Saturday 16 June
The weather on the day of The Games may have been variable but the community spirit most definitely was not – it was fantastic to see such keen competition across eight events and so many smiling faces. Thank you to the many people who joined us on the day – there are many more photos available on www.riverhamblegames.com and via www.silverscalephotography.com.
Rowing: 2018 really was a row of two halves. With a strong flood tide and stiff tail wind all five Bursledon Gigs rocketed up the River Hamble to the turning mark at Manor Farm Country Park. At the half way mark The Elephant led the Hamble Sea Scouts, followed by The Hamble Boys with Oarsome (Hamble River Rowing Club) and Tudor Rose. The row back was hard work for everyone! The flood tide was still flooding and the wind had not softened. The Elephant stretched their lead, taking the Gold medal; Sea Scouts were 2nd, The Hamble Boys 3rd, Oarsome came in 4th and Tudor Rose in 5th.
Oarsome won Gold in the ‘Ladies and Junior’ category, with Tudor Rose in Silver. A special mention is deserved by Tudor Rose who were the only Junior crew competing and did exceptionally well in their first Hamble Games, in particular given the conditions and the fact they were rowing ‘Randan’ style with 3 rowers, instead of 4. It was the true Gold medal performance of the race.
Sailing: For the first time, the Harbour Master’s Dinghy Pursuit Race was run in conjunction with the River Hamble Games, and incorporated a separate race for Optimists this year. The strong SW wind made the course challenging for the sailors resulting in a number of capsizes and retirements.
Of the 51 boats that appeared in the start area, 26 made it to the finish. The entry fees together with donations raised a considerable sum for Parkinsons UK; the Harbour Master’s chosen charity.
Results - Fast – Ian Morgan in a DZero Netley SC, Slow – Amy Smith in a Topper Warsash SC, Optimists – Henry Camm Warsash SC.
Kayaking: 23 competitors battled it out in three classes to be crowned Kayak Slalom champion. With a wide age range for our Veterans class (40+) it was a pleasing victory for our oldest competitor Susan Templeton (60) to take gold in 2:32mins; with men’s gold going to Toby Wright of Hamble Spitfires in a time of 2.01. Youth seems to have won the day in our Seniors class with Joe Dodds (19) stealing victory from Duncan McManus (39) in a time of 1:49; both of Hamble Sea Scouts. The Junior classes were also dominated by Hamble Sea Scouts team members, with brother and sister combination Aaron and Jessica Lennard fighting of competition from their team mates to each take gold in times of 1:53 and 2:23 respectively.
Paddleboarding: Another good turnout with a wide range of abilities and experience. The return leg of both the ‘fun’ and ‘distance’ events saw all competitors paddling against both wind and tide. Nevertheless, there was some keen and hard fought battles between many individuals as well as the elements.
Running: Around 120 competitors enjoyed an early start and there were some fast times for the winners of each group. There was a particularly strong field in the junior 5km boys who were very competitive. All running results can be found on the website.
Volleyball: Four teams battled it out on the volleyball court – with plenty of support to help ensure the ball did not land in the water too many times! Congratulations to Isobel B & Maddie B for fighting off some stiff competition.
Swimming: With nearly 60 swim competitors we had a strong event with close results to watch for on choppy waters! Gold medals were awarded to Peter C (1.5km senior class), Simon H (1.5km veteran class), Matthew S (500m junior class) and Richard B (500m veteran class). Please see the website for the full results in all categories.
Well done to everyone who entered one or more of the events!