The women’s squad year got off to a good start at the Women’s Head of the River Race which takes place over 4 ¼ miles on the River Thames. The race, on the 11th March saw the Tyne Women’s eight move up from their position of 199 the previous year to 173 showing a good consistent performance. The Tyne Women’s squad put out a convincing performance at the first regattas of the season at Chester-le-Street and Nottingham on the 22nd April.

Laura Gilbert and Susie Wilkinson travelled to Nottingham City Regatta to race at Holmepierre Point. Both women put up sterling performances and Laura came third in WS2 1X, in a strong field which included international scullers. The rest of the women’s squad had many convincing wins at the local regatta at Chester-le-Street which included Lucy Kerr winning WN 1X, Lucy Kerr and Tonya Lawson winning WN 2X and Pip Earle winning WS3 1X. As the season progressed, the squad continued to produce positive results at Durham City.

The future is looking bright for the women’s squad which is growing in numbers and talent, year by year. The rest of the season sees the women’s intermediate four and senior quad racing and Henley Women’s Regatta and a full compliment of doubles and singles being raced at all levels, as well as the four and quad at Durham Regatta on the 6th/7th May. Laura Gilbert won the WS3 1X and the quad consisting of Pip Earle, Susie Wilkinson, Laura Gilbert and Katherine Lee made sculling look easy by comfortably winning in the WS3 4X.

There was also strong performances put out by the WS4 4+ of Barbara Millns, Tonya Lawson, Gendi Lash and Carol Parker, and the WN 2X of Alex Wilberz and Carol Parker, who despite having a mishap with a stray blade in their first heat, managed to fight back through several rounds and get to the final, where they lost by only a narrow margin.