JERSEY’S rowing talent closed out the Four Nations Series in style, amassing an impressive medal tally of ten against some of the UK’S finest rowers.
The event in Scotland was the fourth and final instalment of the Swift 4 Nations Beach Sprint and Endurance series with earlier events taking place in England, Wales and Jersey.
Following the conclusion of all four events Rick Rouille placed joint fourth on the Men’s Endurance leaderboard with racing partner Tim Fenemore, and Natacha Searson placed third on the Women’s Beach Sprint leaderboard.
Competition was set on the beautiful shores of Ayr, and the weather was in everyone’s favour. Like the beach sprint event, the offshore racing also started and ended on the beach, with competitors having to navigate large barrel jellyfish that were stranded on the shoreline.
Saturday saw competitors contest the Beach Sprints categories, and the Caesareans certainly commenced their championships on the right foot, notching four medals on the opening day.
Beach Sprints is a dynamic format of coastal rowing, where anything can happen. Since this format’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme, competition has surely kicked up a notch, with athletes across the country battling for their spot in the illustrious event.
John Searson kicked things off, capitalising on his competitor’s, Tim Fenemore, unfortunate capsize after the 180 turn buoy in the Masters Men’s Solo, leading him to victory and a gold medal.
Natacha Searson had a successful day, eager to impress and strengthen her bid for a spot on Team GB, with her efforts netting two medals in the format. Before securing gold in the Senior Mixed Double with James Cox, Natacha Searson proved her mettle in the Senior Women’s Solo to earn the silver medal.
Sarah Earles and John Searson showed out in the Masters Mixed Double, finishing first to take home yet another gold medal for Jersey Rowing Club, closing out the day on a high.
“John and I raced together for the first time at the Saints Regatta in Saint Andrews earlier this year, so it was a great opportunity to see what we could do in the beach sprints. We worked well together and were both really pleased about taking home the gold,” said Earles.
John Searson added: “Doing the Masters Beach Sprints was so much fun. Without realising I had picked up many of the skills from coaching Natacha. Those small differences made for a fast time in the singles and in the Masters Mixed Doubles working with Sarah we powered ahead in the final.”
Sunday saw the endurance events take place, bringing more success for the Islanders.
Rick Rouille finished his season strong, netting gold with composite crew in the Masters Mixed Quad and Masters Mens Quad, as well as rowing exceptionally with Tim Fenemore to take yet another gold in the Masters Men’s Double.
The Senior Men’s Quad race wasn’t the most straightforward affair, as mishaps presented themselves. Natacha Searson, and her father John, went head to head with composite crews, in what was a thrilling race.
Natacha Searson’s mixed crew were leading the pack, but disaster struck when their cox called a turn prematurely, resulting in the buoy being missed. This costly error set them back a few places, which meant they had to work extra hard to claw their way back to second place, ahead of her father’s crew, who rounded out the podium with a bronze medal.
The Searsons weren’t finished with their medal pursuit, as John Searson won gold in the Masters Mixed Double alongside Briony Jones, and Natacha Searson won bronze in the Senior Mixed Double, partnered up with Cam Buchan.
Once again, the Jersey Rowing Club proved they can compete with some of the best around, resulting in a pleasing conclusion to their Four Nations series.
