Inverness Rowing Club claim three gold medals and host of silvers at 2025 Scottish Championships
Inverness Rowing Club brought a full squad to the Scottish Championships at Strathclyde Park earlier this month, winning three gold medals between them.
Two trailers headed south with the equipment for entries into the singles, doubles, pairs, quads, fours and the eight categories.
Not put off by heavy downpours, Tim Latham and Adrian Hopkins secured the club’s first gold medal of the weekend in the opening lane race – the O Mas CE 2-.
Inverness would continue to have a commanding presence in and around the podium spots, with Hannah McManus reaching the A final of the W J15 1x event in her single scull, only just missing out on a medal by 0.89 seconds.
The quad squad of Ailsa Martin, Aimie Patience, Hannah Luke and Emily Richens claimed a bronze medal by over 10 seconds ahead of a St Andrew Boat Club team.
Another medal would follow in the O Mas CEF 8+ boat coxed by Ailsa Martin, comprising of Robert Gordon, Adrian Hopkins, Tim Latham, Steven Andrews, Connor Caddick, Kyle Liptrot, Ciaran McManus and Dave Rothwell.
Their task was to reel in a Castle Semple composite crew that had a timed head start due to their category, but despite putting in a valiant effort they had to settle for silver.
Steven Andrews and Ciaran McManus added another silver medal to their collection in the O Mas BC 2x, only narrowly losing out to Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club.
Silver proved to be the trend on day one of the Championships, with Shay Hammock and Robin Roxburgh finishing second in the J 15 2x final by a mere 0.8 seconds; before Ailsa Martin, Aimie Patience, Rachel Seed, Rachael McCuster, Emily Richens, Hannah Luke and Bethany Hickling rowed to the same placing in a boat coxed by Jessica Douglas in the W Int 8+ category.
Heather Gordon finally went one better than silver in the W 2x event, where she teamed up with Vesta Rowing Club’s Issy Maxwell, clearing the rest of the field by a solid five seconds.
That sent the Inverness squad in to day two on a high note, and all of the club’s junior scullers made it through to either A or B finals in their respective events, with plenty recording new personal bests in the process.
Shay Hammock came closest of that contingent to winning a medal, only just missing out on bronze in his A final by 1.43 seconds.
Instead, IRC’s first medal of day two came in the O Mas BDE 4+ category, with a four coxed by Ailsa Martin and comprising of Robert Gordon, Adrian Hopkins, Tim Lathan and Dave Rothwell winning another silver.
Bronze would follow in the W Int 4+ final, with Rachel Seed, Aimie Patience, Hannah Luke and Emily Richens’ boat coxed by Jessica Douglas finishing five seconds clear of St Andrew BC.
A third gold medal of the weekend for Inverness came in the O Nov 4+, where cox Ailsa Martin’s squad of Tim Latham, Steven Andrews, Connor Caddick and Adrian Hopkins losing their novice status with the success.
Wilbur Grant may be wondering what could have been after missing out on his A final in the J 14 1x category, but winning the B final in a time that would have earned him gold in the A final had he produced it there.
However, such a strong showing should bode well for the next time he takes to the water competitively.
