ROWER Natacha Searson claimed gold at the Home International Rowing Beach Sprints in Bournemouth.
The defending champion was competing in the women’s solo, alongside team members Joshua Watkins in the men’s solo and Sarah Earles and James Hart in the mixed doubles, with the team facing crews from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
After time trials, crews faced head-to-head races.
Searson said: “I went into the time trial knowing that becoming the top seed would make for an easier progression.
“I pushed as hard as I could and I was happy with the result but knew there were improvements to be made.
“I had a clean run for the semis, beating Scotland’s Elizabeth Adlam, and progressed to the Final A, where I was up against Thea Adamson for Wales.
“It’s two years since we competed in the same championship – in Namibia at the Commonwealth Rowing Association Beach Sprint Championship, when I was just starting out in this sport.
“I knew she was strong then, but I was also confident that I’ve grown much stronger too.
“We both had a good start but I made a tight turn at the end buoy and I nailed the row back to the beach, finishing in 2:43, 10 seconds ahead.”
Although Searson was able to stick to her race plan, this is not always possible. The unpredictable nature of beach sprints – where rogue waves, unintentional interactions with buoys and even capsizing are commonplace – can lead to disappointment.
In the men’s solo race, having rowed strongly in his time trial, Watkins found himself in the repêchage, fighting for a place in the semi-final.
He said: “I wouldn’t be honest if I said I wasn’t disappointed in what happened last weekend.
“It takes a lot of practice to get the course right, especially if you want to go over the buoys. It’s a high-risk strategy to shave off a few seconds on the course.
“Unfortunately, my boat went the wrong side of the buoy, so it didn’t pay off.
“It’s a painful lesson, but it will make me stronger next time.”
The mixed doubles pairing of Earles and Hart had better fortunes, winning a place in the Final B, against Wales’s Bo Hughes and Frances Katirewa, who beat the Jersey pair by six seconds.
Hart said: “The Home International Beach Sprint regatta was a fantastic event. The hosts even provided us with blades when ours didn’t make it on the plane.
“Despite the unfamiliar equipment, Sarah and I held our own in the Senior Mixed Doubles, beating the Irish in the repêchage and holding our own against both the Scottish and Welsh in the finals.
“Given our recent pairing, we are very pleased with how we battled it out with the best. I look forward to take the experience gained and push it on into next season.
“A special thank you to Oak and the support team which allowed us to have such a great showing on the international stage.”
Jersey Rowing Club vice captain Earles added: “We continue to be hugely appreciative of Oak Group’s support, which was last year announced as a four-year commitment.
“We strongly believe we have local talent that stands a strong chance of being in a position to qualify for the Olympic 2028 team.
“To make that happen we not only need to develop rowers but the support network of coaches and boat handlers on Island.
“It is early stages of the sport, and we still have some work to do in order to encourage people to give it a go.
“This year we had four rowers who put themselves forward for selection.
“We are keen to ensure that we can sustainably field a strong team year on year, that can stand up against the Home Nation squads, who have a much bigger pool of talent to select from and easier access to resources.
“We are really pleased to have rounded off the beach sprint season with a gold medal for Jersey.
“We did not bring home as many medals as last year, symptomatic of the increasing competition as the sport develops, however we have brought home more competition experience and things to work on for the future.”
