 Top-class watersport action came to Teesside last weekend with the staging of the annual Tees Regatta. The event, organised by Tees Rowing Club, was staged in glorious summer conditions with clear blue skies and balmy temperatures. There were more than 285 entries from 27 clubs in all boat types from the powerful eights that reach impressive racing speeds to the single sculling boats. Racing got under way at 9.30am on Saturday with races going off every three minutes up to 6pm. Complications arose during the day with dead heats, which required competitors to return immediately to the start to contest the 850m course again to determine placings. Impressive regatta organisation and teamwork from scores of willing helpers, ensured the day went without a hitch though. Many races were qualifying events that would enable winners to be promoted to compete in higher quality events. Richard Shirley, a 2002 silver medallist at the GB national championships, led the charge for the Lancaster contingent. He won the impressive men's elite single sculls final, beating Smalman Smith from St Peter's School and Harry Scarr from Durham ARC. Richard then swapped two blades for one to support his club members in their double victory in the men's senior 2 and veteran B iv+ event. Suzie Francis, the Tees RC junior captain and fourth in the national championships Junior 15 final in 2003, led the charge for the Tees club when she picked up three awards. Suzie sculled impressively in beating local rival Julie Turner from Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham in the women's junior 16 sculls event; she then joined forces with Ester Takacs to win the hotly contested women's senior 3 double sculls events. Then, after only three outings using one blade instead of two, she jumped into a boat with Ester Takacs, Angela Warburton and Christine Meikle and cox Ben Warburton, to win the women's senior 3 coxed fours, beating Hollingworth Lake in the final. Ester Takacs of Tees also went on to make it three personal wins for the day when she overcame fellow club member Angela Warburton and Jodie Mark from Talkin Tarn to take the women's novice single sculls event.
 The men's novice single sculls event was the big event of the day with 20 single scullers entered. Tees members Neil Hunter-Smith and David Inman coached by Kate O'Sullivan, who were victors in the double at Durham City Regatta, competed against each other for the first time in this event. The boys won through to the semi-final where they narrowly missed the final. In the final Benoit Bloin sculled against Alex Leigh and Ben Rowe, both from Yarm School and still only 15 years old, with Ben emerging the winner. Rebekah Warburton, continued her winning ways and once more took on all-comers from across the region to win the women's junior 15 single sculls. The other junior members of Tees Rowing Club - Melissa Meikle, Alice Runnicles, Laura Hunter-Smith and Ben Warburton - all acquitted themselves well throughout the day. The Tees veteran squad were out in force once more, and the men's veteran E iv+ of John Green, Bob Bainbridge, Chris Kenyon, Tony Stocking and John Heron took on their local rivals from Berwick/Cambois. In one of the most closely contested events of the day in a desperately close finish, they were defeated by the narrowest of margins, only 2ft. The Tees veteran E iv+ are looking forward now to meeting their rivals from the Borders at the National Veteran Championships at Holme Pierrepoint on June 13. Tony Stocking went on to compete in the veteran novice single sculls, which he won easily from Rodney Minchin from Doncaster Rowing Club, while Bob Bainbridge of Tees lost out to Cambois by the narrowest of margins when he competed with ex-Tees RC member Jon Williamson in the final of the veteran C/D double sculls. The Tees veteran E crew then joined forces with many other club members in the mixed eights event. Chris Kenyon carried on his tradition when he won the Men's veteran F/G single sculling event. The Tees senior men's squad continued to demonstrate they are growing from strength to strength. The senior 3 eight were convincing victors over local rivals Durham ARC, to win a place in the final, where they finished second. The Tees eight then split into two fours - the senior three four of Steve Vaslet, Dave Warburton, Dave Scarr, Andy Pickering and cox Angela Warburton finished second in their four boat final while the senior iv+ of Justin Roe, Graham Hollins, Rob Cree, Paul Lofts and cox Peter Hills finished third in their final. The women's squad were out in force too and the senior 4 eight defeated St Peter's School from York, the crew of Amanda Noel, Fiona Ventress, Sarah Harker, Helen O'Connor-Pickering, Gill Stiller, Christine Meikle, Deborah Ashurst, Liz Leigh and cox Richard Harandon overturning an earlier defeat of Tees at York by St Peter's. The two women's novice eights narrowly lost to St Peter's School in their final and the women's novice and senior iv+ acquitted themselves well in their respective finals. The junior events were all of the highest calibre with many of the region's national champions present and local rowers from Yarm School and Tees RC did well. It was good to see University of Teesside RC back in force, and they were rewarded with a victory when John Cox won the senior 4 single sculls. The mixed eights final, the last event of the day, saw four boats compete against each other from the home clubs. The line-up read Tees RC, Tees/Yarm, University of Teesside, and Tees Parents and offspring. The event was a thrilling final to end the day with the Tees/Yarm composite coming out the victors. The crew were Sarah Douglass, Lucy Ventress, Alex Leigh, Gary Bettinson, Peter Mackfall, Paul Lofts, Sarah Stocking, Sarah Harker, cox Richard Leigh. | 
