After being postponed due to adverse weather, the Women’s Newquay County Championships 2025 were finally held on Saturday 27 September in a condensed, action-packed format. Newquay Harbour provided a dramatic backdrop as women’s crews faced challenging tides and shifting conditions in a single-day showdown to round out the 2025 season.
Photo credit: Felix Lane
Originally scheduled across the last weekend in August, the championships were restructured by Newquay Rowing Club, to accommodate both the Men’s and Women’s events on the reserve date, after the Men’s September date was also blown out by stormy weather.
Photo credit: Felix Lane
Round One featured 16 heats over around 4 hours of racing by which time low-tide led to breaking waves in the harbour gap forcing a break of over 2 hours. After 3pm, four quarter-final heats of six boats commenced with the top three crews from each quarter-final advancing to two semi-finals. The first semi-final saw a tussle between Helford and Fowey for the top spot, whilst the second semi-final saw an unfortunate disqualification of Caradon B. The first three from each semi went forward to contest the eagerly awaited final by which time rain had very much set in and darkness was falling.
Photo credit: Felix Lane
In recent years, crews have prepared for two laps of the course for the Final. This year, with visibility fading, crews had just one lap to complete. But after a long day of racing in hard conditions, this was small comfort. Twenty strokes into the race it looked like Helford were looking for an early lead in Emma Louise. By the 60 stroke mark, Fowey had caught them in Zawn, with Caradon looking to nose ahead of both boats in Troy. Half way up the first leg, Fowey began to capitalise on their inside berth, pushing up relentlessly and securing the mark ahead of Caradon, who dropping back, switched to the inside as they entered the mark, turning tightly. Helford came into the mark at good speed just behind the lead boats but lost ground taking a wider turn.
The middle leg of the race is just 5 minutes long, but is often the trickiest and this proved the case, with crews working hard in choppy conditions. Caradon made headway against Fowey on this leg, working their way up on the inside and securing the race official call for the second mark. The crews turned the second mark together, matching each other stroke for stroke but once around, Caradon slowly pulled away with Fowey retaining good form but struggling to hold on to them. The Caradon crew was greeted by cheers as their positive and driving stroke took them across the line to take the top spot. Fowey A claimed second, with Helford A in third. The remaining finalists were Falmouth A in fourth, Truro A in fifth, and Charlestown A in sixth.
Fergus Muller, GigRower Stream Team commentator said, “The level of this championships was set really high, peaking in a fascinating final. Rowing styles were pitted against changing conditions which resulted in the lead position changing hands a few times. The first leg was won by Fowey’s long driving stroke in the flatter water with the weather behind them, but on the turn Steve Kent put the Caradon crew in the box seat with a decisive move up the inside. It was a great move which allowed Caradon’s sharper attacking stroke to move against the wind and swell, through Fowey on the inside. This helped them to take control of the next mark, drive against the wind and down the last leg to a strong, impressive win.”
The championships highlighted the adaptability required to compete in variable coastal conditions and the endurance required across a gruelling condensed format. Well done to all!
Final Results:
1st – Caradon A
2nd – Fowey A
3rd – Helford A
4th – Falmouth A
5th – Truro A
6th – Charlestown A
Full results can be downloaded here.
Photo credit: Felix Lane
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