Ryde Rowing Club recently rowed round the Isle of Wight, to raise funds for Naomi House Children’s Hospice.

Ryde Rowing Club has a long tradition of rowing the fifty-eight miles around the Isle of Wight. And this year decided to complete this challenging row to raise funds through donations for the Naomi House Children’s Hospice .

The plan was to be the first Club to complete the row in a coxless, coastal quad, which, weather permitting was likely to be a fast combination and challenge the fastest time for a four oared boat of seven hours, seven hours fifty-seven minutes, the fastest Ryde time of seven hours fifty-two minutes and the fastest time for rowing or sculling around the Island of six hours forty-eight minutes set by Guernsey Rowing Club in 2002 in a coxed six man sculling boat.

The crew for the challenge was the Clubs Senior Veteran Scullers – Mike Jenner, Russell Page, Nick Pike and Ian Hayden – all very experienced scullers, with a number of Hants & Dorset ARA Championships between them.

With the competitive Coastal season over the window of opportunity to complete the row was identified as being between the 26th September and 30th October – and it was then just a matter of waiting for suitable weather conditions. As the first date approached it became quite clear that they were unlikely to have better weather and calmer conditions than those predicted for the first day – and so, although the neap tide would probably have a negative impact on the time, it was decided to make the attempt at the first available opportunity – Saturday, 26th September.

Report compiled by Steve Bull, from accounts given by Crew members Russell Page and Mike Jenner.

The Club is hoping that in acknowledgment of this successful row people will be prepared to make a donation to the Clubs nominated charity – the Naomi House Children’s Hospice.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Full account can be viewed at Justgiving here: or on Ryde Rowing Club website here:

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