00pm, and this year was no different.
Around 130 boys, almost every boy in the school’s Boat Club, raced during the day. With 1,800 competitors taking part and 280 races over the course of the day, the river was buzzing with racing activity.
Also soaking up the ambiance, many for the first time, were a team of Prep School boys who took on a vital role on the Stake Boats. Their job was to lie on a floating pontoon and hold the racing boats steady so that they could get straight and ready for the umpire to start the race. They all appeared to enjoy the task, seeing lots of boats off on their way. At the same time, they got their first taste of the regatta, which puts them in a great position for when they start racing themselves next year.
The Senior squad had an excellent day, in particular the 1st VIII who beat Abingdon and Norwich twice to win both the J18 1st VIII and the ‘Grand Challenge 8’ – the premier event at the regatta.
The 3rd VIII beat Radley followed by Eton in two very close races. The 2nd 8 beat Latymer and then Radley in the final by just three feet. The Boat Club also won J18 coxed 4s.
However, racing was tough further down the school, with wins hard to come by for the J14, J15 and Colts squads.
- The J14 As won against Radley in their 1st round before losing to Hampton. The J14 Bs lost to Radley, the J14 Cs lost to Abingdon and the J14 Ds lost to St Pauls.
- The J15 As lost to Abingdon, although half the crew also racing in the coxed 4 won against Great Marlow before losing to Abingdon. The J15 Bs had a dramatic start after veering to the right and boat becoming lodged and unable to move, until Sam Miller climbed out of the boat to push it back into the water – unsurprisingly, they also lost.
- The J15 Cs lost to St Pauls.
- The Colts A lost a very good race against Latymer by half a length; this is another race that demonstrates the progress they are making. The Colts B lost to Abingdon.
We would like to thank everybody from the wider school community who travelled from far and wide for this special day. In particular, to The Friends of Bedford School Boat Club for organising and toiling away all day on the barbecue and keeping everyone refreshed. A final thank you, as always, to our Director of the Bedford School Association Hugh Maltby, and his wife, Rachel, for all of their meticulous planning in the build-up to this key ‘home fixture’ and careful coordination on the day.
We would like to thank everybody from the wider school community who travelled from far and wide for this special day. In particular, to The Friends of Bedford School Boat Club for organising and toiling away all day on the barbecue and keeping everyone refreshed. A final thank you, as always, to our Director of the Bedford School Association Hugh Maltby, and his wife, Rachel, for all of their meticulous planning in the build-up to this key ‘home fixture’ and careful coordination on the day.
